Creative Audio Laboratory is the new project of Anders Michael. The lead vocalist and songwriter in Creative Audio Laboratory, Anders is a name hitherto recognized in underground music circles through his drumming work with Gary Wilson, Fancy Space People, and Javier Escovedo among others.

Creative Audio Laboratory marks his debut stepping out from behind the drum kit to sing his own material. Pop legend Jason Falkner —known the world over for his storied solo work and collaborations (St. Vincent, Air, Emitt Rhodes, Beck, Paul McCartney, et al)— recorded, produced, arranged, performed on, and mixed all Creative Audio Laboratory’s new tracks.

Tracked at Jason Falkner’s Rhetoric Studio in Echo Park, the recordings were created by the pair using nothing but Falkner’s classic instruments, recording gear, and –most importantly– legendary technique to frame Larsson’s unapologetically classic pop songwriting. The resulting songs are at once familiar and unique, clearly paying respect to 1970s song craft while maintaining their own fresh and unique personality.

Photo by Denisse Peralta / edited by Mauricio Villicaña

On working with Jason Falkner, Anders remarks: “Jason and I have known each other personally for some years now, and I was a passionate fan of his work before even meeting him. There was never a doubt in my mind while I was writing the songs that Jason would be the ideal collaborator to bring these songs to life as recordings. It’s not an exaggeration to say that I can’t imagine anyone else producing this music as brilliantly as he did. When I sent Jason the demos, he immediately understood what I was hoping the recordings would eventually become. Jason is a true virtuoso in the studio, and his production, arrangement, engineering, musicianship, and mixing all helped make these songs something of which I am exceptionally proud. And on top of all that, he made me feel comfortable singing my own songs, which is something to which I’m not accustomed since up until now I’ve always been first and foremost a drummer. I think we both had a lot of fun not only recording these songs, but also just hanging out and talking as we worked. I’m really excited that the positive energy and friendship during the sessions is reflected in the recordings, which I feel are exceptionally honest, compelling, and unique.”

Jason adds: “When Anders sent me the demos he had made for this collection of songs asking if I would be interested in recording them at my studio I was pleasantly surprised by their directness and sweet subtle charm. We immediately clicked on some concepts. 70’s soft rock delivered by an alien pretty much became our modus operandi. We had an absolute blast making this music and I hope our transmissions are received.”

I really enjoyed listening to your latest single, ‘All Along’. Tell us how your new project Creative Audio Laboratory came about?

Anders Michael: Thank you so much; that’s wonderful to hear you enjoy ‘All Along’. Creative Audio Laboratory came about because –like a lot of people– I found myself with more time than I usually have when the Pandemic hit. I’ve always been a pretty busy drummer and I also write about other people’s music. Although I love those two pursuits, they also take up most of my time.

I’ve enjoyed writing my own music for years, but rarely have an opportunity to just clear my head of other things, and write music for myself. Also, I like to know that my songs are actually going to end up somewhere, so creating a solo project under my own control gave me a more-or-less guaranteed outlet for my new songs.

The single was produced by Jason Falkner [Jellyfish, the Three O’Clock, the Grays]. How did he get into the picture?

Besides being friends, I’m a longtime fan of Jason. To this day, I listen to his solo records just about every week, and I’m fond of several of the projects with which he’s been involved. We’ve known each other for some years now, and the first time we worked creatively together was on the track ‘Let’s Take a Ride Into Outer Space’ from the Gary Wilson/R. Stevie Moore album ‘Fake News Trending’.

As soon as I had a group of demos that would later become the new CAL [Creative Audio Laboratory] songs, I reached out to Jason in hopes that he would be interested in working on them. I love collaborating on music with other people, but I also am a big believer that the best work is done when you are working with kindred spirits. Everyone is unique and brings their own skill set to the table, of course, but you also want to inhabit the same universe, creatively, so that everyone is allowed to be themselves and express themselves the way they want to.

Because I am so familiar with Jason’s work as a solo artist, producer, band member, and more, I had a strong sense he’d be the ideal producer for these songs. Sure enough, he immediately understood what I was going for with the initial demos even though I didn’t do much explaining besides playing the music itself. The process was so smooth and fun throughout, and I feel strongly that it was meant to be.

Anders Michael and Jason Falkner | Photo by Cameron Murray

The single is also accompanied by a music video directed by Eyedress.

When I had some early mixes of the recordings I did with Jason, I played them for a small group of friends and other artists. Eyedress was immediately and exceptionally enthusiastic and supportive of the music, repeatedly getting in touch about how much he appreciated the music, and ‘All Along’ in particular resonated with him.

He said he wanted to direct a video for ‘All Along’, even though I hadn’t gotten to that point with the songs yet. I was honored and excited by that idea since I so appreciate Eyedress’s talent and spirit. Similar to my relationship with Jason, I’m lucky enough to count Eyedress as a friend, so the CAL project is a family affair. A lot of people know about Eyedress’s musical talents, but not as many know he’s a talented visual artist, so it’s exciting that ‘All Along’ is his video directorial debut.

Are you planning to release an album in the near future and if so, please share some details about it.

I’d love for there to be a CAL album, but for now I’m focused on singles. The reason for that is that things move so fast these days, and I really want to bring attention to each and every CAL song. Albums are often perceived as one thing and one thing only, so you put out an LP and that’s perceived as a single event, even though there are several songs on it. By rolling out this music track by track, I’m able to celebrate and highlight the mood and unique character of each song, and hopefully bring the music to more people who may connect with it. All that said, it would be wonderful to eventually have all the upcoming CAL songs appear as a full-length album.

You were drumming with Gary Wilson, Fancy Space People, and Javier Escovedo among others. It would be fantastic if you can share a few words about each collaboration and then explain how it feels to dedicate to your very own material?

Gary Wilson is one of the most important people in my life, both musically and personally. I’ve learned so much from him, and experienced some of my greatest musical moments with him. His lifelong dedication to a unique artistic vision is so inspiring to me. He truly is a great friend.

I’ve played with Fancy Space People for a few years now, and it’s an honor to share the stage not only with bandleaders Nora Keyes and Don Bolles, but also the rest of the band, which you might call an L.A. underground supergroup. Getting glammed up and tapping into the Fancy Space People energy is always a thrill.

I was honored to play drums for Javier for a couple years or so. I’m a Zeros fan, of course, but it was also a revelation to see how Javier evolved post-Zeros and became such a skilled pop songwriter and performer.

As far as how it feels to dedicate my energy to my own material, it’s been fantastic. I absolutely love working in a supporting role –as I have for most of my musical life– but that doesn’t mean I don’t feel the strong desire to express my own vision through lyrics, chords, and melodies. And now I can add singing to that, which is completely new and exciting for me.

“The songs come from a positive place”

How was it to work with Jason Falkner? What was the dynamic between you?

It was so fun. We talked so much throughout the recording process — not only about music, but also about all kinds of things, and we had a lot of laughs. We both really had a blast, and even though singing and recording my solo material were new experiences for me, I always felt so comfortable, respected, and encouraged as we worked. The songs come from a positive place, and I think the recording sessions and final tracks really reflect that. I’m forever grateful to Jason for this wonderful experience.

Is your material set in stone by the time you record, or is it an ever-evolving process?

It’s definitely not set in stone. Most of the demos were just me singing and playing piano or keyboards, often with a simple bassline and drum groove. We stuck pretty closely to the original melodies, chords, and lyrics, but nearly all the part-writing happened quickly and more or less spontaneously. I’ve never seen someone work as rapidly as Jason does, and yet so thoughtfully. The result –I think– is recorded music that feels very lively, and yet carefully executed.

What quality in particular did you find in Jason Falkner’s production that made him so special?

Jason has spoken many times about many of his recordings being “mid-fi”, which I love. I think it would feel inappropriate and sterile if the CAL tracks sounded like modern mainstream radio music, but they also wouldn’t be nearly as special if they were super rough around the edges and lo-fi. Jason is like a pop music encyclopedia, so he knows where the music is coming from, but doesn’t hit you over the head with overt references.

On the CAL recordings, Jason listened to and understood the spirit of the music, and drew that out and accentuated it with his expertise in the areas of engineering, arranging, producing and playing. All that said, he still showed such respect for the music and for me, and the process was always a conversation. I’ve never been a fan of producers who insist on putting their own sound or stamp on the music above all else, and Jason is definitely not that kind of producer. Instead, I feel he’s focused on the artist, and how to best present the material in the truest and best way possible.

How difficult was the transition from being a drummer to starting singing your own songs? It must be a bit stressful at the beginning? Have you been working on your vocal presence?

That was indeed a leap. In fact, when I was originally writing the material, I was thinking that perhaps I would play on the tracks, but not end up singing lead vocals. Once Jason and I started talking about the CAL songs, though, it was clear I would be singing. I’m so thankful that’s how it happened, because even though I’m not a conventional lead vocalist, that’s perhaps part of the charm of this music. CAL songs are brazenly heartfelt and sincere, and singing them myself underscores that.

I’ve never worked on vocals per se, though I am practiced in presenting demos with my singing, and also love just singing around the house. And here again, Jason’s expertise served the music well, since he was so helpful in articulating how I could achieve varying levels of energy and vibe from my vocal takes.

Your songs sound very warm… like they were done at the height of 70s soft rock… what are some of the influences for this particular record?

Thank you so much — warm is exactly the feeling I want, so that’s high praise. Compositionally, nothing was preordained as far as styles or references; it truly is just the result of me sitting at the piano and letting whatever happened happen. That said, I listen to music nearly every minute of every day, and I know that so many of my favorite artists surface in my own songs. Some of those primary artists definitely include Carole King, Harry Nilsson, Wings, Beach Boys, Badfinger, Burt Bacharach, and John Lennon among many others. Also, I love getting vibes from Pilot, and certain Carpenters songs like, ‘Goodby to Love’. Once we were talking a little more conceptually, Jason turned me on to Van Duren, which was amazing.

What’s next for you?

There’s going to be another CAL single coming out in March, along with a video I shot with a really talented team in Tijuana. I’m excited about that. A third single and video is in the works, and there’ll be even more after that, so 2022 is going to be a big year for CAL.

Thank you. Last word is yours.

Thanks so much for giving me a chance to talk about this music with you. I’m really proud and excited, and grateful for the chance to connect with people through CAL.

Klemen Breznikar

Headline photo: Denisse Peralta / edited by Mauricio Villicaña

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