Michael Egleton

Time flies, this is our third interview with you already! I’m looking forward to learning more about you once again.

First of all, for those who haven’t seen your various features in our magazine already and for some reason don’t know much about you, how would you briefly describe yourself?
- Michael Egleton: I’m a fresh new sound with an old flare, innovative techniques and style, I would best describes and myself and my music. It’s simple, yet mature. Nothing too complicated. A straight to the point sound that’s different in today’s music. Many say I sound like Donny Hathaway, Johnny Taylor, Michael Henderson, Billy Paul and a few other artists and singer from the past such as Isaac Hayes, and Billy Preston. Originally from Barberton, Ohio, I now resides in Akron, Ohio and make my music home in Atlanta, GA, commuting to and from during the year. I have released three independent albums, Baby Baby Baby, the award winning, A Look Into My Heart and my new independent release, That’s Alright “The Rewind”, and one album with the Tate Music Group Label, That’s Alright. Songs from the award winning, A Look Into My Heart CD, are being played on radio stations across the country, the UK and worldwide, on FM, AM and XM stations. I’ve won The Ohio Music Awards, Adult Contemporary category, 2014, The Most Listened to songs for 2014 with Baby Baby Baby “The Remix” with the, It’s All Soul To Me Radio Show with the late Simon Darke Radio Show in the UK, recently, 2016 Akedemia Music Awards, Best in Jazz, and have been an IMA nominee 2014, and am also a 2016 entry into the IMA Music Awards with Behind These Walls featuring Bob Esterle. I’ve had numerous articles and reviews written in many music magazines about myself and my music. Songs from A Look Into My Heart, have quickly reach #1 on every music site they have been a part of. It’s Over “The Remix” was one of the songs featured this year during the domestic abuse crisis of the NFL, and in the personal lives of many private relationships. My past release with the label, Tate Music Group, That’s Alright was a main stay in the top 10 on music charts for the Akron, Canton, Cleveland, and regional Ohio area in the Blues, Soul and Jazz genres on many online music sites. All of my life experiences and lessons shape me as a musician and are reflected in my music.

Facebook: Facebook.com/Michael.Egleton
Twitter: @Megleton
Instagram: @megleton7
Website: www.MichaelEgleton.com

MuzicNotez Crew: You’ve crossed over a lot of genres throughout your career including Jazz, Soul and the Blues. Any genre you haven’t worked in yet that you’d like to try?
- Michael Egleton: Yes, there are a couple as a matter of fact one being Rock and another being Pop. I’d like to explore the new Christian genres that are starting to pop up also.

MuzicNotez Crew: Your last album ‘A Look Into My Heart’ received the Akademia Music Award for Best In Jazz and a 2016 IMA Music Award nomination. How does it feel to be recognized like this?
- Michael Egleton: This feels great but not for the reasons you may think. It feels great because it validates that I can compete with today’s main stream music playing on major main stream stations today. The individuals that are judges for these events are industry professionals that play and work in the upper levels and know what it takes. This a major question in many artists and musicians minds when they make music, “Is it good enough?” It gives me a point to measure the quality of my music and make sure it stays at that level or better. It’s also a validation from my peers in music. They know what to look for in the music and what to judge other than likability. They compare it to what it took for them when they were award winners. Last but not least, it says before the fans even listen to it that this is quality music.

MuzicNotez Crew: You’re working with the same team again as you did with the award winning ‘A Look Into My Heart’ to create your next album ‘That’s Alright “The Rewind”‘. How does this release differ from the last?
- Michael Egleton: The music for my new project is different because of it’s writing and the way it produced. It’s not a “cookie cutter” thing. Each song has it’s own identity and sound to start with. Then it’s massaged by my producers who attack the engineering in this way. The great thing is my producers know me and in some strange way connect with what I’m trying to convey with the song. We all feel the song in the way we feel it and then the mixture is placed into the bowl and the cake is made. This is done with each individual song. I guess that’s why there is such a difference in my music song to song on a project. This in turn lands the music in so many different genres. With the new project I added even more flavor by adding a few new person in the production of the music. Mr Dereck Gelespie from Gee Funk right here in Akron, Ohio. I’m always trying to find opportunity to get someone else out to the people. He’s a great friend that I have know since we were kids. He has an extensive background in music. He has played with the then HOT Atlanta, GA band, Eastern Parkway for years. The band went on to L.A. to sign a contract with a major label but band changes got in the way of this coming to pass. Some of the members of this band went on to play with the S.O.S Band and other top bands at that time when they dispersed. He came home back to Akron, Ohio and created another hot band here in Akron who he plays with today. He is now breaking into producing and I’m so happy to be a part of his ground floor in this transition. Being a drummer, who’s father is a professor of music at Michigan State and having a brother who was the drummer and one of the original members of a poplar band here in Akron, who’s members later went on to be the great Motown band, Switch! So as you see he’s very qualified and he knows me and what I’m trying to accomplish in music.

MuzicNotez Crew: The leading single off the new album is entitled ‘Pop “Rewound”‘, what’s the motivation behind this song? How would you like people to feel when listening to it?
- Michael Egleton: The lead single Pop “Rewound” is a remake of my original single, Pop from That’s Alright One. This time around as stated in an earlier interview, all the tracks were done new from scratch. With this song I wanted to come from a different place inside myself. When I did the raw tracks I was feeling some kind of way that day. I wanted to do something smooth. That cools you out. Being that piano is my main instrument, I wanted to do a simple lead that was mind freeing after a tough day. The foundation of the song I wanted to be silky which calls for a lot of string and tone down horns, small accents to make one listen closer and a constant beat clocking everything. Then my producer Samuel said, “I have an idea Mike.” When it came back it was like it was taking a breath. That breath one may take when they are finally done or get to a place to rest. This is what I’d like the people to feel when they listen to this song. I’d like them to be in the close of the day and finding a place of rest when they listen to this song. Maybe driving home, opening the door and plopping down in that chair by the door. Whatever it may be, whether it’s gaining a sense of rest and cooling out or even freeing their mind, A snap of the fingers and, “Pop” all the troubles all go away.

MuzicNotez Crew: When can we expect the official release of the new album?
- Michael Egleton: The official release of the CD will be soon is all I can really say as of now. There were all kinds of personal things going on in my life which cause things to get a little out of sync. So we have reset and everyone is working hard, but not rushing as to have a quality product, to get things done. It may even be fall of this year. I just don’t want to lock it in just yet.

MuzicNotez Crew: You recently went through the heartbreaking loss of your younger brother, sister and nephew all within a month. As you know, the power of music is unbelievable, and you were telling me about how your own music has helped you cope and pull through this tough situation. To help others dealing with similar situations, which of your songs particularly helped, and what advice can you give that helped you?
- Michael Egleton: Yes I lost my younger brother to the debilitating disease of Lupus and within 30 hours my sister was murdered by her lover and thrown in the middle of the street like trash. This was the most hurting thing in all of this time I haven’t yet really come to terms with. Then 20 days later, her 19 year old son, who had Lou Gehrig’s Disease, died suddenly. It is not known yet by doctors what actually happened. I believe it was from a broken heart. He just gave up. He really loved and depended on his Mom. The songs that kept playing over and over in my head was, It’s Over and Hold On To A Song. It’s one thing to have an opinion about a topic but a whole other thing when it comes home. My song, It’s Over, was about the things my mother had gone through and felt in her failed relationship and it dealt with domestic abuses suffered in many of today’s relationships. It’s for real everyone! Things get out of control real quick. Unfortunately the very same played out with my sister but she allowed things to go too far and then end result was what happened. Even after numerous warning from family friends and his family, she felt she was in love and it would, “work itself out.” Love is a powerful, intoxicating smoke that permeates every room of your life. Even after the fire of love is gone, there is yet the remnant that’s left. A smell and smoke stain that alerts that it’s been there. Love will make you do things you know you shouldn’t do. It will cause you to forgive when you know you shouldn’t forgive. It will cause you to leave the door cracked when it should be closed. Get to know who you are falling in love with. Know their past. How they were raised. What shaped their upbringing. Tell someone what’s going on and get help. Leave violent situations. There only going to get worse. The end is what I experienced in my younger sister, death! Each word stood out. Each word stood out. Then I got to a place where I had to “Hold On To A Song”. Any song that was inspiring. A church songs, secular songs all I could do was sit in a corner, grab a song and day after day for a while just sit by the door morning to night and look out of the window and think on whatever song that came to mind. There were no words to be said to take this impossible hurt away. This was a unique situation and even friends didn’t have the words to say to ease the pain. Music went where the words couldn’t. I prayed hard and I believe God heard my prayers and he took that thing that I do, make music, and pulled me through this thing. He took that thing that I know, that thing that I sing about, that thing that I tell other people to do, and made it real to me. So now when I sing and write songs, it’s coming from a different place. It can reach a person like never before. They can hear and feel the emotion that’s there in the music and maybe consider their own situations. I’m yet working my way through but we’re going to make it.

MuzicNotez Crew: I know you’re a busy man, what else can we expect to see and hear from you in the near future?
- Michael Egleton: What’s next in the near future for me is first to finish my new independent project, That’s Alright “The Rewind’. The next two releases to this independent project are releasing as I write. One of which is also already entered into the 2016 IMA Music Awards. This song is, Behind These Walls featuring Bob Esterle. Behind These Walls is a moving song about the emotions and feeling one may experience during the stormy times of a relationship that has lost it’s flame. Then the carry over that occurs when one transfers all of this baggage to a new relationship, penalizing the new interest for the sins of the past relationship. This song is produce by Wes McCraw, Creekside Audio, Norton, OH and Samuel Haygood, N-DA-Groove Productions, Atlanta, GA. for the new independent project from Michael Egleton, That’s Alright “The Rewind”, produced by Wes McCraw and Samuel Haygood with associate producers, Mr K.T. Beats ( Mr Kevin Taylor Jr) of KT Got Beats, Atlanta, GA and Mr Dereck Gelespie, Gee Funk Productions, Akron, OH. Pop “Rewound” has already been released to radio and many Smooth Jazz stations are starting to warm up to it. It’s produced by Samuel Haygood for That’s Alright “The Rewind”. Then there is the HOT dance tune, Stank “Wound Up” also produced by Mr. Samuel Haygood for That’s Alright “The Rewind”. This Hot dance tune is being played by DJ everywhere in this region. It’s built for hand and line dancing and that’s just what they are doing!
  
  There is an autobiography planned for released in 2016 in which my branding team at, Blue-Artists in Baltimore, DC area are preparing to write with me. We’re looking at some small roles in film and starting planning for the brand new independent project for 2017.
  
  The new Video EPK Premier for Behind These Walls was release recently. Filming for the Music Video to this song will start in August.

MuzicNotez Crew: Anything else you wish to say about yourself or your music? Any message for your fans?
- Michael Egleton: Yes there is. To my fans I’s like to simply say, Thank you. Thank you for everything, your support, your listening, your kind words of comfort. Your caring. Your inspiration when I’m ready to give up. For getting me through a very tough time in my life. For your support and just listening to this simple music from my heart. I always say, It’s Music for the Body. Music from the Soul. Music of the Heart because that’s all it is.

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