Written interview with American harmonica player Michael Rubin – 5 Minutes of Passion.
Thank you for taking the time to have this interview with Jazz Blues EU. Tell us about your music. When did you start performing?
Michael Rubin: – I started playing harmonica just before I turned 16. I am 56 now. After about a year of simple songs like Oh Suzanna I accidentally began bending notes. (Making notes lower in pitch by changing the mouth shape) Two weeks later I was improvising in second position, key of G on a C harp, the most common blues method. I found out a lot of teens in my youth group played music and 11 of us formed a band. After a couple of months we couldn’t make one song happen. Someone offered us a show in a short time. The band fired everyone except the guitarist, who sang, the bassist, drummer and myself. How harmonica made the cut I will never know. At our first gig we were offered our second gig, playing at a festival for thousands of people. It snowballed from there. It took about a year and a half from first playing before I was gigging regularly.
What do you consider to be your hometown and how does that affect your music?
I started in West Orange, New Jersey and knew where the McDonalds, the zoo and my school were. I have life memories, but it’s not really about the city. My next stop, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania I was able to comprehend the elements of a city more, but I don’t hold a lot of attachment. Marin County, California was high school and my dad still lives there and I visit, but the house I grew up in was long gone, so that doesn’t feel like home College was Sonoma County and I have a lot of warmth for that place and it’s really where I blossomed as a musician. New Orleans and Manhattan taught me lots about life and music. But Austin, where I have lived since 93 feels like home. It’s also a great music town, but it’s more about the friends I have here.
What performers have been your inspiration?
My favorite harmonica players are Paul Butterfield, James Cotton, William Clarke, Paul Delay, Hugo Diaz and Rice Miller. But I love all the big players. I got to see Cotton and Clarke multiple times and learned about how much energy it takes to play the thing right. For songwriting I love Rice Miller, Rick Estrin, James Harman, Gary Primich, Lou Reed, Mose Allison and Jonathan Richman.
What do you find most challenging about being an independent artist in today’s music industry?
There’s no money. You cannot get people to buy an album. The royalties on a stream are tiny. If I want to do a gig, I have to make sure every bandmember gets a respectful paycheck, which often mean the gig comes out of my pocket. If I wasn’t teaching harmonica and performing in other people’s bands I couldn’t do this without a straight job.
What do you base your success on?
There’s so many sides to success. When I play a solo that’s well phrased, with good tone and emotion, that’s the most satisfying. If I continue to learn about music, that’s up there. When someone tells me they’ve enjoyed my music, that’s a big deal. When the bills get paid solely by musical means, it’s a point of pride. There’s a line in a song about getting to the point in your life where the little dream lives but the big dream dies. I don’t think I am ever going to make a living touring under my own name, nor do I think I will be remembered by more than a handful of people. That’s difficult for the 16 year old dreamer in me to accept, but the 56 year old father feels okay about.
Can you talk about your experiences collaborating with other artists or musicians?How does it influence your creative process?
I really enjoy being a sideman. The singer sings well and is a good showman, I play harmonica well. It’s a good combination. I am always looking for people who can really sing who have the cult of personality, especially if they can write a good song and are a reasonably sane person. I’m looking for bands where someone (the singer, another sideman) can really play the heck out of their instrument. That way I can feel good about playing as well as I can. As far as the creative process, I have to figure out what each song needs from me, how much or little playing, how intense or wistful. I have to figure out the right harmonica and amplication for the song.
For my own music, I love working with my producer, Josh Fulero. He sings and plays guitar and harp, so we have a short hand and can really discuss things from a common background. Sometimes I veto his ideas, other times the song would not have been nearly as good without his input.
What was your latest musical release?
My latest release is my second solo album 5 Minutes of Passion. I really feel good about it. The songs mean a lot to me. They are personal, but hopefully metaphorically reaching across the speakers to the listeners. I shared more about my politics on Gravity and Propaganda and got deeper emotionally, especially on Little Circus Town. Plus there’s some truly funny songs. I still laugh every time I hear the title track. Musically, some members of the first album are back, Michael Archer and Emily Gimble on bass and keys, Josh Fulero as a producer and The McMercy Family Band on backup vocals. But we have new musicians too, Josh on guitar as well as Cesar Crespo and Matt Smith, Jason Corbiere on drums, Guy Forsyth on banjo and vocals, Sweet Gary Newcomb on Pedal Steel Guitar, Paulo Santos and Patrick Harwell on horns and special guest Greg Izor plays a chromatic harmonica solo. I love Greg’s work and so was excited that he was in town when we were recording.
Do you have any news to share? Could you share the story behind your latest new CD Michael Rubin – 5 Minutes of Passion what inspired its creation?
The main story behind the album was it was slowed down due to throat issues. I had surgery to remove a cyst and it’s completely healed, but my voice continues to have issues because my vocal cords had learned to produce sound in a strange way to avoid the cyst.It took a lot of physical therapy before I felt ready to record. For whatever reason, I think the rasp suits my vocals and I feel my the vocals have improved greatly since my debut record.
As to what inspired its creation, It’s my goal to make albums, so I do. Maybe I started writing songs that I liked and that told me it was time.
How does your latest album fit into your creative path? Is this a goal you wanted toachieve?
I definitely feel like the album was the next logical step in my path. I am mostly interested in creating original music and releasing albums. My fantasy is to release 5 in all. I’d like for people to discover me and then be happily surprised that they can spend many hours with my songs.
How do you approach the process of songwriting, and are there any specific themes or emotions you tend to explore in your music?
Generally I practice harmonica one hour a day,more on weekends, but I also play all day with my students. So when I want to put out a new album, I stop practicing harp and start writing songs. Sometimes it’s as simple as putting another artist’s song on and singing my own lyrics on top of it. So I write for around 3 months and generally write 50 songs. Half of them have potential and I try to really shape them up through editing and writing the music. After I get around 20 to 25 good songs I bring them to Josh Fulero and we go through a process of treating each song like it will make it to the album, but of course, some songs shine brighter than others and the others fall away. Perhaps they will get edited further and show up on a later album. As far as themes, this album is about how doing is more valuable than thinking, discussed in Alien in a Chair and Dig That Ditch. The concept of identity and how much one is willing to self-censor to get along is explored in Dirty Words, 5 Minutes of Passion and Nap. The question of God’s existence shows up in Big If, 5 Minutes of Passion, Nap and Grudge. The question of time, approached from many angles, is on Big If, 5 Minutes of Passion, Little Circus Town, Nap and Grudge. The question is a man an island is covered by Gravity. Little Circus Town explores the most, diving into death, family and the gatekeepers of life.
As an indie musician, how do you navigate the balance between creative freedom and commercial appeal?
I am not trying to write for commercial appeal. It doesn’t cross my mind. But after the album is made, I do hire a promoter, so perhaps that’s a contradiction. It’s exciting that the album is on the blues charts, and it is nice when people like my music, but that’s just vanity. I am trying to write about myself and hopefully, metaphorically make contact with you. I am trying to play the best harmonica I can.
What role does technology and social media play in promoting your music and connecting with your audience?
Social media is tough to navigate. I tried getting involved with different platforms, but ultimately stick to Youtube and Facebook. It’s embarrassing to promote my music, but I post about it a few times a week for the new album. I will be glad when the promotion period is done.
Could you describe a memorable live performance experience or tour that has had a lasting impact on you and your music?
When I was 21 I was in the band Animal Farm. We were in a battle of the bands, and actually won. But the performance was the special part. It was in a medium size club in Santa Rosa, California. Maybe there were 200 people there. It just felt very exciting because we played well. Years later I was in a Broadway show in the orchestra pit. When I was hired, the show was getting itself together in Houstin, TX, which is why they hired me. They told me I wasn’t going to New York, but after working with me for a month, they changed their mind and I got hired to do New York. My mother and her significant other happened to be visiting on the night I was hired for New York. My mom’s girlfriend said “Is this the most exciting thing that has ever happened to you musicially?” I said, no the Animal Farm gig was more exciting because we played so well. It’s been 40 years of music and playing well continues to be more exciting than all of the supposedly big important things I have done.
In an era of streaming platforms, how do you feel about the changing landscape of music consumption and its impact on independent musicians?
As I said before, streaming has destroyed the financial side of music. That said, it’s nice to meet someone and if they ask to hear my music I can just show them a picture of the album cover and they can listen right away.
Musicians often have a close relationship with their fanbase. How do you engagewith your fans and build a dedicated community around your music?
Whenever anyone asks me about my music I direct them to it and always ask them to tell me what they think. When someone runs a gofundme for their music, I try and donate. After a show, I walk through the crowd and spend as much time as possible with each fan.
How can fans find you? Lastly, please share some final words with the fans.
My website is michaelrubinharmonica.com. Buy or stream my albums here: https://michaelrubin.hearnow.com/
If you enjoy my music, let me know, it really means a lot to me. If you want to learn harmonica, I may be your teacher. If you need a friend, reach out. We’re just people, let’s be there for each other.
By Olivia Peevas, Photos by Richard Acevedo
