Here is the absorbing, new single from San Francisco songwriter Mickelson. Multi-instrumentalist Scott Mickelson delivers energetic banjo, guitar and bass, ably supported by Jon Buckett on keys and Lee Moulding on drums. Propelled by an urgent rhythm and insistent instrumentation, ‘Jump Off the Earth’ is a hypnotic adventure, an experimental soundscape that becomes a soaring anthem about the passage of time. Mickelson sings: “Every minute is a minute gone,” which sums up the idea that we mustn’t waste any time and must seize the moment. He says: “I feel grateful for the life I’ve led as an artist but I’m also aware that the time left to continue is becoming more precious. I’ve gotten to the point where I will not let anyone or anything slow me down or interfere with the momentum I’ve built. In ‘Jump Off The Earth’, I’m saying there’s no time to waste. We need to let go of the negative things that hold us back and move beyond them. Or try at least – ha! I’d been playing around with the chorus riff on the banjo for a couple of years then when I experienced an unpleasant incident in my personal life, I thought to myself that I was wasting time ruminating over it. The lyric ‘Every minute is a minute gone.’ came to mind and the rest of the song fell into place.”
The video for ‘Jump Off the Earth’ is an intriguing AI-assisted animation that reinforces the concept of turbulent change, time passing and they way in which time seems to work in cycles. It’s a kaleidoscope of colour and constant movement, full of images blurring and morphing into others. Scott Mickelson edited the video himself and the result is a dynamic accompaniment to the song. It was created alongside German artist Soundfaenger, using AI program Stable Diffusion. Mickelson explains: “I created about twelve images and sent those, along with a storyboard/concept to Jo (Soundfaengar). He sent me clips for each scene for approval and changes. After about thirty clips were created, I edited it all down to match the storyline of the lyrics.”
‘Jump Off the Earth’ appears on Mickelson’s forthcoming album, his tenth release and a collection that’s full of confidence. In late-June and early-July, you can catch Mickelson on a tour of the UK and Ireland – details here. Enjoy.
