Mychael Gabriel – Genesis

By starrymag | December 29, 2022

By: Jennifer Vintzileos

 

 

Q) How would you best describe your sound?

A) My sound is a cross-genre amalgamation of a lot of things. A little Minneapolis Sound meets rock n’ roll, meets alt-pop, meets thirty-one flavors of Baskin-Robbins. Musical inspirations are vast – everyone from Prince, Stevie Wonder, Earth, Wind & Fire to Elton John, Joe Satriani, BB King, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Nicks, Queen, Led Zepplin, Funkadelic, Bootsy…. The list goes on and on.

 

Q) Who are your Top 3 musical influences?

A) Prince and the Minneapolis Sound will always rank in the Top 3 of my musical inspirations. The other two slots vary from day to day.

 

Q) Tell us the story behind your single “Let There Be Light.”

A) I write thinking mostly in terms of sentiment first. “How should I ‘feel’ listening to this song” is what I consider most when writing and recording. The album title Genesis was a cornerstone for the concept of the record. It represented the beginning, the “origin” story of this journey. From an allegorical sense, the first words spoken in The Bible are “Let There Be Light.” When that sudden revelation became apparent one late night in the studio, the song was written in about thirty minutes.

 

Q) You also shot a music video for “Let There Be Light.” How did you come up with the concept for the video?

A) It was important that the visual match the polysemantic symbolism of song in an interesting way. The song is about self-empowerment. From an allegorical sense, we are bringing light into the darkness with the power of music. The color RED represents life, and the balloons are symbolic of the celebration and transience of life. The red shoes are an homage to Dorothy and The Wizard of Oz – where the magical slippers represent the power within.

 

Q) Since its release, what has been the overall reaction to “Let There Be Light?”

A) So positive! People seem to really love it, which is a good feeling. As a songwriter and performer, you are never really one hundred percent sure if what you send out into the ether is going to resonate with your audience or not. It’s always a great feeling when it lands in the way you hoped.

 

Q) “Let There Be Light” is part of your latest album Genesis. What was your favorite part of the process for recording that album?

A) Seeing it to completion. I’ve been writing songs since I was a child and have been keeping record of all this material for years. The reason Genesis was such a pivotal moment for me is because it marks the first step in a much larger journey of releasing material I’ve been holding onto for a long time. Genesis is just the beginning.

 

Q) “Celebrate” has to be my favorite song on the album! Are there any songs on Genesisthat you wrote that hold a special place in your heart or really resonated with you as you wrote them?

A) Thank you! “Celebrate” definitely ranks high on my personal list as well. Another song close to my heart is “When It Comes 2 U.” The title itself is sort of a double entendre. As the song “came 2 me,” I found myself on a journey of self-discovery. Without sounding too narcissistic, recording the guitar solo and listening back was a transcendent experience to me. I hope others are able to share in that moment the same way it affected me.

 

Q) What message do you hope fans take away from Genesisas they listen to it?

A) There are allegories and a lot of symbolism hidden throughout the record if you dig deep enough. But the main takeaways: To awaken the light in oneself. Make the most of each moment you have and never underestimate the power of not giving up. Stay consistent in whatever it is you are doing because motivation will come and go – the results of consistency will breed the motivation. Life is beautiful, life is finite – so have fun.

 

Q) With the release of Genesis, are there any plans to tour to promote the album?

A) Yes – Touring is on the musical horizon for 2023.

 

Q) During live shows, what song is your favorite to perform for the fans?

A) When we finally perform “Celebrate” live – it will be a special moment for sure. Any opportunity I’ve had the honor to perform a Prince song live has held a special place in my heart. Particularly “Play in The Sunshine.”

 

Q) If you could collaborate with anyone on a new project, who would it be and why?

A) much talent out there to choose from. I’ve been asked this question a few times and have been known to give a different answer each time. Today, I’m going to say Kavinsky. I love his sound and vibe – 1980’s electropop HEAVEN. Check him out if you haven’t.

 

Q) What would you like to say to your fans and listeners of your music?

A) Simply – THANK U. I’m filled with gratitude for the journey that IS music that we have embarked on together. None of this is possible without you! Cheers to all we have yet to experience together.