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Taken from Global Grind (April 12, 2011)
Michael Franti Will Be Waiting
by Global Grind Staff
Photo Credit: James Minchin |
Michael Franti is a rare and refreshing artist in the world of pop music.
The socially conscious singer/songwriter has been crafting music with a message for over 20 years, even reaching the top of the charts with his carefree pop ditty, "Say Hey (I Love You)" a few years ago. As the founder of his band Spearhead, Michael campaigns for peace, love and understanding and he lives the life he sings about.
The perpetually barefoot, laidback vegan took some time to talk with GlobalGrind about his new video "I'll Be Waiting," how he compares to Katy Perry and Lady Gaga and what he really thinks about President Obama. Read on for more.
We just checked out your new video for "I'll Be Waiting." It's very emotional with a vivid storyline. Can you tell us about the concept of the video? What inspired you to write the song?
It's probably my favorite video that we've ever made. And I remember when we finished cutting it—I wasn't there when the editor was working on it - and I walked into the editing room with a group of friends and bandmates and we watched the video. We all started crying... and we're looking at each other like we've heard this song a hundred times! This video is really beautiful. And the song is about two things. First, the lyrics in the verses say "The best things in life aren't things." They're living and they're breathing and they're laughing and crying. You know it's not our cell phone or our car, or our house or anything like that, that makes us who we are. It's the connection that we have to each other...and to ourselves. And then the lyrics on the chorus say "Whenever you call me whenever you need me, wherever you walk or see me I'll be waiting."
That's just a message really that I wrote for my friends and people in my life that have sort of lost their path at times like "Man there's nothing left for me, I don't know what's gonna happen next, I lost my job, I'm worried about losing my house next, I haven't connected to the person I love in the way that I hoped to..." and the line "I'll be waiting" just is a reference to the fact that there's always somebody there in our lives who's waiting for us, even when we think we've completely lost everything.
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Your music is very focused on current events, what's going on in the world, humanitarian issues. Why do you think that it's important for an artist to draw attention towards specific issues?
Well I think it's important for everybody, no matter what walk of life you come from, to do what you can to help your family and your corner of the world to become the best place that it can be. So as a musician, I have an opportunity to reach people through my songs and through the things that I say and I don't take that responsibility lightly. Right now people say, for example, "Why should we care about climate change or who cares if one little squirrel becomes extinct or something," and the thing is if you're in an airplane and you have one rivet pop off the wing you can do without it, but can you do without a hundred or will the plane still fly without two hundred? And that's where we are in the world today. It's not just endangered species but it's people who are lost and people who are endangered and countries are unstable and [experiencing] poverty. People think we can ignore it for a while but it ultimately comes back to our shores.
What do you think it is about music in particular that makes it a good medium for you to express what you have to say?
Well, music is about emotion. People are moved to act based on what they feel more than what they think. You know, you can hear statistics like 300 million children in the world have never worn a pair of shoes before, but then you see a film about people living somewhere in poverty, you see the faces of people, you hear a song about it and you feel something, which is when you are moved to act. Music is great at inspiring social messages, but is also great at inspiring the twelve-year-old kid in his 6th grade class who has a crush on the girl sitting four feet away from him. It gets you through those moments. It's emotional.
You met quite a bit of success recently, particularly with you song "Say Hey," how did it feel to be at the top of the charts alongside today's top pop and hip- hop artists?
It was really strange because I've been making music for over 20 years. Our song was in the Top 20. So I look at the chart and notice that I'm the only artist on the chart whose first record was actually a record (laughs). So it was really rewarding to me. One day we were in this taxi in New York with a driver from Ghana, we were coming home from a gig and he asks us what type of music we play. And I say, "You know that song that just played between the Justin Bieber and Britney Spears songs? That was me" (laughs). And he goes "Oh, we love that song in Ghana!"
You are about to go on tour in Australia soon?
Yes, we leave in a few days.
What's your favorite thing about being on the road and your least favorite thing about being in the road?
The least favorite thing is the easiest; it's being away from the people that I care about. I have two sons, one is twelve and the other is 23, so he's out on his own already. The younger one makes it really hard for me to leave and I know it's hard on him. The thing I love about it is that I just love to travel. When I was growing up, I never imagined that I would leave the neighborhood I grew up in or that I would go to all the countries that I have been to. I love architecture, trying new foods, but the main thing I love is meeting new people. Everywhere I go, I spend time playing music on the street or just talking to the fans after the show. That's my favorite thing.
Can you tell us about how you began the Power to the Peaceful festival and what your goal is with that project?
We started it 2 years before September 11, 2001. The first year was a day of art and action for a man named Mumia Abu Jamal. He was a death row prisoner and a lot of people around the world thought his case should be reheard and that he was tried unjustly. So there were 150 artists who did different events in different countries and we did a little show in San Francisco in 1999, in 2000, and then September 11th happened. The festival took on a whole new day. Suddenly it became a day when could say that the best we can honor those who lost their lives is to do whatever we can to make the world a better place. So we invite over a hundred different social justice organizations, everything from gang prevention to environmental organizations, all kinds of anti- poverty organizations, all types. Then we invite 80,000 people into the park in San Francisco for a free concert and to get plugged in to these different organizations and get energized go out and make a difference.
What do you think about Obama's bid for reelection?
Well, regarding Obama, he got dealt a very difficult hand. You know, the worst economic situation you could ask for, two wars that he inherited from the previous administration. He's struggled to get his message across, taking on an issue like health care, which was a big money spend, in a time when people were saying we need to pull back. I think my greatest criticism of Obama is that the people who were responsible for the economic crisis on Wall Street, the thousands of people who made billions of dollars, not one of them has been brought to trial and convicted. That's my greatest complaint. When I look at the whole field of who else is out there .and who has the potential to be a great leader for our nation, I don't really know. I don't see the front row at the NBA All Star Game lining up to be president. So we'll have to see.
Who are some of you musical influences?
My musical inspiration comes from great songs, not so much great artists. People I love, like Bob Marley, John Lennon, Marvin Gaye. But I will give you a great song by Lady Gaga, Train, or Katy Perry, Johnny Cash, and Metallica. If it's something that I love and identify with, it all goes into my musical memory bank and I draw from it all as I approach writing a new song.
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