Spotlight in Excellence Michael Rank - Excellence Takes Effort

photo by Missy Malouff

Michael Rank has had a tremendous career in music. Starting in the mid 80’s (with his band Snatches of Pink) playing straight up Rock and Roll, performing with such icons as Johnny Thunders, The Ramones, The Cramps, Iggy Pop, and Soundgarden, his early work is well known in punk rock circles. His last few releases have been described as “Americana”, “Folk” and even “Country”. His new album, a 3 CD set titled “Another Love”, has been described as “Playing like a love letter to Sly Stone,D’Angelo,
Curtis Mayfield & Prince.A 1970’s soundtrack set to lo-fi beats”.He has essentially built two independently successful music careers. To my taste, its all great- to paraphrase Ed Decosta “If OK is OK with you- Michael Rank is not your guy”.

Michael, your recent work (starting with the album Kin) was a departure from your music in the 80’s and early 90’s. It would have been so easy to recreate a sound that would have appealed to and already large fan base. What made you decide to make such a bold move?

For better or for worse, career-wise usually worse(!), I’ve always followed my heart when it comes to creativity. It’s never been a conscious decision to be contrary or anything like that. I’ve just always written songs based on what I personally was hoping to hear at that point in my life, the sounds that were exciting to me and made me feel alive, made me smile.

Is your approach to songwriting the same as you cross several genres?

I’ve always believed in a basic simplicity of songs. Meaning if you can sit on a stool all by yourself with an acoustic guitar and sing a song then it is indeed a song. After that you can add all the bells and whistles you want but you’ll know at its bare core that it works. That it exists.

One of the greatest aspects of Leadership is team building and working with the best people you can. As you have expanded the sounds on your records, how have you found such great musicians to work with and how have they influenced you?

I’ve truly truly been blessed my entire musical career by the musicians that have been kind enough to play alongside me and allowed me to play with them. I have always said that I was the least talented person on my stage and I’ve always meant that. It’s a funny line to say and gets laughs but it also rings very true!!

You also do a podcast/ Radio show “Dust Hand Sessions “ a fantastic mix of well known artists, underground sensations and new music. How do you find the music you feature there, is it your personal collection, submissions or a combination of the two?

My favorite thing about doing a radio show over the years has been it forces you to actively seek out music you’ve never heard before. I’ve gotten turned on to so many sounds and artists I never knew about because of having a radio show. Many of them I came across hunting through Bandcamp and a lot of stuff I’ve found on those “people who like this have also bought this” suggestions that are all over iTunes listings and such. And I got a ridiculous amount of CD’s at home that I dig through as well!!

Your new album “Another Love” reveals some of your influences (some of those same influences can be heard in you early work with S.O.P.) what music and artists did you listen to growing up?

I’ve always been a devotee of the mid to late 70’s. That’s just my sweet-spot. For everything….music, movies, cars, fashion, all of it. So growing up it was all Kiss & Aerosmith, Stones & Zeppelin, Bee Gees and Disco, Sly Stone and P-Funk, Cat Stevens and America….I loved all of it. I still do.

What led to the decision to make “Another Love” a 3 CD set rather than 3 separate releases?

I had written all the tracks for it to be a single length album but while we were recording it I just keep writing. And writing. And writing. So we just kept recording!! This new album is such a stylistic change for me that I just started embracing the notion of going ‘all in’!!! The old ‘go big or go home’ philosophy!!!

Many readers come from a marketing background. As part of the release of “Another Love”, music lovers were able to listen to the whole release online before they bought it. Can you elaborate on the decision to put the whole work out there rather than a tease (30 second clips like Amazon)?

The whole way we hear and purchase music has changed so much over these recent years. If someone wants to really find something they can dig around online and chances are they’ll find it. I’d rather put it out there myself to stream than someone else doing that for me. If someone wants to download it or purchase the physical CD they can pay a little money and grab it. But if they just wanna listen and check it out, or they don’t have the funds to download, then it’s there to be heard. It’s just music. It shouldn’t be a struggle to hear and enjoy.

What is in your cd player right now?

Right now its constantly back and forth between Marvin Gaye’s “I Want You” and Maxwell’s “Urban Hang Suite”

Finally, when you are not making music, writing songs or putting out your podcast, how do you relax?

I’ve come to accept that I’m genetically flawed when it comes to relaxing. It’s just not in my wiring. I’m a single Dad of a beautiful 10 year old son, I write songs and make albums, and I grow some vegetables in the garden outside. That’s pretty much where I’m at. It’s all good.

I also asked Michael about some of his favorite releases from his amazing career, here are his choices.

From ‘Another Love’….

Satellite

From the Stag years……

The Surrender

And from Snatches of Pink days……

Nero

One of my personal favorites (ironically as he is an amazing songwriter) is his brilliant cover of Little Steven’s “Men Without Women“, his treatment of the classic is incredible.