Q&A With Michael from The Michael Rambo Project

[Sara Adams]

 

When did you first get The Michael Rambo Project together?

MR: We got together about two years ago, with a friend of mine, we started kind of mashing some music together and I pulled my brother along for the ride.  We actually played some electronic music, in a side project called Freak and Frenzy, and we ended up really enjoying making music together. And my wife had encouraged me to, finally, after a decade of writing music and performing. She said “Get your music out there. I don’t care what it takes, do it.”  And that was encouraging, for her to say you have my permission to go out there and play and stuff. So I did. 

 

And we got it together with some guys I had been playing with at the University, and we planned  a debut show at the Grand Little Theatre. And I put together an EP to distribute, and we were off to the races as far as that goes.

 

I read on your website that everyone in the band has been involved in the UWEC  music program.  Is that still the case?

MR: They were all, at one point, involved with the music program at the University at different times. Half of the band actually just graduated, and they are going off to different places. And so, in fact this summer we’re experiencing about an 80 percent turnover.  But we still have had a lot of other people that we’ve played with that have been pulling together for a more constant band, as we’re heading off and releasing an album at an undisclosed time.

 

What can you tell me about the CD that you’re working on?

MR: At this point, the CD is going to look like two halves.  On one side will be more of an urban landscape, with some really soulful textures and more horns, and just things that would make you feel like you are experiencing a big city somewhere, maybe a little hip hop influence and stuff like that.

 

And then the other side of the album is still going to be some tasteful melodies and some passages that stretch the ear of the listener, some harmonies that might be not exactly what you’re used to.  But it will be more of a pop-rock or piano-pop, something that you still might hear on the top 40 that is not that dance-y but just a different style.

 

What do you guys have planned for the Volume One Show on July 21?

MR: I’m really excited about it. This has been a long time coming. We really enjoy this venue, and we’ve participated in it on a weekly basis as a part of the community.   I think it’s a very smart and unique musical experience in Eau Claire.  Last year we were slotted to play and got rained out. I think the joy of experiencing our music with the community is exciting in itself.  With that in mind, I can’t help but get people together to play music. It’s what I do. So we decided to go with a choir, a gospel style choir.  And then we’re having dancers from UWEC’s Concert Dance Company.  We want to make a show out of it.

 

Do you have a favorite song to do live?

MR: One of the most fun songs to perform of ours is called “What Do You Want?”  I want people to question what they want, out of life, or out of whatever experience.  I think a lot of us try to fill our cup with things that don’t necessarily fulfill us, and we end up just throwing that away and trying something new.  And so it’s really just a question of what do we want, what do we need and stuff like that.

 

What bands have influenced you the most?

 

 MR: I would say U2 has definitely been influential in my life.  Also Stevie Wonder, and Coldplay.  Radiohead is pretty huge. Also the Motown Groups, and Israel Holton, he’s a gospel artist, he’s pretty innovative

 

But really, we all write and express ourselves based on what we’ve experienced.  And so it’s kind of a little bit of everything that we’ve touched on.

Is there anything else you want people to know about The Michael Rambo Project?

MR: I think if someone were to ask “What is the Michael Rambo Project?” ,  I think it is a the desire to connect with the human experience and just kind of question and explore our existence with God, and just find out what’s common in our suffering.

 

And hopefully we can be lighthearted enough to laugh at ourselves a little bit, but still real enough to be honest in our approach.  I hope we don’t feel pretense, or judgmental, when we express ourselves.  We want to just encourage people to join the fray, and have a good time and take part and grab from  life.

 

The Michael Rambo Project will be performing at Phoenix Park on July 21 as part of Volume One’s Summer Concert Series.