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said I’ve got to play this guitar. So that's how the arrangements just came about. Chaz put that great
baseline down that gives it a little bit of a rock, and yeah, it came together very, not easily, but it
seemed to flow very naturally.

I mean, all the songs on this album, I think it was because of the times that we were living in. The
lockdown, and generally the times we were living in, the state of our world and my age, having a
family. Various things all put together made me write in a way that I’d never done before. A little bit
political, a little bit, you know, not taking any sides, but observation of the politics. ‘It Doesn't Matter’
that song, on my TV telling me all those lies, that kind of stuff. I've never written in that way before.
‘Visions Of Hope’, that's another one that came out of what was going on. All the politicians over those
COP things. I wrote that, I think after the whatever number it was, COP24 or whatever it was.

BiTS: Michael. How are you planning to promote the album? Are you going to get together and go
out and do gigs?

MM: Absolutely. We're already doing that. We have a gig next week. We're doing it in two formats.
We're doing some as a duo and that's really because I'm so well known on the acoustic scene, work
just seems to come my way and people have offered us a gig as a duo. Which Chaz is really enjoying
because that's a new thing to him, sitting with an acoustic guitar in front of an audience. But we're
also doing it with a band, full band. So with bass and drums, and possibly an extra guitarist. Depends
on what we've got. But yeah, we're definitely planning to go out. We don't really need to tour as such
because we're both based here. It can be a tour or one night. We just want to get out there and do as
much as we can, so we're promoting it doing that. Yeah, it's getting lots of radio and it's picking up a
good following on all the streaming.

BiTS: Well, that's very nice. Thank you.

MM: Thank you. Do you know, what I didn't realise until Joe told me what you do with Blues in the
South, I didn't realise you were involved with that. I didn't even know that it still was going because
I did some interviews and had reviews and things when Bob Pearce was running it. I mean, I'm going
back probably 20 years or maybe 25 years ago.
Iverson Minter aka Louisiana Red BiTS: I've been doing it for 20 years this year, and

I took it over from Bob Pearce, so it was a long time
ago.
MM: Wow, it is a long time ago. Yeah, it is a long time
ago.

BiTS: Actually, while I'm thinking about it, we have
met, but you won't remember it. It's when you came
to Exeter many years ago with Louisiana Red.
MM: Oh, of course, yes. Yeah, in 2010.

BiTS: That was a long time ago as well [laughing].

MM: Yes, it was 2010, and it was a tour that he was
unable to complete because of his health.

BiTS: That's right. Yes, I remember.

MM: And we did Exeter. We came down to Exeter.
We did that one. Then we went and did Bristol. Then
we did Forest Art Centre in the New Forest there,
and that was the end of it. He was in a terrible state.
I had to call it off.