Michael Michael Motorcycle - Out to the Mystic
When Michael Michael Motorcycle guitarist/vocalist Michael Pannone is not on the road or in the studio, he’s a boat worker. In that field, there is a term called “holystoning” which means to scour a ship with a soft piece of sandstone. In many instances, these are large ships and finishing the job is a herculean task.
When the harmony-drenched, indie-Americana band decided to record its new EP, the quartet faced a similarly formidable job. Michael Michael Motorcycle wanted artistic autonomy and to be cost efficient, so the Northern California-based group decided to record the aptly-titled Holystoning at its rehearsal space. The five-song collection finds MMM delving deeper into its all-hands-on-deck creativity, and emerging triumphantly from the challenging task of DIY recording. The adventurous and emotive single, “Out To The Mystic,” will be released prior to the Holystoning EP.
“Doing manual labor can be Zen-like, and, before you know it, you finish the project. Recording ourselves felt daunting, but we focused on individual tasks, and one day we looked up and we were done,” says Pannone. “This EP is the most mature version of the band. There’s less individuation, and it feels like the culmination of what we’ve been working so hard to achieve as artists.”
Michael Michael Motorcycle is known for its shimmering guitars, strong backbeat drums, catchy but kinetic basslines, and its folksy three-part-harmony interlace. The band’s distinct Americana invites comparisons to Tom Petty, My Morning Jacket, CSNY, Neil Young, and Fleet Foxes. MMM is proudly too soft to be a hard rock band, and too hard rock to be a soft rock band. These attributes, plus its nuanced musicianship and finely-crafted tunes, have enabled MMM to thrive in a variety of musical settings. MMM has won over crowds at small sweaty clubs with punk bands, at the prestigious Noise Pop Festival, and at corporate gigs, performing its originals for companies like Levi’s and The Transamerica Pyramid. Since its inception in 2018, Michael Michael Motorcycle has released one LP and three EPs, and the group has toured California, New England, old England, and Ireland.
The single, Out To The Mystic, is an emotional centerpiece of the Holystoning EP. It’s a sprawling musical, emotional, and storyteller epic. “Out To The Mystic” feels like a rocket ship voyage through unexpected twists and turns, spanning gentle folk, meaty riffage, and chaotic segues before the song gently lands back on earth. “Out To The Mystic” is layered with meaning. It’s about a drive out to play a MMM show at the Mystic Saloon in Avery, California during which Pannone brought his partner who was grappling with a profound loss. The song’s lyrics have a poetic abstraction of blurred sentimentality, ache, and hope. One standout portion of lyrics is: I’ve a lighter head than you now/The Queen of England oh the horror/Some new star around the border/I’m all light/Thought that I should bring up/You and all your make up/I’m the muscle/Up away in a tiny space ship.
“Out To The Mystic” is a testament to the cathartic and redemptive power of music. “This is a confessional about the difficulties I experienced being with someone that was suddenly losing a parent after being the person to suddenly lose a parent,” Pannone reveals. “The song speaks to how it challenged me daily to try and help my partner feel better while trying desperately to serve the insatiable, oftentimes selfish, call to service I have felt all my life towards distracting myself from reality with homemade rock n’ roll.”
Upcoming Shows
August 2nd // Bolinas, CA // Smiley's Saloon
August 15th // San Francisco, CA // The Faight
