“I keep the roots of the music there, everything else just blossoms.”

Kenny Neal & Micah Willis: 

A Multitalented Music Family

The Swamp Blues are alive and well in Louisiana and what better source to report on the Blues than Louisiana’s very own multi-Blues Music Award-winner and Grammy nominee Kenny Neal, who’s releasing his new single, “Devil’s In The Delta,” along with his son, Micah Willis, on February 28th from Verdict Music. “Devil’s In The Delta” is being distributed by The Orchard. What makes this track so great, so truly special, and sets it apart from all of Kenny’s prior releases, is the appearance of his son, Micah Willis, an equally gifted singer-songwriter who now officially represents the third generation in a very long, large and distinguished line of Neal-family musicians. “Devil’s In The Delta,” is not just emblematic of Kenny’s musical roots and native home turf, it also represents his signature playing style…the archetypal Swamp Blues sound representative of all things Delta. This masterful collaboration unites two very different singers; but despite their stylistic differences, their voices pair nicely: Neal brings the grit, growl and gravel, while Micah Willis adds the counterpoint through his contrasting soulful vocals.

(Kenny Neal & Micah Willis / Photo © by Austin Smith)

Kenny Neal, the oldest of ten children, didn’t stand a chance of escaping the music bug. His own father, Raful Neal, the family patriarch, was an accomplished and well-known blues musician from Louisiana and the first to break ground and pave the way. Music is quite literally in the family’s DNA. With Kenny being based in Batton Rouge and Micah Willis in Salt Lake City, Utah, the father/son collaboration was largely made possible through the use and reliance of various technologies that allowed them to essentially work together while being thousands of miles apart. After the tracks were recorded, mixed and mastered, Micah then flew down to Baton Rouge to shoot the companion music video with his father, and the rest - as they say - is family music history. The resulting track is not only refreshing, musically speaking, it’s a well-produced tune with an infectiously catchy hook; but also something to be particularly proud of as “the ties that bind” experience has only further strengthened their familial connection and cemented their musical legacy.  

Interview by Michael Limnios                             Special Thanks: Mark Pucci Media

How do you think that you have grown as an artist since you first started making music?  What has remained the same about your music-making process?

Kenny: We live and learn, and we get better as time goes on with our craft.  I’ve grown a lot and am much more experienced than when I was younger. It’s like the way we cook down here in the South, that’s Baton Rouge that I’m talking about. We have what you call a roux, it is the foundation of the recipe. Once you make the roux, you can pretty well add anything you want to it and it’s going to be good. And that’s what I do with my music. I keep the roots of the music there, everything else just blossoms. 

How has the music influenced your views of the world? What moment changed your music life the most?

Micah: For me music has always been sort of an escape. Both listening and creating it. Music for me is very sacred. It has given me the opportunity to express myself when I can’t quite put it into words that make sense apart from putting it in a song. When listening to music I can relate to it makes me feel less alone and there are people out there creating art that I deeply relate to. The moment that changed my music life, the moment I fell in love with it was an album I had from a TV show. I remember it was the last track; track 16. I would make my mom play it over and over. It was the most beautiful song I had ever heard. I was probably around 4 or 5 years old. Someday I might reveal what it is!

How do you describe your sound, music philosophy and songbook? Where does your creative drive come from?

Micah: The funny thing about that is I don’t think I can describe my sound. I feel like the fans can do that better than myself. It’s just a giant melting pot of everything. I studied jazz and classical music for a long time while also enjoying contemporary. I also dabbled in Broadway music. I find myself putting inspiration from those genres in all my music at one point or another. The creative drive controls me, I can’t control it. It’s difficult for me to just sit down and write a song. A lot of the time the creative inspiration comes at mildly inconvenient times. I might be out to dinner and a melody pops into my head and I have to run out of the restaurant and record it in my voice memos. It happens frequently but randomly. It also happens in the “in between” which is when you are in between being awake and falling asleep. I’ll sometimes have my voice memos recording during that time and mumble out some lyrics or a half assed melody that I can find tune later on.

”The most important lesson I’ve learned is that failure isn’t real in music. Just because you might get “no’s” from every label exec who listens to your music doesn’t mean you failed. If even one person, including yourself, likes it, it’s a success. Numbers aren’t everything.” (Left: Kenny Neal / Photo © by Laura Carbone - Right: Micah Willis / Father and son, a masterful collaboration unites two very different singers)

Where does your creative drive come from? What's the balance in music between technique (skills) and soul & emotions? 

Kenny: I enjoy hangin around the local guys talkin shit and I listen and pay very close attention to them. That’s about real as reality can get and I walk away with a lot to work with. In order to make all of the above work and balance it has to be real. 

Why do you think that the Neal Family music legacy continues to generate such a devoted following, since the Raful Neal era to nowadays? 

Kenny: Because my dad, Raful Neal, planted the seed real deep in each one of us. Not just with music but with love and passion. It was so much fun as a kid, we knew that this was what we wanted to do. Now I’m passing it on. 

Currently you’ve one release with your son, Micah Willis. How did that idea come about? 

Kenny: He phoned me up and told me he had a blues song he wanted to record and would I be interested in producing and tracking the song. I thought it was a good idea to have my youngest son interested in the Blues. I didn’t hesitate, I went right at it and I really like the song “Devil’s in the Delta”.  

A single release with your father, Kenny Neal. How did your relationship with the Blues come about? Do you have any interesting stories about the making of Devil’s In The Delta? 

Micah: Yeah! The first song I had my dad on was “Sunshine” off the “Who The Hell Is Micah Willis” mixtape. I wrote that on a flight from Miami to Salt Lake City. It was the first kind of song that I wanted some blues in and I asked my dad if he could do a solo on it. Devils in the Delta definitely features us together as a duo more. He actually tracked the song in his Baton Rouge studio and I tracked my parts in Salt Lake City, my home town.

Do you have any interesting stories about the making of the new single Devil’s In The Delta?  

Kenny: I thought it was a good experience for both of us. I had fun having him put his heart and soul in the whole project. Some things I wouldn't tell him, I let him figure it out for himself. I also let him believe that he was in control of everything, but little did he know I already had it figured out. Lol!

”Music is always evolving and that is one of the most beautiful things about it. I wouldn’t necessarily say I miss much from music in the past because everything gets recycled eventually.” (Kenny Neal & Micah Willis, the Swamp Blues are alive and well in Louisiana / Photo © by Austin Smith)

What are you doing to keep your music relevant today, to develop it and present it to the new generation?  

Kenny: I like to keep up with the times and write about what we all can relate to. 

Micah: I keep discovering new artists and bands. Recently I’ve been really enjoying Porter Robinson and his album “Smile” has given me a lot of inspiration. I also try and collaborate with as many people as I can because they will always think of something that I would have never come up with.

What do you miss most nowadays from the music of the past? What are your hopes and fears for the future of? 

Micah: Music is always evolving and that is one of the most beautiful things about it. I wouldn’t necessarily say I miss much from music in the past because everything gets recycled eventually. For example, there’s a pop song that incorporates Cannon in D, one of my favorite classical songs. To be honest, AI is the only real fear that I have for music. But at the same time, it would be difficult to build a fanbase off of an AI artist. How would you see them live? How would it interact with fans? So in hindsight, it probably wouldn’t make it very far.

What moment changed your music life the most? What´s been the highlights in your life and career so far?

Micah: There’s so many moments where music has changed my life; from opening for big artists at sold out venues, to getting advice from people in bands that took off like Neon Trees, to executives giving me feedback on tracks. Each one of those moments had a significant impact on me.

What moment changed your music life the most? 

Kenny: When I was on stage in a little juke joint in Baton Rouge in 1976, on a Friday night, Sam Guy walked up to me, this is Buddy Guy brother, put a note in my top pocket. I got off stage, looked at the note and it said “call Buddy Guy”. I went over to a pay phone and called him and he asked me if I’d be interested in playing bass guitar in his band. I only had a two day notice. I told him “hell yeah” and the rest is history.

”Because Blues is our culture and it’s very important to pass it on to the generations to come so they can know where they came from.” (Photos: Micah Willis & Kenny Neal with Raful Neal, three generation in a very long and distinguished line of Neal-family musicians, music is quite literally in the family’s DNA)

What's been the highlights in your life and career so far? 

Kenny: I had quite a few highlights. First one was going to Broadway, having a lead role in a play called ‘Mule Bone’ written by Zora Neale Hurston and Langston Hughes. Second one was to tour all over Europe and Japan opening for BB King. Third, getting to know Mr. Muddy Waters personally and introducing him to my kids. Fourth, being nominated for two Grammy’s and walking the red carpet, just to name a few, I can keep going but I guess you’ll have to wait for my book. 

Why is it important to preserve and spread the Blues? What is the role of Blues in today’s society?

Kenny: Because Blues is our culture and it’s very important to pass it on to the generations to come so they can know where they came from. Being in a panic when you leave your cell phone at home. And “oh my God, I don’t have WiFi”. Also, the cost of living haven't much changed, it’s still called The Blues. 

What is the impact of music on the socio-cultural implications? How do you want the music to affect people?

Micah: I mean music creates social unity for sure and I hope I can create that with the music I put out. I’d like for people to come together no matter their background and enjoy what I create.

What are some of the most important lessons you have learned from your experience in the music paths? 

Kenny: I learned not to trust everybody, go with your gut feelings. If it looks like a duck, it might be a chicken. You never know. Make sure you know what you’re seeing when reading your contracts. 

Micah: The most important lesson I’ve learned is that failure isn’t real in music. Just because you might get “no’s” from every label exec who listens to your music doesn’t mean you failed. If even one person, including yourself, likes it, it’s a success. Numbers aren’t everything.

Kenny Neal - Home                Micah Willis - Home

(Left: Kenny Neal / Photo © by Laura Carbone - Right: Micah Willis)