Bio
How does a guy go from fronting a pre-grunge thrash band in Seattle in the 1980’s to crafting soulful piano-based songs in Alabama in 2025? “A lot of life has to happen,” says a laughing Seattle-bred and Alabama-based singer-songwriter, Michael Lawson. “Music is always a metaphor for life, so with a little bit of age comes a different perspective. Thankfully, I’m now at a place where I feel like things are finally coming together for me as an artist and a songwriter. The vibe is now there. “
As a performing musician, Lawson’s musical journey began as a teenager in his hometown of Seattle, Washington in the 1980’s where he fronted a pre-grunge band called SGM that sold nearly 30,000 units on Medusa (Capitol) Records. After leaving the band to attend college, Lawson returned to Seattle in 1992 and co-founded an alt-rock band, serving as a lead songwriter and rhythm guitarist. After generating significant local buzz in the Seattle Music Scene, that band disbanded in 1995 when the band’s lead singer suddenly left the band to pursue other interests. So, what happened next?
“I was so heartbroken I took a 25-year break.”
Enter 2019, when Lawson returned to music as a singer-songwriter. “I got divorced and wanted to return to my life goal of becoming a professional songwriter and recording artist. I played open mics weekly in Tuscaloosa and then when the pandemic hit, I cold-called Rodney Hall at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals Alabama and asked him if I could record there. I sent him a demo, and he and his studio manager hooked me up with some amazing players. My life was forever changed.”
But how, exactly?
“Playing with session guys of that caliber gave me a new way to think about songwriting. Since those guys could play everything, it meant that I could write anything. And because we all mesh so well as a band in the studio, the songs always seem to work.”
Four releases later, Lawson is now starting to release songs off his fifth studio effort, a 7 song EP called “Vibe Talking.” Vibe Talking features piano-based tunes that offer new textures and vibes to Lawson’s already diverse songwriting repertoire. “I hadn’t played piano much in the last 25 years, but returning to it felt like coming home. It turns out that the piano offers me a more natural vehicle for realizing and capitalizing on the melodic bent of my songwriting. So, this time around the tunes feel especially good, emotive, and heartfelt. I’m optimistic that they will move people.”
The emotive bent of Lawson’s new material is perhaps best crystalized in the album’s first single “It’s Love,” a song that mirrors the melodic sensibility and emotional depth of the Beatles, while also eliciting vibes reminiscent of Coldplay and other current musical greats. “Jimbo Hart (Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit) is an amazing musician and producer. Jimbo had a really clear and strong vision for “It’s Love” and the rest of the songs on the record. The performances are great, and the great folks at FAME really did their jobs. It’s now it’s up to me to get these songs in front of as many people as I can.”
Turn the music up and let love rule the day, today!