Photo credit: Jen Squires

Exclusive feature Q&A with Mikhail Laxton

rj frometa Monday, August 21, 2023 Content Leave a comment

Mikhail Laxton makes music that pries open the lid on the sorts of emotions we often try to stuff into a corner or tamp down in an attempt to forget them, but he also sings of the joys in life, too. It’s blistering to experience some of the stories he tells; you can feel his heart and soul in there, and it’s brutal and brilliant, all at once, to take the ride with him when he sings about a town that cast him out, or about the difficult relationship his father had with addiction. The emotional roller coaster is well worth the ride, though, and you know he has found peace with a family of his own when he sings a love song for his wife or a tribute to his faraway hometown. The sonic accompaniment to Laxton’s emotional journey is stunning and solace-giving; his vocals are heartfelt and heartful. His brand new album, “Mikhail Laxton,” is well-named, for we get to see inside, see the real him, and share in the beauty and pain that comes from life’s ups and downs. It’s glorious and affirms Laxton’s place among some of the best storytellers out there.

Vents Magazine sat down with Laxton to talk about the new album, and we took a dive into the creation of the song “Leaving You with Less,” including the intense story behind its inspiration, and the writing and production process. We chatted about Laxton’s unique sound, the benefit of working with a producer and musicians who took the time to get to know the songs, trusting his instincts in the studio, and what’s next for this extraordinarily talented artist.

Hi Mikhail, welcome to VENTS! How have you been?

I’ve been busy but well, thanks.

You have an amazing new album out in August. What can you tell us about it? How did you put this collection of songs together?

Thank you! Yes, I have a new album, it’s actually my first full-length album, and I’m very excited about it.
Well, this album was quite a while in the making. I guess, in a way, you could say I technically started writing this album in 2016. This album is made up of songs that span a five- to six-year period. In 2021, I went into pre-production with Aaron Goldstein (City and Colour, Lee Harvey Osmond, Daniel Romano). I brought 21 songs to choose from. It took a good five days to go through them and figure out which songs were going to make it. By day five, we finalized the album and did a one-take cut of “You Come to Me.” That single-cut really set the right tone for the rest of the album. The following week, the band came in, and the album was brought to life. It was all the right people, the right energy, and was a very easy-going experience.

One of the songs on your new album, “Leaving You with Less,” is really special and caught my attention right away. Love the bluesy-rock/Americana vibe. It’s a great listen. Can you talk to us more about this song? How did you come to write it? What was the inspiration behind it?

Ah jeez, how much time do you have?

Well, first of all, this song almost wasn’t finished. For a few months, I only had the first half of the first verse. It was almost cursed, ha ha. Eventually, Dan Hosh (City and Colour, Serena Ryder, Wild Rivers)and I got together, and he was the right guy to help draw this song out.

This song is about the night I decided to leave a town that I never wanted to leave. Before coming to this town, I had just gotten out of a very serious relationship and a horrible breakup. In the year leading up to this night, life was pretty bloody good – e.g. great job, great friends encapsulated in what I thought was a wonderful church community, I had a girl that I loved and… a ring ready to propose. I lost it all overnight. Long story short, the day after I bought the ring, my girlfriend broke up with me, telling me, “Jesus doesn’t want us to be together.”

Within weeks of the breakup, I found out she had been cheating on me with my best friend for the last few months of our relationship. Eventually, they went public, which led to me slowly being pushed out of friend groups, uninvited on the spot at friends’ get-togethers and church events, and, soon enough, all the friends I’d made stopped talking to me. My ex-girlfriend and my former best-friend had made it their job to ruin my reputation.

I put up with this for almost a year. I came home late one night and finally realized that this town that I once loved so much didn’t want me So what was the use in staying? I packed as much as I could fit into my car, and at 4 a.m., with tears in my eyes, I just drove right on out of that town.

Do you have a favorite lyric line or two in this song? What about those words really works for you or speaks to you?

For me, it’s the opening lines, for sure. I remember that moment so clearly, driving off, right before the sun started to rise. I remember looking into the rearview mirror and seeing the lights of that city fading the further I got and just shouting as loud as I could, “F**k that town and everyone in it!!!”

What do you hope listeners get from hearing the song? What do you hope the song’s message is?

That’s a great question, and I’m only realizing that there really ain’t a message to this song. It’s just a story from my life that I needed to get out of me. Maybe some poor souls can relate to this.

What was the recording process like in the studio for the album overall?

My plan/idea leading into the recording of this album was not just to get in there and smash it out. I wanted it to be an experience for everyone involved.

Aaron and I got to spend an entire week together to pre-produce, reconnect, and actually get to know each other a little better. Which we did. The thing I loved most about making this record is that nothing was rushed, we took our time, and what meant most to me is that the musicians took time to actually get to know the songs, not just the music. That led to a really special kind of trust between us all. Aaron is great at that, he takes the time to hear why you wrote the song and to understand it, and that translated to all of the musicians he chose. He knew they would be right there with us to serve the songs.

Your sound on this album is really rootsy, with lots of Americana and blues flavors. The result is really great. How did you settle upon your overall sound for the album and the sounds you embraced for each of the songs? Did the way any of the songs turned out surprise you based on what you thought they might sound like before you went into the studio?

I had a rough idea of how the songs would come out, but, I honestly have to say, every one of these songs exceeded my expectations! One thing I knew Aaron would do was create these incredibly bold and thick arrangements that are exactly right for my voice. I remember, after a weekend off, we would come back to the studio and listen to what we did the previous week, and we’d both be shocked at how great it sounded. We spent a lot of time pushing to get the best out of each other, but we knew we were making something special.

Most of all, we trusted our instincts when producing this album. We tried the first ideas that came to us, and then workshopped them to what we thought was just right.

What else is happening next for you?

I’ve got a few festival dates here in Canada, and we’re working on a couple tour dates in the U.K. for the new year!