In one of his first interviews in support of his burgeoning solo career, Michael Nace commented that, “ . . . the major change between my music as a soloist and the music I made in the 90s was that I stopped thinking of myself as an artist and started to see myself simply as an entertainer.” This kind of identity shift is part of what personifies Michael as a songwriter and performer. From over a decade of performing, Michael has kept his style focused on touching the audience.
Michael’s musical career began in 1995 as the guitarist and singer behind Drill For Absentee, a Philadelphia math rock trio who managed to work their way into the annals of the northeast post-punk scene before calling it quits in 1999.
The beginning of the new century found Michael in search of a new focus for his musical passions; where often the break-up of an indie rock band sent its 20-something members into the rat race pursuits of middle-class America, Michael turned the issues and emotions of this transitional age into his first solo album of songs. “The Voyage Out,” released by the Prague-based Minority Records in 2001, uncovered themes of true love, loss of loved ones, harmony with nature, and elegy of friends through its sophisticated, narrative arrangements (thanks to the artistry of producer Geoff Turner) and homage to the great singer-songwriters of the 1970s.
After two years of struggling to find a new record deal, Michael released his second record, “Measured in Leagues of Joy,” through the Japanese label StiffSlack in the spring of 2004. In stark contrast to “TVO,” “Measured” engaged a critical side of Michael’s songwriting, touching on topics of materialism, social justice, cultural coarsening, and the need for love and trust to conquer the bitterness of the modern world. The soft corners of “TVO” were replaced with a robust rhythm section and more rock-oriented accompaniment.
Although “Measured” was only officially released in Japan, Michael’s 2004 summer tour opening for Sebadoh with friend Lou Barlow through the American south allowed Michael to support the new release stateside and further develop his love of Southern culture and traditional American music.
His newest release and third full length record, “Your Meekness Gives Me Hope,” stands as a testament to Michael’s development and maturity as a songwriter and musician. Folding in the sound of a huge country rock ensemble with a big, 6-piece backing band, half of the tracks evoke a study of classic, primordial American music. The remaining tracks are the perfect antidote: starkly solo and intimate love ballads, fears, and fears conquered. Essentially self-released with the imprint of MindWalk Records (the label that pressed all of DFA’s records), “Meekness” is a bold confident step forward for Michael, and it marks the starting point for what’s to come from him in the near future.
Press Agent: Rita Nace 610-500-1681
ritanace@comcast.net
www.michaelnace.com
URL
http://www.michaelnace.com
State
PA
Country
US
City
Glen Mills
