Michael Patrick Kelly is back with his new album “BOATS”. In the interview he tells how he rediscovered his love for music.
The fans of Michael Patrick Kelly (43) had to wait four years – now the time has come: his fifth studio album “BOATS” will be released on November 12th. In an interview with the news agency spot on news, the songwriter reveals what the album title is all about, which song is particularly close to his heart and how the duet with his “Sing mein Song” colleague Ilse DeLange (44) came about.
Kelly also talks about his time at the monastery, which rekindled his passion for music. The globetrotter also gives a travel recommendation and raves about his musical idol Bruce Springsteen (72).
Congratulations on the release of your fifth studio album “BOATS”. What is the difference between the album and your previous records?
Michael Patrick Kelly: It’s definitely the album that I took most of the time to write songs for. In total I composed 60 numbers and 15 of them ended up on this album. My last album was four years ago. It feels like an eternity in the fast-moving music business. But good wine takes time, and with that in mind, I’ve let the songs mature longer than on previous albums.
“BOATS” stands for “Based On A True Story”. They promise a true story behind every song. Did it take you to tell these stories?
Kelly: I share very little of my private life with the public, but the great thing about music is that you can use the language of art to share your deepest emotional states with strangers as if they were your closest friends. All songs are based on true stories that I either experienced myself or from other people whose stories inspired me. It is said that a good song consists of three chords and the truth. And yes, with some songs it took some effort to write the unvarnished truth and then sing it in the recording studio.
Which song or which story is particularly close to your heart?
Kelly: For me every song is like a pearl on a precious chain. “Mother’s Day” is about the fact that as a five-year-old boy in the cemetery where my mother was buried, I stole all the bouquets of flowers from the neighboring graves in order to place them at my mother’s grave. It was Mother’s Day, we were poor and had no money for expensive flowers from the shop. Almost 40 years later, I drove a pickup truck full of flowers to the cemetery and distributed them to the neighboring graves. This is a moving memory for me. The song can be understood with a wink.
In your new song “Fake Messiah” you broach topics like racism and slavery. In your opinion, will there still be a lack of education in 2021?
Kelly: “Fake Messiah” is about the abuse of religious beliefs to justify political atrocities. I have chosen two examples in history: the violent re-education of Native Americans through government and church programs in North America and Canada, and apartheid in South Africa. There are still people who suffer the consequences of this type of perversion and ideology, so the problems are not finally resolved. Even if they no longer make it into the top news and only a few talk about it. I believe that education alone is not enough, it is always about building the heart.
Her music is not only popular in Germany. People from all over the world are commenting on your YouTube videos. How important is an international fan base?
Kelly: I’m of course happy that my music reaches people from different corners of the world. Even from countries where no English is spoken. You can see the power of music as a universal language. I usually get a Serrano ham from the Spanish fans. The Polish fans are very loyal and grateful. Once in Greenland I was moved to tears after a concert; I had sung “Amazing Grace” as the last encore. After I had sung the last note, everyone got up spontaneously and continued to sing the song in their own language. But I also love the concerts here. On certain songs there is often a little sea of flags when people hold up their national flags. That’s the beauty of music that people can dance, sing, celebrate or cry together, regardless of nationality, political orientation or belief. You are just a person among people.
You are a true globetrotter and you get a lot of inspiration while traveling. Have you already found the most beautiful place in the world?
Kelly: I actually did half a world tour for this album. I’ve been to Africa, USA, Greenland, the Faroe Islands, Italy, Spain and Ireland. Because of Corona, I couldn’t visit some other places.
Ireland is definitely my favorite country, my home country. This is where I feel most “at home” and I can recommend a trip to Ireland to anyone who has never been there.
In the early 2000s you retired from show business and went to the monastery for a few years. How has that time shaped you to this day?
Kelly: Before the monastery days, I was like an old laptop with too many viruses and bugs and needed a restart. The time in a completely different world, without a guitar, credit card, car, friends or family was saving and valuable at that moment. Before I came to the monastery, I had almost completely lost my passion for music. It was only when I was allowed to make music in the monastery without any purpose that I found my love for music again. To this day, daily prayer and Bible meditation are an integral part of my everyday life. And I know how important silence is to me.
Shows like “Sing mein Song” and “The Voice of Germany” made you a TV favorite. Can fans look forward to a comeback soon?
Kelly: All in good time (smiles).
You hosted “Sing My Song” twice. Do you think Johannes Oerding is a worthy successor?
Kelly: Johannes is a very good singer and musician, I like him very much personally. He is an eloquent host who knows how to give the invited artists plenty of space. He’s doing a good job.
Your colleague Ilse DeLange supports you on your new song “The World”. How did the duet come about?
Kelly: Ilse is a real artist that I really appreciate. I spontaneously asked her via WhatsApp and then sent her the song. She was just in Italy and sang the song there. I am very grateful that she managed to do this despite her very busy calendar. Our voices harmonize very well with each other.
You have been making music since childhood. Do you still have anything like musical role models after such a long time?
Kelly: My first concert experience was a four and a half hour show by Bruce Springsteen in the Frankfurt Waldstadion. I was nine at the time and was able to meet him in the backstage area before his performance. That day changed my life. At the time I said to myself: “I want what he’s doing too”.
Ten years later I was standing there with my siblings in the same stadium and was allowed to rock 50,000 people. Crazy. Bruce Springsteen is still a role model for me. I don’t know a better live artist.
Can you look back on your career with satisfaction or do you regret some of your decisions?
Kelly: I am mostly happy with my decisions, but of course there are also things that I regret in hindsight.
What do you regret?
Kelly: That I didn’t always follow my inner compass, my conscience. I used to let myself be guided too much by the opinion of others or by the fear of rejection. I think it is important that an artist does not allow himself to be determined by the expectations of others. Otherwise, at some point there will only be the entertainer. The principle that my father gave me applies to me: “Keep your spirit free”. Freedom is important.
Given your experience today, what would you like to give your 18-year-old self on the way?
Kelly: Relax, boy!
What comes after “BOATS”? Maybe a tour? Or do you allow yourself a break first?
Kelly: The tour for the album is being planned. The first live event will be a concert on the open-air stage in Loreley on June 25th, 2022. I will play songs that evening all by myself without a band, which the audience can choose in advance by voting on a website. No big show effects, just me with guitar and piano, the audience and the songs of their choice. The tickets for the concert cannot be purchased in advance, they are only available in the limited box for the album “BOATS”. For me this is a little dream. Ed Sheeran can do this easily, I have to work hard for it. A challenge that I’m really looking forward to.