Biography
At the core of musical creativity is the simple, unending urge for exploration and discovery. It’s being able to hold onto your childlike wonder and eternal curiosity, all of which lies at the start of any new chapter of melodic space to inhabit.
For singer/keyboardist Joe May, it’s being able to balance a deep passion for record producing and live music improvisation, both encompassing the magic of one’s own natural talents and fearlessness to experiment — onstage and in the studio.
Though most folks recognize May from his work behind the keys for rising Charlotte, North Carolina, jam/funk outfit Pluto Gang, May’s debut solo album, “No Party By That Name,” conjures the deep, fundamental influences he regards with such awe and perspective. “Harmony is my favorite thing. Sitting at the keyboard, you can look down and see all of those harmonies,” May says. “And, for me, all of my heroes and musical inspirations are piano guys — Paul McCartney, Elton John, Donald Fagen.
Bridging pop, soul, rock and R&B elements “with vintage keyboard sounds and old-school techniques” for recording and microphone placement, “No Party By That Name” is a collage of sonic textures — seamlessly floating between two-part vocal harmonies, sharp guitar riffs, and earworm keyboard soundscapes blending a multitude of genres.
“With this solo project, it’s a yin and yang kind of thing with my work in Pluto Gang. In the band, there’s several songwriters, with an increased focus on improvisation,” May notes. “And this new album is the opposite of that, it’s very calculated, all done on my own, and all while learning so much about the recording process — it’s been an incredible experience.”
Gazing across the vast live scene in Charlotte, May tapped numerous local musicians to swing by and jam out on song ideas. It was a casual, bountiful environment, to just hit record and let the musician breathe new life into May’s ultimate vision for each number. “That process created such a cool connection with the local music community here in Charlotte,” May says. “The studio was set up in my house. People would come over, with the mood always ‘let’s jam, let’s record’ — it’s become this open-ended experiment of pulling in all these people and seeing what we come up with.”
Taking a page from The Beatles playbook of “filling the world with silly love songs,” May genuinely aims to create an uplifting atmosphere, one light on its feet, ready to embrace those in search of beauty, either known and unknown — something at the heart of those iconic Lennon/McCartney lyrical collaborations. “And I’ve always had that appetite for crafting those poppy, upbeat love songs,” May happily admits. “It’s about making that connection between the song and the listener, something we’ve all be in need of these last few years of mental wellbeing, isolation, and connecting with others.”
Lyrically, May finds the creative spark from storied literature. Whether it’s authors like Tom Robbins, Kurt Vonnegut, or Haruki Murakami, the selections on “No Party By That Name” emerge from characters that May conjures from the pages of said writers. “I like to take a character from those books, and kind of look at my life and my struggles through that character’s eyes,” May says. “Because I think it’s easier when you’re not looking at yourself from your own perspective, to sometimes be a little bit objective — it’s easier to tell those stories, to be vulnerable.”
“And being able to navigate this crazy industry with seeing humor in everyday life is at the core of my essence,” May says. “For me, it’s all about constantly exploring any avenues of music I’ve yet to duck down. I feel like it’s only the tip of the iceberg — life is what you make it.”
With “No Party By That Name” soon to be released, May is already hard at work on the follow up, this well of inspiration currently overflowing from his heart and soul, through his fingertips and onto the keyboard.
-Garret K Woodward, Rolling Stone contributing writer
Photos by Jake Rothwell
Press:
12/6/23 - MonkeyGoose Magazine: Joe May’s Month of Mondays and Spafford at The Neighborhood Theatre 11.30.23
03/11/23 - Illustrate Magazine: Joe May released remarkable new song 'Light Undetected'
04/19/21 - We Move Through Stormy Weather Podcast: scents & subtle sounds with Joe
11/26/20 - The Sound Podcast: podcast with Joe