Formula Indie Sessions _ Interview with Michael Kelton
What is your earliest memory connected to music?
My earliest memories connected to music were watching my father’s band play as a small child. It wasn’t until I was much older that I realized how unique it was that this is how he supported our family.
How did your passion for creating music begin?
Watching my father support our family as a working musician definitely sparked my passion for music. Traveling with his closest friends and doing what they love, all while being such a fun and positive part of their audience’s lives seemed like a pretty great way to make a living. I took to the drums at a young age, joining the concert and marching band at school, marching in a drum corps, and joining rock bands in high school. It wasn’t until my first heartbreak that my passion for songwriting took hold and I began writing songs for the bands I was playing in.
What’s the story behind your current music project?
My next EP entitled “Among the Stars” is my most vulnerable work to date. As I gravitate towards the more serious side of songwriting, I’ve slowly written songs that are intrinsically slow and sad. I’ve been working as a “sideman” for decades now and the idea you should be striving for commercial success has led me to put some of my best work aside. For “Among the Stars” I took what I consider to be my best songs and decided to focus on making music for myself, prioritizing authenticity over all else, in both lyric and production.
How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard your music before?
In a nutshell my music falls somewhere between country, folk, and indie. I’m beginning to lean towards music that I feel is made for listening rooms. Although my music has always been driven by the acoustic guitar, I’m starting to lean into production styles of intimate folk, indie, singer-songwriter and away from honky tonk and rock.
What is one thing you’ve learned that completely changed the way you make music? Making music for myself is far more rewarding that making music that attempts to fit
what I think someone else will like.
What tools, instruments, or software are essential in your creative process? Every song starts on the acoustic guitar for me.
Which indie artist or song are you loving right now?
I’ve really enjoyed everything Blue Water Highway has been releasing lately. “Keep My Mind Off You” and “Old School” are works of art.
How have your personal experiences influenced your music and artistic vision? I occasionally integrate someone else’s experiences into my writing but my personal
experience is the primary influence on my songwriting.
What emotions or messages do you hope listeners take from your work? Lately I’ve been writing on the darker moments in life, in hopes that the emotional
connections made to these songs help people heal and see we all go through them.
What’s the most important lesson music has taught you so far?
We’re all coexisting in different chapters of life.
What is a dream venue or festival you would love to perform at?
Luckily I have played a lot of my bucket list venues backing up other artists, but my dream would be to take my music to intimate venues like The Kessler in Dallas, TX up to amphitheaters like Red Rocks in Morrison, CO.
If you could collaborate with any artist, past or present, who would it be and why? Although our music is very different, I would love to collaborate with Gergory Alan
Isakov.
Where can our listeners follow and support your music? (Website,Spotify, IG, links) MichaelKelton.com though I’m most active on Instagram @Michael.Kelton
Looking toward the future, what’s your dream for the next chapter of your musical journey?
I am in love with the listening room setting. Growing in listening rooms and small theatres in my next step.
What do you hope listeners will discover about you along the way? I’m just a husband and father trying to connect through this gift of music.
