Mike Vitale is a singer, multi-instrumentalist, and producer based in Los Angeles, California. His brand new single, ‘Time Machine,’ is part of his upcoming full-length album, featuring tracks that span the course of the past several years. The Americana-infused, indie-folk tune sees Vitale ruminating on an interesting idea – the idea that each of us is, in some sense, an organic time machine. He explains it better than I can below! But it’s a beautiful proposition that showcases an artist who’s willing to dive deep into their thoughts for the sake of their art. The instrumental side of things also deserves a special mention, as the musician has clearly honed and perfected his sound over many years. Vitale has described ‘Time Machine’ as a “with great power, comes great responsibility conversation.” All we know is that we’ve fallen pretty hard for it at Indie Top 39 and think you will too!
‘Time Machine’ is a warm and alluring little tune that weaves a beautiful, intricate web.
Indie top 39
What does the song mean to you?
It is a song that I wrote about feeling like I am an organic time machine in a three fold sense. The first being that we all experience senescence, which is the function of our cells slowly losing the ability to divide – and we perceive that as aging. Secondly, in the sense of diving into memories from my past. We are very powerful creatures that can relive moments at our own discretion through our recollections. However, this needs to be used cautiously, as we also learn how to dwell in the past, rather than live in the present. Lastly, we as human beings, have the ability to abstract, and to create our own future by willing it into existence. When we realize the full potential of these three attributes, I think that it lends to a richer understanding of our place in the present.
What do you hope to achieve with this song?
What I hoped to achieve with this song has already happened. I am currently on tour around the United States and I have been playing venues and house concerts and wineries and all sorts of places all over this great country. I was talking to one of the individuals who was kind enough to host me for a house concert and when she heard the lyrics to ‘Time Machine’ she started to cry. As a mother with three sons, it made her think of her grown adult children. It rang truthfully to her and evoked an emotional response. I can think of no greater gift than hearing that related to me in story or to witness it in person as I play the song. It is a positive feedback loop for me as an artist to have people relate to my work.
Tell us about your creative process and how the song came to be?
I wrote this song very quickly. It was within 20 minutes or so. I am a professional musician who plays bars, restaurants, resorts, and any number of places that will keep a roof over my head. At the time of writing this song, I was playing a 5 star resort every Saturday night about 2 hours away from where I lived at the time. It was a lot of driving and a lot of thinking. One night, I started floating off into my memories of childhood, growing up with my brothers, playing Lego – driving alone in my car in the dark, feeling antiquated and old and washed up. The memories from my past began to cheer me up. It took me out of the present moment, which was causing me grief, as well as the thoughts of the future, which scared me.
Please finish the sentence – Music to me is…
Music to me is the binding agent between all of humanity that helps us to realize that we are not alone in this world. We experience the same joy, pain, fear, apprehension, doubt, understanding, smiles, warmth, and every number of other human emotions that exemplify human existence. Musicians, God bless us, are writing about our human experience (good, bad, and ugly), so that others may relate to it, and feel part of the human race at large. Few things are a more destructive agent than feeling alone in the world. We are a race of social creatures. It is both a gift and privilege to write music; I am grateful for it.
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This coverage was created in collaboration with Musosoup as part of the #SustainableCurator movement.
