LONELY ROBOT’s JOHN MITCHELL Dissects New Album “A Model Life”, Talks Future and More: ‘I Really Wanted this LONELY ROBOT Record to Be as it Turned Out, It is Certainly My Favorite’

Sonic Perspectives

A lone soldier on the front-lines of creativity, John Mitchell has been at the forefront of forward- thinking and progressive rock for decades now. As a member of such revered prog ensembles as It Bites, Arena, Frost* and his own projects Kino and The Urbane, he has become a uniquely vital contributor to the modern scene, while his credentials as a producer for countless contemporary rock acts are unquestionable. But since 2015, John has been operating under name Lonely Robot: a solo project in all but name, it has enabled him to fully express his own musical vision, via some of the most vivid and fascinating music of his career to date.

“The truth is, I only ever intended to make three albums and then stop,” he laughs. “Then we got to the end of the three albums and I had a discussion with the label about maybe not releasing the next one under the name Lonely Robot, but with true Germanic business sense, they said, ‘We have established the brand now!’ So then everyone’s wondering where the guy in the spacesuit has gone! But I don’t really care what it’s called, as long as I get to keep making music. The thing I find most freeing about Lonely Robot is that I can just sit there on my own, get on with it at my own pace and not wait around for other people!”

If the first four Lonely Robots offered wistful, sci-fi-tinged observations on the state of things, the new record “A Model Life” is perhaps understandably infused with the anxieties and ominous omens of the real life, present day. The new songs have a little more grit under their fingernails than any of their predecessors; even if the relentlessly inventive, melodic splurge of his songwriting remains soundly intact. In musical terms, “A Model Life” marks a notable departure from the synth-fuelled futurism of 2020’s “Feelings Are Good.” It hits harder than any previous Lonely Robot record, but with a warmth and wit that few can match. Meanwhile, with long-awaited tour dates tentatively etched into the horizon, John Mitchell declares himself ready and cautiously optimistic for whatever the future holds.

“A Model Life” will be available as Limited CD Digipak, Gatefold 2LP+CD & as Digital Album. Pre-order it now here.

Our unstoppable interviewer Rodrigo Altaf sat down once again with John Mitchell at the brink of the release of “A Model Life” and they engaged in a dynamic chat peppered with jokes, discussing Mitchell‘s creative process, how Craig Blundell drums made it to the album, what lies ahead for Kino, Frost* and Arena, the status of the upcoming tour dates and much more. Watch or listen to their spirited chat on the links below and remember that for more interviews and other daily content, Sonic Perspectives is on Facebook, Flipboard, Twitter and YouTube, where you can be notified about new content we publish on a daily basis.

The post LONELY ROBOT’s JOHN MITCHELL Dissects New Album “A Model Life”, Talks Future and More: ‘I Really Wanted this LONELY ROBOT Record to Be as it Turned Out, It is Certainly My Favorite’ appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.