Q the A with See Your Shadow~

See Your Shadow Songwriting is a musical creation entity currently based out of Phoenix, Arizona. Run by Michael Coleman, aka The Metropolitan Cowboy, See Your Shadow is unique in the fact that it is a collaborative network of talented vocalists and musicians who make the songs it creates their star. Michael Coleman, the artistic director of See Your Shadow Songwriting, writes and produces all the songs created and released by See Your Shadow Songwriting. See Your Shadow was launched in Columbus, Ohio, and takes its name from Michael Coleman’s birthday being Groundhog Day. Michael Coleman and See Your Shadow Songwriting’s lyrical writing style packs such a punch, that Michael has earned the distinction of being the only professional songwriter ever nominated for the office of Poet Laurette for the State of Ohio.

After primarily being known for its dance club music, and its work in film and television, See Your Shadow Songwriting rebranded itself and decided to switch its focus and sound to its first love, country and western. With a new stable of vocalists and musicians, See Your Shadow Songwriting, has crafted and developed its new sound harkening back to the vivid storytelling and emotion of old school country.

You can learn more about See Your Shadow Songwriting and experience the See Your Shadow Songwriting sound at its flagship website, www.seeyourshadow.com

What first got you into music?

I have always had a passion for the creative arts and we always had music playing around the house when I was growing up, and it was all kinds of music and I think that is where I developed my love of music which has made it the flagship of my creativity.

Who inspired you to make music?

It’s not a who, so much that has inspired me to make music, but more of a what. I started out as a poet and then started transferring that penchant for poetry into songs. See Your Shadow is known for its lyrical content and that is generally what sets us apart, so I just took that natural ability for storytelling and started putting it to music.

How would you describe the music that you typically create?

See Your Shadow is known for music that is full of emotion and imagery. That has been our brand for a long time. While most define their music by genre, See Your Shadow is unique in the fact that we, as an organization, have created music in all genres. Although, now our sole focus is country and western and all of its sub-genres.

What is your creative process like?

Oh my goodness this could be almost anything. I never know how a project will come to life or where the inspiration for a project will come from. Sometimes I will just get an idea and start writing, other times I’ll just sit back and observe and listen to people. Now, I do collaborate with many people and that process is a little different because sometimes, people will send me a track and ask we to write something to it and when I do that, I simply listen to the track over and over and see how it speaks to me.

Who would you most like to collaborate with?

There are so many on this list, but I do think that it would be fun to work with a producer by the name of Narada Michael Walden. He has been responsible for some of my favorite songs that I grew up with and I think meeting him and working with him, we would just have a good time.

If you could go open a show for any artist who would it be?

I think it would be great to open up for The Rolling Stones. Their audience fits our demographic and I think that they would be fun to companion with and can you imagine the stories they could tell about their journey and who they have worked with over the years

What is one message you would give to your fans?

The one message we always try to comport to the fans of our music is to always be thinking about what your legacy is going to be and how you will be remembered. I always talk about the importance of legacy as we all want our names to evoke positivity and to be remembered fondly.

Do you sing in the shower? What songs?

This is a good question, because it seems like I am always getting inspiration when I am in the shower so sometimes I will be singing songs that I am working on. If I am not working on a piece then I rarely sing in the shower, but I will have tunes going through my head. The latest song that I have had running through my head when I am in the shower has been “Tutti Fruitt” by Little Richard.

What would you be doing right now, if it wasn’t for your music career?

It definitely would be something in the arts, I would probably be doing more with my photography or filmmaking branch of my enterprise. I love telling the human stories and songwriting, photography and filmmaking are all just other vehicles in which I can do that, so I would just pick another avenue for me to fulfill my two biggest passions, which are show business and people.

Where have you performed? What are your favourite and least favourite venues? Do you have any upcoming shows?

See Your Shadow is more a studio-based entity. We do perform live on special occasions, but it is rare. We did a live show outside the Ohio Statehouse and that was pretty cool.

How do you feel the Internet has impacted the music business?

The Internet has impacted the music business in several ways, but I think one of the biggest impacts it has had has been the way artist gain exposure and release material, like here at See Your Shadow we only release singles and not full albums and always digital. The Internet has also made an impact in the fact that we can connect with talent from all over the world and interact with people we would not normally be able to meet.

What is your favourite song to perform?

There is so much to choose from, I think from the new body of work, the current single, “I Will Tell Jesus You Said Hello” and our instrumental “My Worth” Both pieces are so different and I think show the organization’s range. It’s a real testament to the musicians and vocalist in our network.

What is the most trouble you’ve ever gotten into?

I’m going to have to really think on this one. I would say that I have not gotten into trouble per se, but when we did do the song, “Rug Burn” which is a song about oral sex, we did get some backlash, although the project ended up being our first Indie Chart Number 1

What is the best advice you’ve been given?

A colleague once told me that I should continue to think outside of the box in the music that I create because thinking outside the box when it pays off, it pays off huge. That colleague gave me that advice after she listened to See Your Shadow’s techno dance remake of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” we produced for the NAGAAA World Series and that has stuck with ne because we do create music and do projects that have never been done before or may not quite fit into industry norms and we have had success with that way of thinking.
If you could change anything about the industry, what would it be? ·

Oh my God there is so much that needs to be changed, but the two things that stand out would be I would like the country music industry to embrace more people of color. Because of my membership in certain professional organizations, I was given a book of the county music power players and there was not one person of color in the entire book. The second thing is that I would love to have the Clear Channel monopoly dissolved so that independent artist can get their work on mainstream radio. It is so difficult for independent to get that kind of exposure.

What’s next for you?

We have a lot coming down the turnpike. We are currently working on a women’s empowerment anthem and we are opening up a creative complex for Independents and other artists to gather and vibe and we have in the works the launching of our own Roku Channel which will be dedicated to Independent artists.

How important is the current climate crisis to you and how do you think you could help?

Well since the lockdown’s all over the world, be have seen how by staying at home and not driving and doing other things that were our normal showed a decrease that could be measured and I think how I could help and how any of us could help would be by making conscious choices to reduce our own carbon footprints.

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