“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.”

Micah Willis: A New Soulful Star Rising

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.

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

Born in Salt Lake City, Utah, Micah Willis began by playing harmonic with his dad, Kenny Neal, a professional blues musician. At eight years old, he became part of a children’s choir, which allowed him to experience performing in front of an audience. Shortly thereafter, Willis joined an after-school music program, for which he performed at venues across the country, including Carnegie Hall. Now splitting his time between Salt Lake City and L.A., Willis has grown into a highly respected singer, songwriter, musician and actor. Winning four Downbeat Magazine awards before graduating high school. Micah has worked and played with the likes of Neon Trees, James Valentine (Maroon 5), Steve Smith (Journey), and Jeff Coffin (Dave Matthews Band). He’s also appeared on the hit Disney TV show, Andi Mack. Influenced by everyone from Miguel and The Weeknd to Fleetwood Mac, Micah seamlessly blends elements of pop, funk, and hip-hop into his high-energy, crowd-pleasing performances. 

Interview by Michael Limnios                          Special Thanks: Mark Pucci Media

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

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?

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.” (Micah Willis & Kenny Neal, father and son, a masterful collaboration unites two very different singers/ Photo © by Austin Smith)

Currently you’ve one 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”?

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.

Devil’s in the Delta’ is unlike any song I have done genre-wise. It challenged me to dig deep and find my bluesy sound. There are a lot of people out there who aren't convinced your music can span across several genres. They like to put you in a box - and with me being a pop/R&B artist - it was rewarding to prove that you can put out a really cool song that doesn't necessarily fit the box they try to put you in. Working with my dad was also super fun and fascinating. We both have different creative processes when it comes to recording and making a record. I think we both learned a lot from each other working on this project.

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

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.

”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.” (Photo: Micah Willis, seamlessly blends elements of pop, funk, and hip-hop into his high-energy, crowd-pleasing performances)

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

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

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?

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.

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

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.

Micah Willis - Home

(Photo: Micah Willis)