Mikael Jorgensen is a busy man. He has been working with the popular band Wilco since 2004 and is now the lead pianist/keyboardist for the group. In the midst of Wilco’s massive success, Jorgenen, along with collaborator Greg O’Keeffe, established a musical side-project called Pronto.
Although the roots of what would become Pronto were established as far back as 1995, Jorgensen’s debut album under this moniker would not be released until 2007. That album, All Is Golden was a collection of 70s inspired, singer/songwriter styled songs that were all written by Jorgensen, who also provided vocals. It received positive reviews and was lauded by critics for its well crafted melodies, exceptional lyrics, and quirky production.
Mikael and Greg have just released a second Pronto album that ventures about as far away from the style of All Is Golden as possible. The latest album, The Cheetah, is a collection of twelve synth infused, digitally crafted songs that create a mellow, atmospheric, and somewhat bizarre soundscape. Such a departure into the land of electro-music was a daring move for Jorgensen, who could have ridden the wave of critical success achieved by All Is Golden and delivered music from the same formula.
Mikael recently took some time out from his busy schedule and dual life as frontman and sideman to discuss the new direction he took with The Cheetah, his life as a musician, and what he has planned for Pronto in the future.
The Cheetah is radically different from All is Golden. Why did you choose to return with such an experimental album of electronic-based, instrumental material after having received such positive feedback on the singer/songwriter style of your previous release?
The Cheetah is a collection of music that represents another facet of what I'm curious about musically. It laid dormant for a long time, and once we had the opportunity to release a download-only version of it, I wanted to get it out in time to do another round of touring this past September.
It excites me to throw this curve-ball. The singer-songwriter stuff will certainly continue, but there's this whole other world of electronic stuff that I've been working with since high school that I want to send out too. The two worlds will likely get closer with the next Pronto record as now we have a space in Brooklyn to record and test out new song ideas and rip 'em apart.
Article comments
1 - R.P.M.
Wilco is Wilco. The difference here is Stewart Copland side projects or James Iha side projects. They aren't the Police or the Smashing Pumpkins and anyone who has seen Wilco and before that Uncle Tupelo knows that it is Jeff Tweedy. Sadly this is no Jeff Tweedy. Nice review though and giving this guy some side pub., but using the Wilco name to push what is and never will be YFH or A.M. is walking a fine line. I don't blame the guy, I would be my left leg that this is something his MGT. pushed and then secondary his label and if he is one of the rarer and rarer artists to have an agent...they like the Dodo seem to have left the building akin to Elvis (a good thing in my opinion b/c in Hollywood and the making of I'm Trying to Break Your Heart def. had one and that sucks, agents have certain guidelines and managers do too, only in music the agent gets replaced by the label generally though they wield a lot less huff puff type lil piggies stuff.
Again nice pub. for this guy, as a Wilco supporter since I dunno their first tour and even before they all need to get a little more than just being the Tweedieetes (again another guy I adore). He has set such a high standard for them and after they won a couple of grammys they get the Barry Bonds (before we thought he was a cheater) or the Babe Ruth type thing where if every hit isn't a towering homer, Mantle too, then -sigh - cough - sigh.
There are worse things :)
Nice...oh and one more side note not really related to Pronto, but more to ISBN numbers that put 0 minutes or some crazy running time for albums we know are not 231 minutes or 0 minutes. I had an EP say 888 minutes. It was 4 songs. That needs to be fixed (not by you or Pronto or even the Chicago boys).