Scott Mickelson is an artist/producer from San Francisco. His debut release Flickering was on the Grammy ballot for Best Folk Album and Best Roots Music Performance. His follow-up full-length, A Wondrous Life, received great reviews in the US and abroad, which led to his first European tour in 2019. He then produced the critically acclaimed Blanket The Homeless benefit compilation, which included
Grammy winner Fantastic Negrito.
With another UK tour looming, I sat down with him to learn more about the man and his music.
Is there a core sound or style that has formed the heart of your music, and what artists (and perhaps people outside music) have influenced you?
Scott: The only thing core in my sound is the song has to groove, not just “play.” I make sure the writing is spot on, and there’s a solid dynamic curve to the arrangement, but it needs to sit on a solid groove to be a great record. As far as influences, I grew up in the Classic Rock generation, so anything from the 60s and 70s comes into play. My first concert was the Jerry Garcia Band (Legion of Mary), then Elvis Presley.
Big Stones fan and, of course, The Beatles. In fact, track #9 is called “Beneath The Blue Suburban Sky”. McCartney’s sheer love of recording music is still present, and when I feel like I just can’t do this shit anymore, I think of Paul. What would Paul do-ha! The record production of the 70’s certainly lives in my mind when I’m arranging songs. I hated the ’80s, but now I realize the production was pretty great in many cases, and the ’90s were a throwback to the ’70s. My old band Fat Opie began in the early 90’s and ended up being managed by Elliot Roberts (Neil Young, Tom Petty, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, etc). Since then, my favorite band has been Radiohead, and I love to dabble in that vibe, too, like the vamp in Interiors from the new record and a live favorite, “When I Paint My Halo Gold”.
The title of the new album, If You Can’t Be Right, Be Loud, seems pretty pertinent at the moment, but am I right in thinking that the music and the title predate recent election rhetoric? Are there any messages you are trying to get across and conversations you are hoping to start?
Scott: The album title If You Can’t Be Right, Be Loud is a lyric from the opening track “Amplify”, which I wrote two years ago about the polarizing division in the US. There is zero common ground politically. At the time I wrote it, I could never have imagined that Trump would be re-elected as we expected him to be indicted and in jail by now. I am not a political writer, but it’s impossible not to comment on the fucked up times we live in here in the States. We are transforming into an oligarchy and no longer have a viable judicial system. I wish I had a more positive message, but I call them as if I see them.
Sadly, there really is no room for debate on actual issues anymore. The other nine tracks include deeply personal tracks like “Glowstick”, which talks about the life of living with depression, and “Two Flat Tires”, which gives voice to those suffering with addictions. This album also has more humorous songs like “Small Town Scandal”, which tells the story of a couple dealing with horrible neighbors, and “Blue Is The Warmest Color”, where someone can have everything they can possibly want but still be a miserable fucker – ha!
If someone came to this album knowing nothing about you and your music, what could they expect from it?
Scott: I began recording my music in the late 70s on a reel-to-reel in my bedroom. Between my music and the 50+ artists I have produced, I’ve probably recorded 500-1,000 tracks. I say this because I am always trying to produce something I have not yet done or heard. I strive not to repeat my work. Not sure how successful I am at doing it but when you hear If You Can’t Be Right Be Loud you can be sure that track by track I am trying to break my own mold and offer something unexpected.
You are one of several American artists (including violinist Chris Murphy and folk/blues man Keegan McInroe) who seem to have a connection to, of all unlikely places, Swindon, UK. Can you explain how that came about and what the town means to you?
Scott: Well, Swindon is the world’s greatest vacationland. Screw Disney! I met Swindonian pianist Jon Buckett in a Turkish prison, and we seemed to hit it off musically. The rest is Beehive history. Swindon is my home away from home. In fact, I will do the record release show for the new record at The Victoria in Swindon on March 8th rather than the Bay Area.
With another UK tour about to kick off, where are you looking forward to playing, and how does your music go down with UK audiences?
Scott: I’m looking forward to playing any room, anywhere, with a few lost souls in the audience to sing to. I don’t have favorite venues or cities. Of course, playing at the Fillmore in San Francisco was amazing but not the easiest gig to get. In 2024, we performed in the EU, UK, New Zealand, Australia, and Japan. Every country has their own vibe. In the UK, I do feel at home to some degree because the language and the humor/sarcasm are so similar. Also, people in the UK, including promoters, and venue owners, really give a shit about the artists and truly love live music. This is a stark contrast to the States unless you are already a famous artist.
You have played the length and breadth of the globe; what are some of the more interesting gigs, highlights, and strange situations you have experienced?
Scott: Too much to answer. I’ve been performing since 1980. I will say that the recent tour in Japan was the most unique. The culture there is completely different from the rest of the world. We primarily played in “live rooms,” which are small independent venues, and each is completely different from the next. What they have in common is a nice stage and are fully backlined. The other artists we saw were generally of a very high standard. The shows are real listening rooms. No one speaks during the performance, and they don’t know when to clap—ha! They take their music very seriously.
It’s a fairly repressed society in some respects, so for these young artists, going out and playing rock stars is a real outlet and almost a punk thing to do. No one spoke English, so my incredibly entertaining banter was not immediately acknowledged -ha! But with some effort and a lot of smiling and gesturing, the crowds got the humor and really dug into what we were doing.
After this tour, what does the future hold for you, and what would you like to achieve in the long term?
Scott: After this tour I am hoping to be back in Australia. Short of that, I will be selling all my gear and finally retiring from music once and for all.
Thank you for taking the time to talk to me.
