Michael Lynche

Listening to Michael Lynche is like hearing the whole of black music in one artist. Existing in the space between soul, modern r&b, funk and hip-hop, his music somehow ties the tradition together while placing his own unique stamp and personality on it. And in the tradition of the greatest artists, he sings (and raps) his truths straight to your face, with no apologies or hesitation and a commitment to excellence above all, making him an exceptional young artist on the rise.

Like many great artists in the R&B tradition, Michael was first exposed to music through the church. Both of his parents were pastors and the Lynche Family or “Lynche Mob” (as they were known) was well known for its energetic act, which featured a young Michael performing gospel. But despite being a family of faith, Michael’s father left the home when Michael was fifteen and Michael was soon contending with the messy aftermath. As he remembers, “I don’t talk about those years much, but let’s just say it was then that I knew the man I did not want to become.”

Despite challenges at home, Michael excelled, earning a full academic and athletic scholarship to the University of Central Florida, where he played NCAA Division I football as a defensive lineman. Michael was sure football was his ticket out of the poverty of his youth, but while in college, his beloved mother fell ill with cancer and Michael saw it as his duty to go home. As he recalls, “My love for football was enormous, but when my mom got sick, I started really rethinking about my journey in life and I got to thinking that this was all happening for a reason.”
After the passing of his mother, Michael stepped back to where he started – with his love of music and specifically, the guitar. He recounts, “When I was a kid I picked up the guitar that was stashed in the back of my mom’s closet and learned to play it. I loved the sound of blues guitar. When she died, one of the first things I did was get a new guitar and start writing. At first, I was just writing music for the church. Then it became a singer songwriter thing. But nothing was groundbreaking.”

Moving to New York in 2006 to pursue his dream, Michael then hooked up with hip-hop producer Ming (of Ming & FS). Ming started adding beats to the more traditional singer/songwriter and soul songs that Michael was writing, and for Michael, it was like lightning struck. He exclaims, “I’m a soul singer at heart and a story teller, but I realized through Ming that it was the beats that make the songs fun. I was thinking about what kind of music that would be and one day I came up with a new genre name: ‘Dirty Blues,’ where gritty southern soul meets dirty south hip-hop.”

In listening to Michael’s music, “Dirty Blues” conveys it all. It’s there in “Heat Or Paranoia,” where hard-edged guitar unites with Ming’s infectious beats and Michael’s sensual falsetto to create something utterly mind-blowing. Michael explains, “I started that one on guitar, just messing around with a little riff. With that old soul vibe, I started singing it in a falsetto. Then it was like, ‘Can I write a fun and clever song about smoking weed?’” “Ain’t No Sunshine” is Michael’s tribute to the classic soul that he grew up on; taking Bill Withers’ classic and updating it by adding a rap section. “I’ve played that song for years,” says Michael, “and we just decided to really pump it up while remaining true to the essence of it. In a lot of ways, what we do with it gets to the heart of what I’m about.” And then there’s “I Love The South,” Michael’s tribute to his home and the source of inspiration for his music both past and present, which he wrote to Ming’s rhythmically irresistible beats.

Michael has been building up his fan base through playing shows, but it’s clear that his ambition is enormous. “I want to be an international superstar,” he declares. “I’ve always been a leader so the approach I have In music is to treat people the right way so they’ll respect you and follow you.” His attention to detail is meticulous: “I scrutinize every piece of everything and I do everything professionally.”

Michael Lynche is one of those rare artists who has it all; great singer, songwriter and artist who’s got his whole game down tight. With the right partner, it’s clear that he’s someone who doesn’t think in terms of limits, but one instead who sees everything being possible for his music and his career. He concludes, “I work really hard on my music and I see it as it being the fun music of today – a great soul vibe and something you can dance to. I’m just making sure to give the people what they want.”