Artist Michael Blume Reveals Personal Challenges in New EP
Blume played an acoustic set for ABC News.
— -- In his six-track EP, "When I Get It Right," new artist Michael Blume blends hip-hop, jazz and R&B to explore themes of identity, culture and belonging.
Blume, who describes his music as "progressive," strives to shed light on some of the nation's most divisive issues.
“I’m a community facilitator and community leader first and a musician second," he said. “I work to make the lyrical content sort of conscious, political, queer, forward thinking stuff -- which is why I call it progressive so it’s going to advance the rights of the people and conversations.”
With tracks like "How High," Blume reveals his personal challenges growing up as a gay man and questions society's rules on gender, race and "performance of self."
"I trust my mix of experiences," he said, "music, academic [and] artistic experiences.”
"When I Get It Right" is layered with complex vocal arrangements which underline Blume's a cappella roots. While studying at Yale University, he performed in 35 countries with the Whiffenpoofs, America's first and oldest collegiate a cappella group.
"Vocal arranging and vocal painting is a huge paint on my pallet, probably the main paint on my pallet," he said. "I write songs, I sort of start from the approach of the piano, melody lyric and then the background vocals."
After claiming the No. 1 spot on Spotify's Alternative R&B charts with his song "Manufactured Love," Blume is now working on a full-length album.
"I am someone who is constantly working on the balance of celebrating accomplishments and continuing to focus and grind and move forward to the next thing," he said. "Frankly every success I have, the energy and the startup energy to get to the next level of success is exponentially greater.”
Blume is hoping to release his album in early 2017.
