MICHAEL ABDOW – AN INTERVIEW WITH THE SINGULAR GUITARIST
By Ralph Beauchamp
Michael Abdow is an extraordinary guitarist. His playing in bands likes Fates Warning, Last Chance To Reason and with Ray Alder has placed him on the top tier of influential progressive musicians. Besides the many projects he is involved in, Abdow has released a series of incredible instrumental solo albums of which 2023’s Séance In Black is his newest.
His first solo LP was Eso (2017). That was followed by Heart Signal (2020) which featured legendary bassist Tony Franklin and drummer Shawn Deneault. His newest full length, Séance In Black, is an exotic journey into Abdow‘s fascinating musical creativity. The tracks are stunning with their intense imagery and spirit. Every song on Séance In Black sparkles with visionary accents and excitement. Abdow is in a league of his own.
Michael took time out of his busy schedule to sit with AMP for this in-depth interview.
AMP: What first got you into music?
MICHAEL: I think my early exposure to Michael Jackson. In my family, his music was always being played. He was massively influential not just for his style but also the emotion and conviction behind his music.
AMP: You are one of the hardest working musicians around. You play in Fates Warning, with Ray Adler and have your own solo material. How do you handle the load?
MICHAEL: First of all thanks. I try to work as hard as I can. I really don’t think much about it till my body starts screaming at me. All it does is just cuts into my sleep. It just a moderation on how much sleep do I need versus how much I’m actually getting. It may sound dramatic but it’s the truth.
AMP: You’ve been in Fates Warning since 2013. How has the experience been?
MICHAEL: It’s been amazing in so many ways. As a performer, I get to play with some of the best musicians In my favorite musical genre. These guys basically invented progressive metal. Making music with people like this is not only a learning experience but also a dream come true. These are the musicians I’ve always fantasized playing with.
As an artist, their expertise just rubs off on me. Also, they are plainly wonderful people. We’ve become great friends and constantly keep in touch. It’s been a totally exhilarating trip.
AMP: Your last solo project is Séance In Black. Do you feel it’s an evolution in musical style from your previous material?
MICHAEL: I think so. It doesn’t make sense to make a record similar to one you’ve already released. This time I went more in the direction of program music, which in the movie world means soundtracks but I’m not writing for a film. Even though program music isn’t supposed to have a song structure, I use the concept to achieve my desired effect. There are certainly stand alone tracks but what I want the listener to do is sink into the record as a whole.
It provides a bigger experience when you listen all the way through. There are peaks and valleys that I hope create a range of emotions for the listener. I want it to be the soundtrack to people’s personal travels. My previous albums were more standard fare where there were individual tracks with no real connection. My goal with Séance In Black is to have you associate it with a period of your life. I want it to be part of your history.
AMP: You have probably influenced a crop full of young guitarists. Who influenced you?
MICHAEL: My influences change all the time. Early on and still today, musicians and composers like Al Di Meola, John Petrucci and Tony MacAlpine have motivated me because not only are they amazing guitarists but also composers. They make music that moves me. That is something I gravitate towards. Steve Vai and Buckethead are two more.
These guitarists have a certain vocabulary on their instruments. They write songs that make you want to explore. Other big ones are Pat Metheny, Julian Lage, George Benson and Howard Roberts. There are many others that float in and out but these are my mainstays.
AMP: How would describe your creative process?
MICHAEL: I really don’t have a process. Lately, I’ve been leaning on writing on the bass because for instrumental music if you are a guitar player and you write on the guitar, the guitar parts become highlighted. Chances are those parts are carrying your compositions but if you start writing on a different instrument, you tend to bring the guitar in later. It becomes more complementary and you can focus more on the entire composition instead of the guitar dominating. I want my guitar to be part of the ensemble. That’s probably my only true process as of late.
AMP: What are some of your favorite songs to play live?
MICHAEL: From my catalogue, “Heavy Drifter” and “Heart Signal” both off of my Heart Signal album. I love playing them live. They have a lot of parts that are full of emotion. Both are wild rides and I truly sink into them. Similarly, with Fates Warning, “The Light And Shade Of Things” and “Monument” are my favorites for exactly the same reason. You can actually feel the dynamics when you play them.
AMP: You play in a local band named Aquanett. How did that come about?
MICHAEL: It’s a funny story and no one has ever asked me that question? Around 2006, I was cutting my demo for my first instrumental project and when I was finished I popped a few copies in a local record store. The lead singer for Aquanett heard the demo and I got caught in his radar. When their guitar player left, he contacted me to see if I wanted to audition.
I was pretty young. I’ve been playing with them since 2008. I wasn’t in anything super steady at the time, so it was a nice opportunity to jump in and play a lot. It’s cool and really organized. Because of my time with them, I’ve been able to hone my skills and think about my own material. It also helped me when I started to work on other projects. Aquanett gives me another perspective of myself. They also assisted me in overcoming certain musical hurdles.
AMP: Do you have any other interests outside of music? Any hobbies?
MICHAEL: I have two daughters. Fiona is 3 and Nora is 6. They take up a majority of my waking hours and I love being with them. Also, I enjoy hiking. It makes my day when I can get lost in the woods. In addition, I’m a huge reader. I have as many books as I do CDs and albums.
AMP: What’s one message you would like to give to your fans?
MICHAEL: Ah, I love you! What else can I say. I’m making music and people are seeking it out and listening to it. They take time out of their lives to put attention on something I’ve created. I am so grateful for their patronage and the energy they give back to me.
AMP: What’s next for Michael Abdow?
MICHAEL: Right now I’m working on a new album with a drummer. There’s a bunch of music written and we are working things out. There are already a few final tracks done. Eventually, we will focus into making it a full band. I don’t want to say too much until we have something to present. I really connected with this drummer and I hope we have something to share later this year. As I said, we want to make this a real band not just a studio project. Hopefully, we get it together and have material out and are touring.
AMP: Speaking of touring, any possibility of a new Fates Warning tour?
MICHAEL: There’s nothing scheduled. I can’t speculate on what’s coming down the pike. No doors are closed. We all keep in touch.
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