Hello reader,
How are you today?
Today we’re going to explore an artist that’ll give you your rock fix – Chicago’s MV Wells, the solo project of singer-songwriter Michael Wells. You might know him as a member of bands such as indie rock band NE-Hi, Screamadelica-inspired Spun Out and the 1970s AM radio “choogle rock” of Flamingo Rodeo. Lately, he’s tried his hand as a solo artist.
We’re excited to share the spotlight on his first single “Spectrum Boy,” released on March 21. It’s a preview of his forthcoming solo album, which will be released sometime in the future. Be sure to follow his Instagram linked at the end for future updates!
He describes the song, which is driven by entrancing organ and guitar-lad melody, as “space gospel.” It’s a song that should appeal to fans of groups such as Spiritualized.
“This single was inspired by gospel music, Tommy James and the Shondells, and the motorik nature of the work of Spacemen 3’s Sonic Boom,” says Wells. “I wanted to create a futuristic call-and-response marching hymn for the 21st century.”
“I wanted to make a kind of humanist gospel song,” he continues. “I wanted to do something that felt universal and uplifting, but that can be tied to anyone’s own experiences. Music is the closest thing to religion for me. You don’t have to be in line with spirituality to feel that yearning when listening to a song that makes you feel otherworldly. That’s what I was trying to get across in the song — a kind of universal human-ness that makes people want to get involved in life and realize they have the power! A sort of personal cosmic gospel tune.”
It’s further bolstered by Wells’s dynamic musicianship, which draws on some of the lessons and sounds from his other bands and growing up in a musical family. His dad, Kenny Wells, plays country rock, and he’s often collaborated with cousin Joshua Wells, who records, engineers, and plays drums for MV Wells and Flamingo Rodeo.
You can follow MV Wells on Instagram and listen to his music on YouTube, Bandcamp and Apple Music.
Joshua is co-founder of Scummy Water Tower. He’s freelanced for a variety of newspapers, magazines, and websites, including: Rolling Stone, The Boston Globe, Chicago Sun-Times, Guitar World, MTV News, Grammy.com, Chicago Magazine, Milwaukee Magazine, MKE Lifestyle, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, A.V. Club, SPIN, Alternative Press, Under the Radar, Paste, PopMatters, American Songwriter, and Relix. You can email him at josh@scummywatertower.com.
