Producer and artist Scott Mickelson has a storied career in the business, almost making with his band Fat Opie, who were supposed to be featured heavily on MTV and be the support act for Neil Young. The band broke up when it fell through. No wonder he suffered from depression, after which he reinvented himself as an in-demand producer in the Bay Area. His day job gave him the opportunity to become an artist again. His latest album, quite ironically titled Known To Be Unknown, is a mix of folk and '70s guitar rock - imagine Warren Zevon fronting Little Feat with a brass section.
He has some serious questions about that perennial US issue gun control (UNarmed American), but he can also write passive-aggressive love song (Only Ugly When You Cry): "I’d like to kill you with kindness // I’ve got an itch trigger finger // If I could find you in this darkness // I’d be the greatest gunslinger // I’d like to run through your sprinklers // I want to get my two feet wet // And I’ll meet you on the other side".
Freed from the constraints of a record label and being able to fund his own music Mickelson seems to quite content right now. Aided by Frank Reina (drums), Sadie Mickelson (cello), Luke Kirley (trombone, tuba), and Cayce Carnahan (trumpet) he recorded an album following his own rules and putting his hang-ups front and centre.
Known To Be Unknown is a self-released album. Buy it (vinyl, CD, digital) from his website.
Tracks:- UNarmed American
- Go To Bed Hungry
- A Murder Of Crows
- Ithaca
- Only Ugly When You Cry
- Chicago Transit Authority
- Die Trying
- A Blur In The Memory
- UNarmed American (acoustic)
- 04/24 Hotel Utah Saloon, San Francisco, CA
- 07/01 Maverick Festival 2022, Woodbridge, UK
- 07/05 The Bell Inn, Bath, UK
- 07/06 The Musician, Leicester, UK
- 07/07 The Chambers, Folkestone, UK
- 07/08 The Hyde Tavern, Winchester, UK
- 07/09 Trowbridge Town Hall, Trowbridge, UK
- 07/10 The Beehive, Swindon, UK
- 07/12 The Gladstone Arms, London, UK
- 07/14 The Dorothy Pax, Sheffield, UK
- 09/24 MusicClub Schmölln, Schmölln, Germany
- 09/25 Hafenbar Tegel, Berlin, Germany
- 09/27 Blue Note, Dresden, Germany
- 09/30 Kunstkamer Holland Huis, Scherpenisse, Netherlands
- 10/01 Haus Eifgen, Wermelskirchen, Germany
- 10/02 Lazy Sonnie Afternoon, Son, Netherlands
- 10/03 Association Hall 100, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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