Multi-talented singer-songwriter-actor Michael Malarkey releases his second full length album ‘Graveracer’ as a DL and limited gold LP Vinyl via Cap on Cat/Kartel. This is alongside an extensive UK and European tour, including a headline show at London’s Bush Hall tonight.
Best known as the charismatic Enzo in the CW’s television series The Vampire Diaries and Captain Michael Quinn in Robert Zemeckis’ executively produced Project Blue Book for History. The British-American talent has simultaneously cultivated a body of work that established him as a distinctive and captivating crossover talent, winning over audiences in both the music and acting arenas.
Written in 2018 between Puerto Rico and Vancouver whilst Michael was working on both the 50 Cent-produced crime drama The Oath and Project Blue Book, during a time of physical and emotional turbulence – Michael, the cast and crew were evacuated from Puerto Rico during the build-up of Hurricane Maria – an experience that has bled into the artist’s lyrical imagery through the record, perfectly depicting the tense feelings coming from the fragile balance of work and home.
“During the time I was working on the record, I escaped two hurricanes – as well as a third, I suppose, my own personal one. This record is my Odyssey in a way. It’s the journey back home after being ravaged in the seas of your own mind and finding the strength to carry on after the storm. I was left with a feeling of freedom and I found it through these songs,” reveals Michael.
Malarkey deep, soothing baritone vocals unveil an earth-toned spectrum of emotions. There is a vacillation between gentle frustration, heartbroken uncertainty, ghostly perseverance and subtle swagger. Instrumentally, it is diverse in the same way; emotive strings, and minimalist piano quietly back Michael’s acoustic guitar playing in tracks like ‘Sea of Red’. Overall, there is a straightforward, heartfelt honesty in both words and tone. ‘Graveracer’ is reflective without nostalgia, forward-thinking without urgency, deeply rooted in the present: a raw vignette, a portrait of one human as a work in progress, as we all are.
Recorded at Tesla Studios in Sheffield, UK and produced by Michael and ‘death gospel’ maverick singer-songwriter A.A. Williams, ‘Graveracer’ is a visceral body of work and a masterful culmination of the last few years of Michael’s musical development, drawing together the strength of his unique live performances and influences in what is one of the most captivating releases of the year.
Previously releases, including the debut album ‘Mongrels’, have seen support across respected international publications including Metro, Billboard, Classic Rock and The Guardian. With a new album on the way, a headline UK and European tour and a new season of Project Blue Book airing in the UK in Winter 2020, Michael is set to make his mark as one of the most inspiring artists of his generation.
EDITOR’S NOTES
2020 Tour Dates – Michael UK and EU tour will come to London’s Bush Hall on 10th January and will end on Feb 8th in Madrid. For full dates and tickets please visit Michael Malarkey Official.
Jan 13 BEL Antwerp, Zappa
Jan 14 HOL Amsterdam, Melkweg
Jan 15 GER Cologne, Luxor
Jan 17 DEN Copenhagen, Little Vega
Jan 18 SWE Stockholm, Nalen Klubb
Jan 19 NOR Oslo, Parkeateret
Jan 21 GER Hamburg, Nochtspeicher
Jan 22 GER Frankfurt, Das Bett
Jan 23 GER Berlin, Bi Nuu
Jan 24 POL Warsaw, Proxima
Jan 25 CZE Prague, Roxy
Jan 27 HUN Budapest, Durer Kert
Jan 28 AUS Graz, Orpheum
Jan 29 SLOV Bratislava, Randal Club
Jan 31 ITA Milan, Gate
Feb 01 GER Munich, Strom
Feb 03 UKR Kiev, Caribbean Club
Feb 07 SPA Barcelona, Antiga Fabrica Estrella Damm
Feb 08 SPA Madrid, Moby Dick
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