Michael Shapiro is a dynamic force riddled with talent with a charming swagger with a flair for fun….and half the brains behind “Many Miles Away”, a driving music anomaly which also includes the other half of the brain, guitarist Miles Schon ….Having recently released their debut full length album, the two are on their way to becoming unabashedly everything.
Shapiro is a self-taught musician who’s been playing most of his life as well as writing music. He has toured with some of the greatest bands on earth, including Great White, Cheap Trick, The Ramones, and his own Vegas project, “Reckless In Vegas” who recently enjoyed residency in the iconic hotel, Sahara in Las Vegas. Shapiro has also jammed with the legendary Bruce Springsteen.
I stalked Michael until he shared some questions and answers regarding his projects, his career and his life…….
How did you and Miles get together?
Miles and I met in the SF Bay Area in 2008 while both performing around the area. Our bands shared a few bills together and naturally began our friendship. Miles joined Reckless In Vegas onstage doing a cover of Dramarama’s “Anything Anything”. There’s actually some video footage of it. https://youtu.be/BlL_lJ0NKbA
Reckless in Vegas wasn’t doing the Vintage Vegas meets Rock N Roll homage yet, only doing originals and a few covers back then.
Miles and I had always wanted to do something original together but because of schedules we didn’t get the opportunity until 2019 in Las Vegas. Miles was coming through Vegas doing a show and he stopped by the studio to say hello. While catching up he had asked me what I was working on, and I played him an early version of I was writing. He began giving me input on it and it later became the first song we wrote together, and is actually on the new album. It’s IKYK, the last track.
What inspired the album?
Covid had shut down all the live perfomance stuff Miles and I had been doing individually. We were both pretty frustrated and basically out of work, so it seemed like the perfect time to circle back and do some more writing.
We contacted Producer Tom Fletcher and the timing was good so the three of us began writing and recording. I think because of the situation in the world we we’re inspired from a little darker point of view which is evident in the songs on this album. It was a true collaboration in the sense that we agreed regardless of who came in with lyrics, melodies, song ideas of any sort, we would explore all ideas and split the co-writing evenly.
I personally really enjoyed this model, there was no Ego, censorship or hinderance in the writing, it was a beautiful free flowing writing experience. In all of my previous projects, I was the primary writer, whereas in MMA the writing seemed to be an unhindered, a sky’s the limit kind of thing. Miles and Tom are incredible writers and musicians which pushed me to write beyond my wheeelhouse.
Will you be touring in support of the record?
Yes, that’s definitely the plan but looking for the right opportunities. Specifically looking for opening show support slots on a tour or festivals, in an attempt to not do bar gigs. Our preference at this stage is theater venues and festivals.
Is there a song on the album that you are personally particularly proud of?
I’m of course very proud of the entire album but IKYK is especially close to my heart. Lyrically it’s about making it to the end of the “dream” despite of all the naysayers and various challenges along the way, and all the while acknowledging and being aware of the bullshit. Basically saying fuck you!! I also love “Can You Feel It”, we never intended to write from a commercially viable point of view but it’s always nice when one comes out with something that hits that mark.
What was your biggest challenge in doing this album?
Finishing it! It took us almost three years. Miles lives in LA, Tom and I live in Las Vegas, at times it was challenging to get us in the same room to put all the finishing touches on it. Honestly, we never really approached it like we were doing an album per say. We were just doing it for fun. When it became clear that we had been writing and recording a body of work which warranted a full album, suddenly it became a more serious project which required business decisions. If you want to quickly challenge an artist, in some cases ruin artists and their creative flow, start discussing the necessary evil of business. Art and commerce don’t mix very well, luckily we saved that part until nearly the end of the writing process.
How do you compare this project to Reckless In Vegas?
It’s very different. RIV was a vision given to me in a meditation. All of it, with such clarity. For 10 years I had sort of a roadmap to follow based on that inspiration. We had already released two EP’s of original music over 3 years time, so we were already a family who had worked through the growing pains. All of the touring and performing live built a very sturdy foundation to build from and clearly able to endure the storms of the music business. It always feels confident with that piece in place, unshakeable really.
Can we expect more from Many Miles Away?
I sure do hope so but in this fucking business one never really knows! We have another batch of song ideas sketched waiting to be finished so there’s that. Regardless, where there’s a will there’s a way, even if and when the dream appears to be, well, Many Miles Away….
The official website for Many Miles Away can be found at https://www.manymilesaway.com