An Evening with Michael Logen

By: Lee H | in: Music |

Michael Logen

Most venues in Hollywood are pretty much the same: There’s no good parking (unless you want to pay an arm and a leg for it.) Drinks are too expensive and if you’re not looking for it, you probably would ever realize it was there. Such is the case for Hotel Cafe. After I park my car in the Jack in the Box across from Ameba records (The last record store standing), I walk a block and a half to a building that looks a lot like an abandoned warehouse. I cross the street and am greeted with a sign that says “Use side entrance.” I walk around the side of the lonely looking building to find another sign that of course says “Use rear entrance.” When I finally enter the building it’s pitch black. The only light emitting is from the burning candles on the tables and the red lamps hanging from the ceiling. The darkness mixed with the loud music almost makes me loose my balance. When my eyes adjust to the light I head towards the bar to order a beer and then have a seat at an abandoned table. I spot a guy a few tables away in a black T-shirt that looks a lot like Michael Logen, the gentleman I’ve been sent here to interview.

Michael Logen

Before I get up to introduce my self I get hit with a sudden burst of self awareness. “What if it’s not him.” Then I realize how much this feels like a blind date. I shrug it off and introduce myself. We yell introductions into each others ears like people at loud bars normally do. It’s almost time for him to go on stage so I leave him to his work and head back to my seat. I take a sip from my second beer (courtesy of Mr. Logen) and hope my car isn’t being towed.

As his set begins it’s easy to see why he’s won the Singer/Songwriter Award not once but twice. “Take a photograph/ Try to make me laugh/ try to forget you’re a liar… So much for amazing” He has a voice that lends itself to heartbreak so easily yet it never sounds truly defeated. By the end of the set the crowd has doubled and he’s won himself a few new fans. Not a massive victory but a victory nonetheless. After chatting it up with well wishers and friends alike he makes his way over to me and we both decide we should go somewhere a little more quiet. We settle on a table in the next room of the bar. It’s still just as dark with candles lit at every table and the best of Al Green is blaring over our heads. It’s at that moment that I start to wonder. Is this a blind date?

Lee: Having lived in Nashville for the past few years, would you say that it’s effected your sound?

Michael: Wherever you are I think that influences you. I travel a lot. I spent a lot of time in Europe. Writing, backpacking, doing shows. I think my sound is more influenced by that more than Nashville. I’m sure that Nashville has influenced me. So, everything. Everything influences me. I don’t think that I’ve come away with a Nashville sound though.
L: For the current album you worked with Joe West (Jewel, Justin Timberlake, Emmy Lou Harris, Shakira) and Chris Farren (Dave Matthews, Johnny Cash.) How did that come about?

M: I signed a publishing deal with Combustion music. Chris Farren is the president of Combustion music. So he and I decided to work on 3 songs together. So we did 3 songs and all the while I was recording an independent record. I had been working on it for a long time. It was self financed mainly. Combustion helped a little bit but mainly it was self financed. I had a finished record and I met this guy named JoeWest who is the second producer and he said “Let me record 1 song with you.” And I recorded the 1 song with him and it was awesome. A lot of the stuff I recorded with him I had written while I was in Europe. So we went back to the studio and through out 5 songs from the old record before we ever released it, recorded 5 new ones and now that’s the record.

Michael Logen

L: What was the first song you did with Joe West?

M: It’s called “So Much For Amazing.” It’s a song about disappointment. I wrote that one while I was in Portugal.

L: What were you doing in Europe?

M: I was playing a show in Germany and I went over a couple weeks early. I had never been to Europe. I took a backpack, a guitar and a notebook. And just bought a ticket for the train for all the different places. I went to Amsterdam, Paris, Barcelona, Rome, and up through Austria to play the show. I loved it. I was by myself the whole time. I got my guitar stolen in Paris. I bought another guitar in Barcelona.

L: You spent this New Year In Istanbul, right?

M: A buddy named Mat Kearney who’s an artist as well. We’ve been friends for years. We always wanted to write together. We’ve written together in the past but he’s been really busy lately because his career is taking off. He’s doing great. So he said “Why don’t you come with me to Istanbul?” He was visiting some friends over there. So we stayed with friends and wrote a bunch of stuff for the record. We wrote a
song called “The City of Black and White” about the city of Istanbul and a girl he was interested in. Combustion help pay for the trip. It was great. Really intense.

L: The title of your debut album is ‘Things I Failed to Mention‘. Why is that?

M: I actually wrote a song by that title. I think song writing and music is a way to communicate a part of you that you don’t necessarily say on a regular basis to somebody on the street or even your closest friend.
It gives you a way to communicate with people on a different level. Something you might not say to your best friends. It’s like you can be more vulnerable in a song than sometimes you are in real life. So Things I Failed to Mention is just saying “I’m just gonna say it all.” The song was about a relationship were you just didn’t tell her that you loved her. You never committed, you never really told her how you felt about her.

I’d like to say that more than once during our conversation someone would come over to congratulate him on his performance. One guy even had to ask his name proving that this wasn’t just a family member
trying to make him feel good. This all makes sense though. He’s an easy guy to like. To the point that you root for him because you feel that if anybody should win, it’s him and you’re sure that one day he
will.

When the interview is over I pack up my things and walk back around the unmarked building and then a block and a half to find my car is still right where I left it. Every little victory counts.

Michael Logen - Ocean Floor

Michael Logen - Official Site
Michael Logen on MySpace

[Subscribe to this feed]

Posted on May 30, 2007

Comments

5 Responses to “An Evening with Michael Logen”

Lior on May 30th, 2007 9:56 am

Wonderful review. Great music.

Dory on May 30th, 2007 10:04 am

i like when people admit to parking at the jack in the box across from amoeba records in order to avoid paying the $10 for parking at Hotel Cafe.

Michael Logan is very impressive. Just listened to his song MOVIN TO YOU. Excellent.

Sandy on May 30th, 2007 3:19 pm

Lovin’ the sound - and well posed questions, Lee.

okcutie on May 30th, 2007 7:58 pm

This is nice a soothing… I enjoyed thanks..

Rick James on June 6th, 2007 8:41 pm

Great article. Mike is one of the nicest guys in the world and a musician I truly admire not just for his amazing music but also his integrity. I loved this interview.