Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Gillis.
Hi Michael, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
As a musician, my story began with the sounds I heard growing up. First and foremost, my parents created a loving household for my sister and I, lot of laughter, lot of joy for the most part. Being baby boomers, they listened to good pop music from the 1960s (I remember The Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel, Joni Mitchell in particular), but also exposed us to quite a bit of classical music and jazz. From there, I was in a pretty good high school choir with an incredible teacher/conductor named Penny Hallman. where I learned the basics of how to read music. Started a rock band at about age 17 with my best friends and that is when things really started the trajectory for where I am today. We played a lot of covers, but also a few originals and by the end of college, we were a pretty well established band in the local scene of Baton Rouge, LA where I grew up. I played bass in this band and also was starting to get adept at playing and writing songs on the acoustic guitar during this time in my early twenties. By about age 25, though, something pushed me to get away from south Louisiana and move, quite far away, to Seattle, WA. My tie there was that I was born there, so it was not a complete random choice, although I did find soon that I very much preferred the vibe and politics of the Pacific NW to what I had experienced before. Around then, I was also heavily into solo singer-songwriters like Elliott Smith and Nick Drake, and had amassed quite a few original songs of my own, so the aim was to become an indie folkie I guess you could say at that point. Nevertheless, I did get asked to join another band, which I did, and played around with professionally in and around Seattle (2007-2008). Eventually, circumstances led to me deciding to move back South where I settled in New Orleans, LA for the bulk of my 30s. I suppose you could say I had given up on the whole rock star ambitions at this point, yet the push to write music never stopped. I felt obligated that if the songs kept coming, I should record them, so that is what I did. Released an album which was the culmination of several years worth of work in 2019 that I played almost all of the instruments on myself, but I also for the first time notated specific parts for other musicians to play. This I loved doing so much and hope to do for the rest of my life. After New Orleans, a career move took me to Nashville where I have resided and loved life since. Most recently, the music I have been making is orchestral in scope. Recorded my first string quartet in 2023 with the amazing La Vie Quartet and am currently finishing a new album that will be released in 2025, again where I tracked most of the parts solo, but also there are several strings, horns, and winds parts added by the plethora of incredibly gifted local musicians I have been fortunate to meet and work with in Nashville.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Of course, it has not always been a smooth road. I would say two things have been the most obstructive as far as my finding happiness and greater success in the world. First, 21st century American governance at large. It may sound petty to identify this a challenge, but when it comes to my mental health and general outlook, I definitely believe the so-called conservative influences of the country have made life for Millennials and now also Gen Z, more difficult. When you look at addressing climate change, wealth inequality, and access to high quality education, all of these areas seem to be getting worse which makes focusing and feeling inspired by one’s creative goals (literally and figuratively) a challenge. To best summarize this point perhaps, whenever someone asks how I am, I can never fully say – ‘great, can’t complain!’ There’s always the background of not feeling like our society is fully healthy and progressive and conducive to optimism. My answer is usually ‘fine, except for…’ (insert crisis issue A, B, C… here)
Obstacle #2, and more personal in nature (though perhaps also tied to #1 indirectly) was over the years, some excessive escapes into alcohol. This was definitely more so a problem when I was a younger man, however, I do think I can admit, had I had better health in this area, I could possibly be in a different place as far as a career musician. Nevertheless, I have no regrets on the experiences I have had, both good and bad, in the journey of my life and how all of it has shaped me.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
This question I wasn’t sure how to answer. I’m sure you all often get the cliche ‘a real man makes his own luck’ maybe..? Just kidding, but if I had to answer, I would say that I have been lucky in my life to get past some darker times unscathed when I was a younger and more reckless volatile person trying to sort it all out.
