If there was any fairness to the music industry, the name Michelle Malone would be as recognizable as Bonnie Raitt. For more than 20 years, the Georgia native and current Decatur, AL resident (by way of Nashville and Boulder, CO) has been melding Rock, Blues and Roots music into her own unique style. Malone's songs have been featured on television series including Dawson's Creek and Felicity, and her songs have been recorded by the Indigo Girls. On Friday, May 6, Malone will perform at Moonlight On The Mountain with singer/songwriter Jen Foster opening the 7:30 p.m. show. Recently, we caught up with Malone by phone.
Birmingham Weekly: Michelle, thanks for your time. Having lived in several music hubs, how did the move to Decatur come about?
Michelle Malone: I had some friends here and Id played house concerts for them every year - it was like an annual party. I got to know them and know the area and I just fell in love with it.
BW: You're most recent album, Debris, was released in 2009. When you are performing live these days, are you focusing on your recent material or do you cover the whole catalog?
MM: I do play from the whole catalog. I tend to prefer songs from the last 10 years, but well still dip back and do ones from the previous decade. When I'm in Birmingham, Im solo and my friend and keyboard player Tim Tucker will be joining me and well sing some together. It'll be unplugged and mellower than my band shows, but its still a lot of fun and I still am able to focus on songs from across my catalog.
BW: In a career spanning more than 20 years, you've seen tremendous changes in the music business. How do you feel about the current climate in the age of Internet, iTunes and satellite radio?
MM: Having been in the industry for so long, I dont think too much about those things. I'm not on a major label anymore and Im not really paying attention to what the Joneses are doing. I'm not trying to get played on radio because its basically impossible. I get to do what I want to do. To me, anytime I get to make music is the icing on life's cake. I feel very blessed to be able to make music for a living. I do think its wonderful that people can go to my website and download mp3s without having to go to a third party.
BW: How do your older songs stay fresh to you?
MM: I tend to change the songs every time I play them. I change it up musically a little bit and it's more according to how I feel when I'm playing than a preconceived notion of how it's going to be that night. It's really just a wild ride, especially if I'm playing with other people. We've all learned how to follow each other down any given road. That's how I keep it fresh for myself - I'm able to change the arrangements and the tone of the songs. Songs can take on different meanings depending on how you feel in that moment, so it doesn't really ever get boring to me.
www.michellemalone.com
Tickets are $15 and can be purchased at www.moonlightonthemtn.com or by calling (205) 243-8851.
Birmingham Weekly: Michelle, thanks for your time. Having lived in several music hubs, how did the move to Decatur come about?
Michelle Malone: I had some friends here and Id played house concerts for them every year - it was like an annual party. I got to know them and know the area and I just fell in love with it.
BW: You're most recent album, Debris, was released in 2009. When you are performing live these days, are you focusing on your recent material or do you cover the whole catalog?
MM: I do play from the whole catalog. I tend to prefer songs from the last 10 years, but well still dip back and do ones from the previous decade. When I'm in Birmingham, Im solo and my friend and keyboard player Tim Tucker will be joining me and well sing some together. It'll be unplugged and mellower than my band shows, but its still a lot of fun and I still am able to focus on songs from across my catalog.
BW: In a career spanning more than 20 years, you've seen tremendous changes in the music business. How do you feel about the current climate in the age of Internet, iTunes and satellite radio?
MM: Having been in the industry for so long, I dont think too much about those things. I'm not on a major label anymore and Im not really paying attention to what the Joneses are doing. I'm not trying to get played on radio because its basically impossible. I get to do what I want to do. To me, anytime I get to make music is the icing on life's cake. I feel very blessed to be able to make music for a living. I do think its wonderful that people can go to my website and download mp3s without having to go to a third party.
BW: How do your older songs stay fresh to you?
MM: I tend to change the songs every time I play them. I change it up musically a little bit and it's more according to how I feel when I'm playing than a preconceived notion of how it's going to be that night. It's really just a wild ride, especially if I'm playing with other people. We've all learned how to follow each other down any given road. That's how I keep it fresh for myself - I'm able to change the arrangements and the tone of the songs. Songs can take on different meanings depending on how you feel in that moment, so it doesn't really ever get boring to me.
www.michellemalone.com
Tickets are $15 and can be purchased at www.moonlightonthemtn.com or by calling (205) 243-8851.
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