Michael Lee Pinder lets us into his inspirations, his ambitions, and how he thinks, with our latest interview.
What inspired you to step into this solo chapter and share something this personal?
I think we keep evolving as artists and creatives, but in that process, sometimes moving forward involves revisiting our roots. The music that I am making right now includes some unreleased songs re-envisioned as well as new songs like Phantom Firefly (Glow). The song–at its core–is just a guy playing the piano and singing. I guess that’s what might give it an up close and personal sound. As the track grows, other musical elements build up, but the song ends with just me singing the last line and playing the piano. In some ways, the song for me is about other people’s stories and not necessarily about my story. It’s one of those kinds of songs where the listener brings it to life in the way they are imagining it. Now that you mention it, I guess in a way, this song could be thought of as a message to a friend. Reminding the person of who they used to be.
Growing up with Mike Pinder as your dad, how did that shape your connection to music early on?
Growing up, music was never something we “had” to do. When my brother Matt and I became interested in learning to play the guitar, our dad showed us a couple of chords and a little strumming, but not as much as we wanted that first week! He wanted us to learn from a teacher so that it could be our own thing, without the feeling of a parent looking over our shoulder as we practiced.
Music was always an important part of our household, and I found a love for it early. The music played around the house and in the home studio rubbed off on me. The local school had a great music program. I was also inspired by my older brother Dan, who is a fantastic musician. But music was something that my parents wanted me to discover on my own; they wanted me to be whoever I was meant to be.
You’ve worked a lot with your brother. How does creating on your own feel different?
There’s something great about being able to develop your musical talent as a teenager, making so many discoveries about all of the elements of music. At the same time that I was learning, I was able to see my brother Matt become an amazing musician. I saw him branching off in his own musical directions. It helped me to form an appreciation for other musicians and just how much there is to learn. It is wonderful to think of some of these early memories. It’s been an exciting road making the Pinder Brothers albums, and we are planning to create more. I’m lucky to be able to make music with him. Our plan is to continue making music together throughout our lives. Matt actually plays bass on a number of my new songs. So we definitely get to collaborate.
‘Phantom Firefly (Glow)’ is all about looking inward instead of chasing success. Where did that idea come from?
It stems from the idea that hundreds of years ago, kings and queens looked at gold and thought it was the most valuable thing there was. A crown made of gold was an item people revered. But it is just metal from the earth. You can chase after it your whole life thinking it will elevate your status when you possess it, but you never can possess it, “you can’t take it with you” as they say. And it’s just metal anyway. This spurs the question, what is true wealth? The line in the song, “Chasing dreams of silver and gold in their minds, forgetting to shine” relates to that. It can be easy to see success that way. A gold trophy off in the future. You can get caught up chasing after an idea.
There’s a line in the first Pirates Of The Caribbean movie that comes to mind. Jack Sparrow says, “Not all treasure is silver and gold, mate.” The line didn’t inspire the song, but it expresses a similar sentiment. Phantom Firefly (Glow) for me is the idea that we can become like phantoms in our own lives when we think that today is only a means to an end. If today is thought of as just a stepping stone on the way to success, it becomes devoid of color. This type of viewpoint defines gold or treasure as existing in the end, but not in the means. In other words, gold is seen as just a glimmer on the horizon, something we can only reach in the future.
The future is an idea. It can be a useful concept, but it doesn’t truly exist because when you get there, it’s now. No one has ever arrived in the concept of the future. So, that’s what causes us to sleepwalk through life or become phantoms, so to speak. If you’re always living your life
Thinking about tomorrow, you could go your whole life without seeing the beauty of today.
This song leans more into piano and softer vocals. What drew you to that sound?
I write songs and accompany myself on the piano and the guitar, and I wanted to lean into the piano in the new batch of songs that I’m recording… This song is the first of some piano-infused songs that I’m super excited about.
Your music has a really warm, calming feel. What’s your approach when writing like that?
Thanks so much. That’s an interesting question. I sometimes think of all of the components of music as ingredients in the kitchen. The array of flavors found in the ingredients is like all of the emotions that can be expressed through music. It is up to the one making the music to bring out and combine the flavors that are there. That to me is inspiring, and brings to mind the idea of a chef tasting the ingredients and discovering the potential within the ingredients.
There’s a bit of magic in both the song and the visuals – what does that theme mean to you?
We had such a fun time making the video, and we certainly wanted to be able to present the idea that magic exists in your life, in the everyday, and that it can be just around the corner.
You’re pulling from ‘70s and ‘80s influences on this project. What keeps bringing you back to that era?
There’s something about the music of the 70s that really draws me in. The 80s are like a cultural touchstone, and certain key albums from the 80s were so groundbreaking. As a songwriter, it can be inspiring to me to attempt to explore where the harmonic ideas on those albums could have progressed to. I tend to draw on music from many different decades for inspiration. I am fascinated by musical pioneers, and I feel that there is so much to be gained by appreciating what they did.
Anything else you’d like to share with listeners?
Just thanks for taking the time to listen. That, to me, is definitely one of the treasures of life.
Be inspired by the music video for ‘Phantom Firefly (Glow)’ below, and find out more about Michael Lee Pinder and his music online via his Linktree.
