SUN SPIN - HIGH:FIV5 INTERVIEW - Radio:Active Magazine

Stop being so hard on yourself.

Michael: My name is Michael Rosenbaum. A lot of you know me as Lex Luthor, but I have a really cool band. We are called Sun Spin. You can find all the information you need at sunspin.com and I’m really proud of our new album. It’s called „Best Days“.

Describe your Music in 3 words.

Michael: Three words: Light, nostalgic, pleasurable.

What is the story or idea behind the name „Sun Spin“?

Michael: Rob and I have been friends for a long time. My guitarist. My lead guitarist and we were in a band called „Left on Laurel“. That was a good time, but we decided to leave the band for personal reasons. I thought the band… we did as much as we are gonna do. And during COVID, Rob and I – I only hung out with Rob, and we were playing music together. It was really fun and easy and very inspirational. We were like. Let’s have a band, what would the band name be? Where do we meet? We met at a place called „Sunset Sundays“. My friend James Gunn – who directed „Guardians of the Galaxy“, and his brother Sean –who is in all the movies as well – he had sunset Sundays where we gathered and had cheese and wine, hang out outside and play music. That’s where I met Rob. „Sunset Sundays“. So we wanted to use the name SUN. And we couldn’t thing of a name. Sun? Sun Star, Sun Jet – nah, that’s an airline..We though just LA, sun, where we met. Spin? Albums, records, spinning. SUN SPIN! Just that easy. Sun Spin. It’s kind of meaningful. I never actually told anybody that, but „Sun Spin“ that’s how it came to be.

How is your personality reflected in your album „Best Days“? Are there songs that represent more Michael or more Rob?

Michael: Well, I write all the songs. So everything that comes out of me..Pen to paper. And I bring them to Rob and then Rob brings in his genius guitar to the songs. He works on some of the songs with me. I think my personalty comes out, because a lot of these are about my life or about relationships. Love lost or childhood. Or trying to feel good or just enjoying the summertime. I think the album does reflect my personality in a sense that…It got the summertime song it’s called „Summertime Neighbor“. It’s about a girl that lives up the street, and you have a little fling and that’s a fun-loving song. That’s the fun part of me. And then you have a song like „The Show“ which is darker. Where I was in a darker place. Then you have a little country. I grew up listening to country. So it’s a little country at times. There is a song called „Best Days“ about childhood and trying to overcome dysfunction around you. There are lyrics like „And hide away from their mistakes. The writings on the wall and happiness is what it takes you ride or take the fall.“ That’s when you like a kid following your parents footsteps, and you can do all those things that make you unhappy, or you could say I’m going to do something with my life. You can ride or you can take the fall. That’s a story about me and my friend Danny Cutter and growing up. I’m sure there are a few lines that people are like What the hell is he talking about?! Like when I say „Playing with the Cutter“ The Cutter is my friend Danny Cutter who I grew up with. And then there is a lyric „Kissing on the dorsa“. It’s about those twin girls. It was my first kiss, and they didn’t think I was a very good kisser. They kinda let me know about it really hurt my feelings. So I say „Kissing on the dorsa, building up my courage and my pride“. The song is about hope and survival. But it is a light fun song, so you don’t think about those things when you are listening to it, but looking at the words. All the songs have certain meanings of life. Even a song called „Something Special“. It’s about, as sad as it sounds, it is actually inspirational, because it’s about a truck driver who thought he’d become more and this is what he is, and it’s about a woman who’s a single mom, and she thought to become this..she’s always thinking about the future. What about this. And the song is really about: Whatever you are doing. We all have dreams. We all have aspirations. We all expected more out of ourselves. But in the end: find something special about your life, because there is something special about your life right now. Something. Whether it’s relationship with a friend, girlfriend or your relationship with your mom, your dad or your dogs. Whatever it is. Find something special. And that’s what it is. It’s hopeful. It’s hope.

I don’t know if the songs are about Rob really. Like I said. I write all the lyrics and stuff. Rob would have to answer that, but Rob is a beautiful soul. He is someone I love to work with. He is one of my best friends, and he has a heart of gold. He calls me out on my bullshit. We’re working incredibly well together. He makes everything what I bring better. He’s just awesome to work with. I never thought it would be this easy to be in a band, but just to have Rob with me..we split the work. I do a lot. He does a lot. We work amazingly together and I sent him a song just now, of us bullshitting. It’s just us making up a song. *plays audio recording*

And then he sends back and goes YES, I know where we are going with the chorus and here is what I was thinking. What starts with this little idea, starts to expand and become more. Sometimes. A lot of times I have the whole song and just: DONE. Rob this is the song! And he goes: Cool! *plays air guitar*

We work very well together. It’s a joy.

Your next online show is the „Post Valentines Love Fest“. Tell us something about it.

Michael: Yeah, February 27th, 2PM PST (27.02. 23 Uhr) and February 27th, 6PM PST (28.02. 3 Uhr). We are doing two shows. We got a great group of followers. I don’t even call them followers. They are friends…family. They come to the shows. We play songs from the album, we play covers. We have such a great time. Everyone enjoys it. You can win Zooms and prices. We really love the folks that show up. So we are trying to expand the audience. Bringing more people into our family. You can get tickets on stageit.com and type in Sun Spin and you’ll see the upcoming shows. You can follow us. And Sun Spin. Our band. Our handles are sunspinband and also sunspin.com you can get all the merch and book us. Somebody already booked us for a picknick show. So next month we’re gonna play a show for them. So you can book us online. You can book Zooms. It’s great.

What is the best advice you’ve been given in growing as an artist and in growing as a person?

Michael: Great questions. The best advice I’ve gotten becoming an artist is keep doing it. Keep writing, keep singing, keep playing, keep acting, keep directing. Whatever you are doing. The only way to get better is doing it more and more. And the best advice I’ve ever gotten personally was: Stop being so hard on yourself. Do the best you can. Try to enjoy life. Anke, try to be present. You gotta be more present. That’s gonna make us happy. People who are searching for happiness, be in the moment. Live every moment cause it’s passing us so fast. Live in the moment.

If you could change anything about the music industry, what would it be?

Michael: I don’t know. I mean everybody should write what they love to do, but there is always music that you hate. That doesn’t feel like music. Music that doesn’t feel like people playing instruments. Music where people just go like *makes sounds*

Let them do what they wanna do. I wish them success and all the best. I just feel like…look music is universal and it’s a huge part of my life. It’s one of the biggest parts in my life so..As long as I can play music and go to concerts – when we can go to concerts again …

I always hope that the 80’s music comes back and then it has in a way. The 80’s feel has come back. I think the best decades were the 70’s, 80’s and even the 90’s. Nowadays in the last few years I can’t…There is good music, but I like when people have their own personalities. Even Lady Gaga. She goes her own way. There is music for everyone. People can listen to my band. People can listen to Lady Gaga. That’s the great thing about music. As long as we are open and appreciate all music. That’s the best way to be.

What is the most useless talent you have?

Michael: The most useless talent I have is probably…I can armpit fart. I can put my hand under my arm and *armpit fart sounds*

Anke: Okay, that’s impressive *giggles*

Michael: But it’s kind of useless! But my grandmother loves my armpit farts!

Michael: I appreciate your time and thanks for plugging the band. We are really excited. We got a music video called „Summertime Neighbor“. It’s one of the tracks on the album and the music video is coming out in the next few weeks. The album is out now on Amazon and iTunes. On sunspin.com you can get the CD’s and everything else there. I just want to say thanks to everyone who is supporting the band and supporting my podcast. And my Patrons over at patreon.com. I love you. Thank you for supporting the podcast and thank you, Anke.