”Music should bring joy to the people and lift their spirit. If you sing the truth about the facts of life it should soothe peoples soul and make them feel better.”

Michael van Merwyk: Blues n’ Slide

Life according to plan is not available for purchase. Who has not yet learned Michael van Merwyk might ask. The songwriter has experienced it; make the moments that life worth living, or even unfair. Before he showed up on the European blues scene, the man has just raised five children - with all that that entails. Well Michael van Merwyk has embarked on a new path now moves from the music to the center of his life. Together with music legends such as Jimmy Rogers, Larry Garner or Jimmy Johnson was jammed and celebrated. His style is unmistakable: self-taught and emotionally. His voice growls like a cross between Dr. John and Johnny Cash, his guitar playing is funky like Johnny Guitar Watson and rough as Albert King. Whether acoustic, electric or on the lap steel: it has strings, it is played. He regularly tours throughout Europe - from Finland to the Mediterranean coast, from the Atlantic coast to Moscow.

(Michael van Merwyk / Photo by Klaus Joswig)

The focal point is frontman Michael van Merwyk. The guitarist, singer and songwriter has paid his dues on numerous tours and sessions and as house guitarist at the Roadhouse club in Rheda-Wiedenbrück, one of Germany’s most authentic blues locations. His encounters with international greats and local heroes have led to an ever deeper understanding of blues and roots music. Van Merwyk combines his talents as a guitarist and vocalist with those of his mates in Bluesoul to create a singular style. In honor of the late Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, one of his musical heroes, he refers to this sound as "American Music – Euro Style." Michael’s new 10-tracks album with Bad Temper Joe, titled “Song ‘n’ Slide” (2024). The two extraordinary slide guitarists and songwriters play and sing a selection of their acoustic blues compositions on their first joint album.

Interview by Michael Limnios             Archive: Michael van Merwyk, 2013 interview 

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

Playing the Blues gave me the chance to travel, and traveling the world broadens one´s horizon anyway. You meet people from different cultures who share the love for this kind of music and you learn a lot about the perspective of the average working man in other countries. I found it very easy to get along with people all over the world, cause despite all these cultural differences, we got lots in common. Life´s ups and downs and in-betweens are the same all over the world, so we really should get along better than our governents make us believe.

There where two moments that shaped my musical life. Number one was, when i turned on the radio one night, tuned into the "Blues At Night" show on WDR and heard Howlin Wolf sing "Smokestack Lightnin". That hit me like lightnin and i was hooked. I was into The Clash, Sex Pistols, Motörhead, Judas Priest, The Exploited, Social Distortion and bands like that before...still like em today...but this VOICE!!!

Number two was my visit to the Jazz & Heritage Festival in New Orleans in 1991. It opened my soul and my ears to all kinds of music. I spend most of the daytime at the Gospel Tent and the night time in the clubs listening to Snooks Eaglin, Johnny Adams, John Mooney, The Neal Family, Etta James, Goerge Porter Jr., The Wild Magnolias, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Gatemouth Brown, Earl King, Jon Cleary...the list goes on. Since that day i listen to WWOZ every day and i love it. Music is such a great thing, feeds your soul and gives you strenght to fight the struggles in your everyday life.

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?

It is great to develope as a musician and to find new ways of expression...i will never stop learning. What remained the same is that i play music for the audience. It is all about communicating with your bandmates, the audience, the organizer and the people who work at the place where i play. My job is to make the people feel better when they go home. Food for the soul is urgently needed these days.

“Definitely. I love art and graphic art and dig traditional and modern art as much as graphic artists who do comics, tatoos or visual art. I like to read or listen to stories, poems, novells, spoken word, comedy, podcasts...eveything from Dylan Thomas to True Crime Podcasts...life is colorful.” (Michael van Merwyk / Photo by Maik Reishaus)

What's the balance in music between technique/skills and soul/emotions? How do you want the music to affect people?

I'm self-taught and never practiced much at home. Played a lot in pubs, clubs and at parties. In my humble opinion the focus should be on telling stories and musical interaction, so i prefer John Lee Hookers guitar playing to those virtuosos who only sing between their solos.

Music should bring joy to the people and lift their spirit. If you sing the truth about the facts of life it should soothe peoples soul and make them feel better.

What are your hopes and fears for the future of Blues? Why is it important to we preserve and spread the blues?

Let me extend this answer to handmade music of all genres. It is important for future generations to hear and feel music at a live concert. They will enjoy it and get a good taste in music. It´s the same with food. If you only go to fast food restaurants, your taste buds are atrophying and it gets hard to enjoy subtleties like different types of tomatoes or the right spices...fresh Strawberries...if you marinate your chicken in yogurt with spices and then grill it, it tastes better than breaded and deep-fried nuggets with too much sugar. So we got to keep on playing music.

If you could change one thing in the musical world and it would become a reality, what would that be?

Musicians should be paid reasonably. We're not in the business to get rich anyway, but you should be able to make ends meet.

What is the role of music in today’s society? What are you doing to keep your music relevant today, to develop it and present it to the new generation?

I thought music had a huge role in today´s society, but the last elections in Europe and overseas proofed me wrong...well, it is like it is.

If you sing about the facts of life music will always be relevant. To bring it to a new generation is the harder part...may we have to occupie Radio stations or TV Shows.

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

Let me quote the great Luther Allison here "Leave your ego, play the music, love the people."

”Playing the Blues gave me the chance to travel, and traveling the world broadens one´s horizon anyway. You meet people from different cultures who share the love for this kind of music and you learn a lot about the perspective of the average working man in other countries.”

(Michael van Merwyk / Photo by Maik Reishaus)

Life is more than just music, is there any other field that has influence on your life and music?

Definitely. I love art and graphic art and dig traditional and modern art as much as graphic artists who do comics, tatoos or visual art. I like to read or listen to stories, poems, novells, spoken word, comedy, podcasts...eveything from Dylan Thomas to True Crime Podcasts...life is colorful.

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