Mike Andersen in interview: “I write what I feel”

With All Out Of Love, the guitarist and singer unveils a deeply personal album, shaped by the spontaneity and creativity of his collaboration with Christian Ki. Born from a first session captured in a single take, the project grew organically, without a predetermined plan. Ten albums in, this artist still manages to surprise, drawing from his emotions and life experiences to deliver sincere, universal songs. Blues Actu sat down with this endlessly creative musician, who tells us everything about a new album not to be missed.

🎤 Mike Andersen in interview

Mike, you recorded All Out Of Love with Christian Ki, and you’ve often said the chemistry was immediate. Can you tell us about that very first session together?

The first session was about a year ago. The very first song we did was All Out Of Love. I played the acoustic guitar and sang the lead vocal in one live take. From there, we added everything else. The kick drum is me hitting an old armchair. The snare is me hitting some cutting boards, which Ki processed through different filters and amps. This is how he works – always thinking outside the box. That fascinated me, and this approach shaped the whole album process.

Why did you decide to work only with him, instead of bringing in multiple collaborators as you’ve done on some of your previous albums?

My plan was to record a song or two with Ki, and then move on to other producers. But this first session was so inspiring and creative that I decided to make the whole album with Ki as the producer.

The album was built without a pre-set plan, driven by instinct. Was that a way for you to recapture the spontaneity of those old live-in-the-studio recordings?

Actually, the album is done more in layers than “live in the studio.” The only song that was recorded live with the whole band in the studio was Haitian Lady. For all the other sessions, it was mainly Ki and myself in the studio. Ki played the different keys and many of the other instruments. Later, we brought in Simone Tang (vocals), Johannes Nørrelykke (vocals, guitar, etc.), Mads Andersen (drums), Palle Hjorth (organ), Kirstine Elise Pedersen (cello) and Liisi Kedik (violin) to overdub on some of the songs.

The reason why the album still has a live feel is because most of the songs began with me playing the main guitar part and singing the lead vocal live. On top of this live track, we built the overall arrangement – but those arrangements had to complement the initial take. This way around feels good to me. If you start by building a track and arrangement, and add the lead vocal as the last part, the end result can easily become “constructed.”

« I have always written about things that go on in my life »

You’ve said this record reflects your life after your divorce. How did you turn such an intimate experience into songs?

I have always written about things that go on in my life, so that feels natural to me. When I write, I never really have a filter. I write what I feel, and when it becomes a song, it gives me a sense of relief. But my songs are not always completely autobiographical – they are always based on something I feel. A song can start with a line or a verse based on my own experience, and then take a more fictional direction. I base the story on my own experiences, but I think a good song should be something other people can relate to as well, and not just a page in your diary.

Were there songs that felt too personal to sing, or on the contrary, did you feel liberated while writing them?

No, I never feel that some of my writing is too personal to sing. I definitely feel liberated when I manage to get something out of my head and off my chest, and into a song. It’s kind of therapeutic for me.

The title All Out Of Love sets a strong overall tone. What does it symbolize for you personally?

You can do something out of love (“I did it all out of love”), or because you’re drained of love (“I’m all out of love”). The duality in the expression All Out Of Love inspired me to write the song, as I was experiencing those very same conflicting feelings around the time of my divorce, almost three years ago. I’ve tried to write the song in such a way that I never fully reveal which of the two meanings it’s about. To be honest, I’m not even sure myself. Maybe both are at play at the same time.

The first two singles are quite different. Only For You is fully acoustic, while Don’t Waste Your Time is more electric and gritty. How did you find the balance between these two extremes?

We didn’t set any “rules” for ourselves when making this album, and we also didn’t care about genre boundaries. That resulted in an album that is quite versatile and goes in many directions. My idea for choosing those two singles was to show how versatile the album is.

Some parts of the record evoke Southern soul in the Muscle Shoals tradition. Was that a conscious inspiration?

Not really. But I love the sound and music that came out of Muscle Shoals, so that is definitely something that’s a part of me. And as I mentioned before, not focusing on genre barriers also meant that if a song called for a soulful or bluesy direction, we went that way without hesitation (for example, Big Mouth). We did not deliberately try not to make music that has genre references — that was fine too. We just wanted to let go and follow the energy we had together in the studio.

As a guitarist, you’re known for your very personal touch, leaving space and silence in your playing. How did you work on that dimension for this album?

That is really not something I think about. It’s just how I approach guitar playing. I think it has a lot to do with my deep love for B.B. King. I like simplicity, and I like music to breathe. I’m not a fan of long and busy guitar solos.

A question for the gearheads: what’s your go-to guitar?

I bought a Gibson ES-347 when I was 14 years old. That has been my main electric guitar throughout most of my life, run through a Fender Super Reverb or Deluxe Reverb. This guitar is also on the album, but most of the electric guitar was actually played on another Gibson I bought five years ago: an ES-335 (Rich Robinson edition). I bought it to be my spare guitar, but these years I play it a lot. I love that guitar.

The studio had a great Magnatone amp – I used that on almost all electric guitar tracks. Most of the acoustic guitar was recorded on my 1951 Gibson LG-3.

Ten albums in, and you still manage to keep your songwriting fresh… what’s your secret?

That’s a big compliment, thank you. I think it has something to do with what I mentioned earlier. I write about what I feel, what goes on in my life, and what inspires me in general. Those things change all the time, so it’s like a source that never dries up. Writing is important for me – in many ways, it’s how I process what goes on in my life.

After such a personal album, are you already thinking about what comes next?

I’m always writing, but what my next album is going to be like, I have no idea. But I’m already looking forward to making it.