A Conversation with Singer-Songwriter Michael V. Doane

By: Jacob Elyachar

One of the most fascinating singer-songwriters I have ever had the experience of interviewing is Michael V. Doane.

This triple-threat performer has incredible vocals performances and superb lyrics that are featured throughout his award-winning debut album Little Kid and have impressed both audiences around the country and in the entertainment industry.

In an exclusive interview, Michael talked to me about his songwriting skills, his experience working with a famous Academy Award-winning singer-songwriter and the success of his debut album: Little Kid.

Jacob Elyachar: How did you get into music?

Michael V. Doane: I have always been into music.  I performed in bands when I was younger and always wanted to be a rock singer.  When I relocated to New York City, I went into theater and toured with shows for a while. After that I did 180-degree turn and found myself in a boy band. That was wild and fun looking back now. But after that I focused on my own material and have ever since.

JE: Who are some of your biggest musical influence?

MVD: I always, always loved Elton John especially some of his early songs.  Another male singer that I admired is Dan Fogelberg, he had a huge hit back in the day called: “Longer,” that still gets sung at a lot of weddings.   I also like Bad Company’s Paul Rodgers as well.  If you mix all three of these voices together, I hope that’s what I sound like.    I also admire the big voice divas of the 1970s especially Aretha, Barbra and Tina.

JE: How did you get into songwriting?

MVD:  When I was a little kid, I always sat in front of the radio with a piece of paper labeled one through 40 and would listen to American Top 40 on the radio every Sunday.   So, I really became a huge fan of Top 40 music and I actually still have those lists. It was natural for me then to get into songwriting – I started building my home studio and installed all the machines, etc.  I knew very early on that I would be writing songs because I was such a Top 40 fan.

JE: What was the first song that you ever wrote?

MVD:  I had a dance hit that was big in Brazil of all places. (Laughs)  The song was called “Where Do People Go” and was licensed to Brazil and did really well there.   It was both very interesting and odd at the same time. I think they liked the tempo – 120 beats per minute, which today is very, very slow.  Dance music now is more like 137 bpms.

JE: One of the highlights of your career was being on of the background vocalists when Irene Cara re-recorded the Academy Award-winning song: “Flashdance (What A Feeling).” Could you please share that experience with my readers?

MVD: It’s a funny story.  Even though, she co-wrote the song with legendary music producer Giorgio Moroder, Irene did not have a copy of the master version of her original version of the song that was released on her old label: Casablanca Records. So in 1995, she opted to re-record the song and wanted it to be close to the original as possible.

I got hired by Irene to do the background vocals for the track along with two other female singers and we went to a studio on 19^th Street to cut the new track.   It was a trip because I finally learned “What A Feeling’s” lyrics.  After all those years of listening to the song, I didn’t even know what some of the background lyrics really were saying. I thought I knew them but was wrong, especially on the final choruses.

Ms. Irene was a diva, but really nice.  She told us when to sing, when to do another take, or hold onto a note longer.  It was a lot of fun and it was a huge thrill for me because I was a fan of her work and it was an honor to work with her.

JE: If my readers went to your website, they would see a little “American Idol” songwriter logo.  Could you tell us about that experience?

MVD: I wrote a song called “Close to Me” and it is the song that I submitted to American Idol, the year that Jordin Sparks won.  My selection made the Top 20 and was actually recorded.   Unfortunately, we lost to the song that won: “This is My Now,” but I was so thrilled to get that far and you can hear it on my MySpace page.

 

JE: Recently, you released your first album of original material called “Little Kid.” How long did it take to release that album?

MVD:  I have been working on it for two years, which included recording songs and deciding if certain songs were album ready.  Last year, I thought I was never going to finish it.   The catalyst that finally got me over the hump was the deaths of both of my parents.  They passed literally 15 days apart from each other.   After the second funeral, I said “Expletive it! I am finishing this album!”  In the next 12 weeks – I went home, I got my shit together and finished it.

Watching them pass on was the biggest kick in the butt for me.  Both of my parents loved music.  In fact, they were both buried along with several of their favorite CDs I kid you not.  That’s how important music was to them. My father was a huge country music fan and my mother loved Barbra, Reba, Celine and all of the divas.  Many of the songs on the album are about them.  The last year I spent with them was really about taking care of them and watching their health deteriorate.  That’s why I called the album: Little Kid because it made me realize that time is precious and I needed to get it done, and no matter what, I was still their little kid.

I actually released the album on what would have been on my mother’s birthday: September 8.

JE: In addition to music, you have passions for theater and film. What drove you to enter those worlds?

MVD:  Theater is something I have always been passionate about.  I am actually writing a musical that features a lot of funk music.   I am done with the music and now all I have to do is connect with the right librettist.    In addition to my work in theater, I am currently working on a movie that I wrote and directed called Mrs. Foster. It is like the classic story of The Old Lady in the Shoe.   The reason why I like that story is that everyone can identify with it.    We have all been scared of an old woman who gave us dirty looks, or was mean or stern with us, whether it was a school teacher or our grandma.   This story was based upon my experience with my second grade teacher, who was very mean to me and looked liked a witch.   I knew that I would write a story about her one day, but instead, I wrote a movie.

JE: Do you have any dream collaborators in music?

MVD: I would love to work with Quincy Jones.  It would be a true honor to work with him.   He has worked with Count Basie, Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Barbra Streisand, Donna Summer and of course, Michael Jackson.   What an amazing life he’s had. He has worked with so many legendary artists and musicians, so to be in the studio with him would be a dream come true.

To watch some of Michael’s work, check out his YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/TheMvdmusic

You can also connect with Michael through Facebook & Twitter.