BIOGRAPHY
https://www.MichaelLyonMusic.com
Allen Peterson Reviews (latest album, WHAT COULD BE)
https://allenpetersonreviews.com/?s=Michael+Lyon
"Nurturing the Soul with 'What Could Be': Michael Lyon's Musical Reverie"
by Allen Peterson - 4 min read
Michael Lyon, a radiant figure hailing from the vibrant cultural tapestry of Southern California, has emerged as a luminary in the indie folk scene. With echoes of musical icons like Bob Dylan and Simon & Garfunkel, Lyon's artistry is a rich tapestry of nostalgia, seamlessly bridging the past with the present. His music is a testament to his profound storytelling and evocative vocals, gently drawing listeners into its embrace, much like the classic waves of his latest album, "What Could Be?"
At its core, Lyon's music is deeply rooted in the folk tradition, yet it possesses a unique allure, where the infusion of rock and pop elements sets him apart from his peers. He masterfully defies the conventions of singer-songwriter music, weaving intricate acoustic rhythms infused with authentic resonance. "What Could Be" is a harmonious collection of tracks that breathe new life into the folk genre while introducing a refreshing twist of power pop—an exquisite counterpoint to the saturations of today's music landscape.
Among the album's standout tracks, "Want to Be a Flower" shines as an emotionally charged ode to the simplicity and beauty of nature. In this composition, Lyon's lyrics beautifully express his yearning to embody the virtues of a flower, a symbol of joy and hope generously shared across generations. The song employs a poignant metaphor, likening a fragrant blossom to a blushing rose, evoking vivid imagery of purity and natural splendor. "Want to Be a Flower" gracefully underscores nature's nurturing role within the intricate web of life, championing the interconnectedness that binds us. With unwavering optimism, the song resonates deeply, conveying a profound desire to share happiness and positivity with the world.
In "Love," an uplifting and soulful track, Lyon pays homage to the profound impact of love in our lives. The lyrics emphasize love as a guiding light, a universal force that transcends the constraints of time and space. The song radiates hope and unity, serving as a poignant reminder that love has the power to connect us all, regardless of our differences. Its poetic verses paint a vivid picture of love's unwavering presence, offering solace and inspiration. "Love" stands as a testament to the enduring beauty of this powerful emotion.
"Family Tree" is a heartfelt tribute to our ancestral roots and the significance of family bonds. The song paints a poignant picture of understanding one's place within the intricate branches of familial history. Each leaf on the family tree represents an individual life that contributes to the larger family story, highlighting the passage of time and generations. The song beautifully conveys the gradual process of discovering our connection to our familial past, emphasizing the importance of learning and growth. In the face of life's challenges, it encourages us to hold onto the enduring strength of our family bonds. "Family Tree" is a heartfelt exploration of the profound impact of those who came before us, reminding us of the lasting legacy of our familial connections.
"Justice Day" serves as a poignant reflection on the current state of the world, underscoring the need for change and accountability. The song captures the frustration and disillusionment that many feel when confronted with the chaos and disarray in society. It calls for a collective awakening and action to address the challenges and injustices that surround us. The lyrics passionately advocate for a time when justice prevails, emphasizing the importance of holding individuals and systems accountable. "Justice Day" reminds us that change is closer than we might think and that a brighter future is within reach, provided we unite and stand up for justice. It is a rallying cry for a more equitable world, encouraging us to celebrate the day when justice is finally served.
Finally, "What Could Be," the title track of the album, emerges as a soul-stirring anthem that inspires us to embrace the boundless potential of each day, seizing opportunities with childlike wonder. It encourages us to shine our light, dispel darkness, and believe in ourselves, emphasizing that life is too short for self-doubt. The recurring theme of dreaming reinforces the message that we have the power to shape our destinies. Ultimately, it is an uplifting ode that urges us to dream, believe, and embrace each day's limitless possibilities with open hearts and open minds.
In "What Could Be," Michael Lyon masterfully weaves a tapestry of emotion, nostalgia, and introspection, inviting listeners on a journey that transcends time and resonates deeply with the human experience. The album showcases his profound artistry, where folk roots meet the fresh currents of a new age. It is a testament to his ability to inspire, uplift, and connect with his audience, leaving us with a sense of renewed hope and an appreciation for life's intricate beauty.
With the release of "What Could Be," Michael Lyon establishes himself as a storyteller of immense talent, capturing the essence of our shared experiences and the boundless potential that each day holds. It's an invitation to embark on a soulful journey, to reflect on the past, celebrate the present, and dream of what could be—a reminder that life's beauty and possibilities are, indeed, boundless.
PUNK HEAD interview: https://www.thepunkhead.com/indie-pop-artists/michael-lyon-on-the-making-of-what-could-be
What was the creative process like for this particular ‘What Could Be?’
This album of 14 songs - from the 25 or 30 recorded - turned out to be about 3 years in the making. By the way, quite a few of these songs were written during the pandemic - a time when it felt (justifiably) like you were risking your life to be spending many hours in the enclosed indoor space of a studio. (Nothing quite like the taste of danger to help you "be in the moment?!")
Most of the songs began their lives while I was sitting on the edge of the bed - often in the evening - strumming a guitar and jotting down potential lyrics on the nearest piece of paper.
Whenever it seemed like there was "something there" worth building upon, I tried not to get too impatient and force things. As a result, most of the songs took weeks to grow into the songs they "wanted to be." That included many return trips to the edge of the bed as each song began taking form, LOTS of rewrites (the title track, "What Could Be," had 24 drafts) and numerous sessions working with the great recording engineer, Paul Horabin at ReadyMixMusic in Van Nuys, California, over a period of weeks & sometimes months for each song. Once a song reached a fairly developed stage, I'd often share the latest recorded version with good friend (and Santa Monica guitar teaching legend) Kit Alderson, for any suggestions he might have about moving lyrics, vocals, instrumentation... up to the "next level."
Which song do you like the best and why?
There's the old and true saying of course that you can't play favorites with your (in this case, "musical") children, but if you're looking for just one, I'd say, "Love" - song #3 on the album. "Love" had a special feeling about it while it was being recorded - working on the vocals, for example, "going for that "Lennon/McCartney" vibe... when listening to the final version I've always liked the energy it has, and perhaps most of all, it reflects what I believe in: whatever success we have in the world really IS based on how much we're able to love each other.
How do you feel ‘What Could Be’ represents your artistic identity?
As with my first three albums, PICTURES, WAKING UP, and CURIOSITY, I think the new one, though influenced by many singer-songwriters who have blazed the trail in previous decades, remains uniquely me. Individually, and as an ebbing/flowing whole, the songs on WHAT COULD BE are true to how I personally view the world: with a mixture of concern, hope, and celebration.
Can you share a bit about your musical background and the journey that led you to where you are today?
From the time my parents woke up the children for school by blasting Broadway show tunes at the crack of dawn on their record player... until admitting to myself that while there are many far-fetched dreams out there, my becoming a songwriter is actually one of those that's actually possible (along with summoning enough self-belief that, "I can really DO this")... and with that, proceeding to start writing and recording songs on a regular basis 12 years ago... to the point that, today, lo and behold, here we go with the release of my fourth album. I can hardly believe it. But if you'd asked me if I'd be able to: get tickets for 9 out of 10 acoustic shows Neil Young played at a 150-seat club in San Francisco... be cast in one of the lead roles in a production of Gilbert & Sullivan's Pirates of Penzance having no prior experience... or take up the violin as an adult (and in the process become lifelong friends with Mozart, Beethoven & Haydn - at least in spirit) I might also at one time have said, "it will never happen - you're crazy." Crazy or not, music has always been, and always will be for me, THE closest thing to the kind of magic that makes life well worth jumping up and down about.
Where do you find inspiration for your songs or musical ideas?
Anywhere and everywhere, high and low - the good, and sometimes the bad and the ugly. When Covid had me laid up in the summer of 2022 - actually, laying down for the most part - on a mattress in the computer room with the TV tuned to the Congressional hearings about the January 6th Attack on the U.S. Capitol, I was grateful to have a keyboard next to the TV that allowed me to start picking out the right-hand melody/left-hand accompaniment for the song, "Justice Day," which became track #5 on the WHAT COULD BE album - peaking of Covid, while there are no words to adequately express the pain and horror at watching how many have suffered and died from that disease, the song, "How Long It Takes" (track #4 on the new album) has been a way of channeling my frustration over how Covid wrecked life as we knew it for a good while, hopefully into something that could provide at least a few minutes of comfort.
Lyrics:
WHAT COULD BE
by Michael Lyon
What could be is a day unlike
Any day yet to be
As a crow calls to wake you up
Open your eyes and see
What could be, what could be
What could be if you shine your light
And let the darkness recede
Life’s too short to be shamed or shunned
Or made to feel obsolete
Let’s just see, what could be, what could be
Think what it means
When we can dream, when we can dream
Whatever you want to be, this I believe
Yes we can dream, sure we can dream
Santa Claus goes about it right
How the children agree
More surprises are on the way
Welcome them wondrously
Then let’s see, what could be, what could be
No guarantees
But we can dream, yes we can dream
Whatever you want to be, this I believe
Still we can dream, sure we can
LOVE
by Michael Lyon
Love
Love lights every face
Maps out the mission through outer space, unfazed
Love leads everyplace
Longing to hold us in full embrace, always
Feel the love we are part of
From the start of time
Spread the word ‘round the whole wide world
With sun’s rays of light
Love, our saving grace
Abiding each moment through time and space, all our days
Be the love, we’re all part of
The light in darkest hours
Love works wonders
Spring, spread your flowers
Love
Love lights every face
Love, our saving grace
Love leads everyplace
Love
HOW LONG IT TAKES
by Michael Lyon
How long it takes
Drives me crazy
Waiting all this time
Life slips away
Lacking time enough to say goodbye
How long it takes
Getting on with what we all are called to face
Lifting our gaze
As those who've taught us
How to live a life of grace
How long it takes
How long it takes
How long it takes
Can we be patient
After waiting all this time
HOW MUCH MORE
by Michael Lyon
How much more is yet to come
And left us wanting more
More than watch
So get involved
How much more it’s going to take
Mistakes to answer for
How much more of wait and see
Before we say: No more
How much more
It’s up to us to make a better choice
Sound out
Now nice and loud
Many voices joined as one
So long waiting for
Being heard
And not just hard of hearing anymore
Being heard
And not just hard of hearing anymore
How much more is now enough
To liberate the cork
Twist pop
When to pour
Not yet time for sweet champagne
A lot more work in store
Wonder once we get this right
How loud becomes the roar
Being heard
No more need for fearing
Fans are on their feet
And how they’re cheering
Being heard
And not just hard of hearing anymore
https://www.MichaelLyonMusic.com
Subscribe to Michael's YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/3g8d81u?sub_confirmation=1
Madness is the new single from Michael Lyon
What is madness?
Recognizing the specter of insanity suppressing the free spirit of a country requires neither an advanced degree in psychiatry nor enhanced powers catching on to a flag-draped pathological liar time after time after time after time.
A nursery rhyme level of awareness is sufficient to grasp the stark contrast between America of the last 80 years and the counterfeit version of the past 100 odd days. Putting Humpty Dumpty back together may be a fool's errand for all the king's horses & all the king's men, but for us:
How about stopping the swapping of the 'land of the free and home of the brave' for an isolationist, grievance-based autocracy? How about regaining the heart and soul of our nation?
True of Germany in the 1930's and apparently now America in 2025, authoritarian takeovers of countries are frightful sights. But with millions upon millions of us recoiling in horror at the despotic regime systematically dismantling the government, turning its back on the people it serves, flouting the rule of law, sinking the economy, waging crazed trade war tariffs, abandoning friends and allies, embracing longtime enemies... better late than never to stop drinking the Kool-Aid or looking the other way.
That is to say, there are vastly better choices available than surrendering our beliefs to a coup while willingly acquiescing to a country pushing itself off a cliff.
As set forth in the Declaration of Independence: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness..."
Until recently I didn't question whether we still retained the rights enshrined long ago by America's Founding Fathers - Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin... Thanks to them and many generations since - including soldiers who fought and died by the hundreds of thousands to protect American democracy - living a life of freedom I long accepted as a given.
But with each passing day of an administration and its enablers taking a chainsaw to common sense and traditions 250 years in the making, how painfully self-evident the truth (as John Lennon sang in his song, "Beautiful Boy") that "Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans."
Remember the social media post from the aspiring dictator right before the election? "If Kamala wins, you are 3 days away from the start of a 1929-style economic depression. If I win, you are 3 days away from the best jobs, the biggest paychecks and the brightest economic future the world has ever seen." Who in their right mind would even risk buying a used car from a guy like that?
The gullibility of American people got us into this mess, and it's up to enough of us - wising up & standing up for democratic values, humanity, and our way of life - to get out of it, rid us of non-stop chaos, and allow for a return to the lives, liberties, and pursuit of happiness envisioned by our founders.
Given the required level of commitment and resolve, some might ask: Do we have it in us? You better believe it: Just look at the people in this video leading the charge... https://youtu.be/OSLrUFukdaw
It begins by calling the tyrannical misrule of America for what it is - madness - while remaining dedicated to reclaiming a path toward the future worthy of our hopes and dreams.
Cory Booker reminded the country how during his extraordinary 25-hour speech on the Senate floor: "The power of the people is greater than the people in power..." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-BauRIg6Qo
Special thanks to:
Engineer, Paul Horabin at ReadyMixMusic (aka Abbey Road West)
Singing superhero, Sarah Taylor
Design miracle worker, Kari Hennager
Fifth Beatle, Kit Alderson
World class photographers Matthew Guillory, Chris Allan, and lots more
The PEOPLE all across America, standing up and making our voices heard...
Madness by Michael Lyon
What’s love of country
Got to do with
Swapping freedom for a coup
This is madness
What’s so great
‘bout all this loathing
Fear and hate
Chaos churning
All around
Our ship of state now run aground
'cross the nation
Feel the surge
Pushing back
Against the purge
Maddest hatter
In the land
Builds the tallest tower
Of lies he can
Aided abetted
By a gang
Most spineless
Ever to harangue
Love this country
See it through
Now’s the time
To start anew
Stop the madness
Cut it loose
Out with the outlaws
Vamoose
Subscribe to Michael Lyon's YouTube channel:
https://bit.ly/3g8d81u?sub_confirmation=1
Follow Michael:
Website: https://www.MichaelLyonMusic.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MichaelLyonMusic/
Spotify - latest album, WHAT COULD BE:
https://open.spotify.com/album/2oARFc5TkvsuHlNIUGdmDb?si=cy31OtBLTcqPZFsfCaP0Lw
- single, Madness: https://open.spotify.com/track/0w55YpEMSu50iWcM9Liel9?si=f0544636d1bc4e94
- single, No White Flags: https://open.spotify.com/album/4Pt0XoKBOWxMZiqPpf5BPa
#MichaelLyon #Singer-Songwriter #IndieFolk
