Ten Questions with John Michaels

 

As 2008 begins a new year, it is worth looking back and reflecting on how John Michaels and the Invisible Dogs have made major progress throughout 2007. What do you think were the biggest achievements?

Our biggest achievement was making it to 2008 - yuk yuk. I don't know that I would say we made major progress, but we certainly took some major steps in the right direction. We established our confidence as a professional live act and we've gained some international fans, proving that this music has a market. Though we have a lot to add to it, we also made progress in developing a signature sound and we laid the foundation to develop it.

You obviously have plans for this year. What are those specific goals and how do you plan to "top" your accomplishments from last year?

There are a lot of plans and a lot of work to do this year. Recording of the new CD begins in April. There are at least two or three videos that we need to get done, and more members need to be added to complete the live show. At the end of 2008 I hope to have the videos complete, the CD well underway, and the live show ready to take anywhere. All of that is going to require an enormous amount of time and effort.

Your debut album "A Legend in His Own Mind" is an excellent production. How will your second album differ from the first one? Will it continue where the first one left off, or will you go in a different direction with it?

The next CD will be a big departure from the first. Firstly it will contain more material that I have written, the production will have a lot more space in it, and the sound will be much more live and organic. This one will also be done in analog as opposed to digital.

Originally you simply went as 'John Michaels' performing solo, but now that you have a band behind you, you have expanded the full title to be 'John Michaels and the Invisible Dogs.' Why the change?

I still haven't decided one hundred percent if I'm going to use the name the Invisible Dogs or not. I have a title in mind for the next CD, but it doesn't fit as well using the Invisible Dogs as it does with just using John Michaels. I still need to give that more thought.


Will the Invisible Dogs be on the second record?

The current band members will be involved in playing on the CD, but it all depends on the songs and what happens in the studio. Different players may be called in for certain things and certain songs, but I'm expecting that most of it will be performed by the current live line up.

Your album has song writing credits with Brian McMahon. Who is he, and what exactly is his role in your music? Do you and he ever perform together?

Brian McMahon and I met at a NARAS sponsored songwriting workshop here in Chicago . We collaborated for a year and wrote about twenty songs together. After working for a short time with Brian I was of the personal opinion that he was a songwriting genius, especially in the lyric department. I was determined to see to it that people would hear his work, which is why I recorded it and why we perform it.

We joke sometimes that we're a Brian McMahon cover band. Though Brian and I used to perform together occasionally years ago, he rarely does anything live these days, and we probably won't be doing any performances together.

Your bass player is the incredibly talented, handsome and amazingly gifted sex symbol Brian Lambrecht, better known as NatureDevil. What is it like to play alongside such an icon?

My bass player is a Dick with ears; all he wants to do is have sex with young girls. It's inevitable that he's going to give the band a bad name by causing some kind of trouble, and that someday I'm going to have to apologize to the world for having him in my band.
On top of that he's a pot smoking liberal who bases all of his decisions on his horoscope and wants the band to pass out global warming awareness flyers at our shows. <heavy sarcasm throughout>

What can you tell me about the newest addition to your live performances Barbara Hollek? She is a songwriter as well with her own album, correct?

Barbara Hollek is the shit! She's a huge talent with an extremely powerful, emotional, and gutsy voice. She's a brilliant writer, finger picker, and she also has her own CD as well. I'm extremely excited to have her on board and I have high hopes for what she will add to the sound on the forthcoming CD as well as the live shows.


As you have stated before, being a good musician also means being a good businessman. What does that mean? How do you handle the business aspect of everything while still remaining an artist and a performer?

Music unfortunately is a business as much as it is an art, and for me that means being professional in every aspect of what I do and what the band does. It requires seeing to it that all the bases are covered in all areas such as live performances; soundman, gear, time slots, promotion etc. Having the right studio and producer for the CD, the right people for the songs, being on time, having things properly prepared. The list goes on and on and it's never ending.

I don't care for the business end of it. It's my hope and dream that one day that will be handled by competent people and I'll be free to concentrate on the creative end of the art. That to me would be making it.

You are always seen playing an acoustic. Do you ever play electric? Will we ever see you play electric?

I do plan to occasionally play an electric in the future, but I am most at home with my acoustic. I also plan to dump both for a song here and there and run around as a front man now and then.


Besides a copy of your album of course, what is the one thing you would like to see someone who has seen your show for the first time walk away with? As in, what kind of first impression do you want to leave with someone?

I would like them to leave with a smile on their face, a song in their heart, and the love of Jesus shining like a light. I would like them to feel that they've seen a band that has a real heart for the lord...

Ok here's the serious one. I would like them to feel that they've seen and heard something unique and original, and to leave no doubt in their mind that this is a band that will be seen and heard around the world. In other words; when we're in a small insignificant venue I would like their reaction to be ... What are they doing here? I think a lot of work needs to be done before we can expect that kind of reaction, but that's what we need to aim for.

Last question; why Australia? What is it that has driven you and your music to go specifically to the land down under? Is it going to happen?

The guy who co-produced my CD was from Australia and he felt that my music would do well there. I considered that and started using MySpace to introduce it to people over there. The reaction was extremely favorable and very encouraging. What has been especially encouraging is that it's striking a chord with a young audience as well as an older one. My reason for targeting myself there is simple, go where you're liked. As for how soon the band and I will be able to tour there, we'll there's nothing easy about pulling that off, and it will probably be later than sooner.