Mitchell fiction: Interview

From an excerpt of an interview with ShapeShifter’s Mitchell Voss…

Voss leans forward, bracing his elbows on his knees. “Exactly,” he said. “Our music is ferocious. It’s supposed to be. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be the release it is.”

Music as a release. It’s a concept that has lost steam over the years, replaced by the phenomenon of self-mutilation. But it’s a concept Voss holds to.

“We all need that release. We all need something that takes us outside ourself and, in a way, soothes us. Something that when we come back to ourselves, things are okay again and the problems are manageable.”

What sort of problems can someone like Voss have? After all, the man’s an international superstar. He’s got security to keep overeager fans away. He’s got people to take out the kitchen trash at the mere snap of his fingers.

“That’d be nice,” he says. “I f—– hate taking the trash out. My parents used to make me do it just because they knew how much I hated it. They’d tell me to suck it up and remember that every beautiful thing has its hidden, ugly side. And then they’d launch into this lecture about being lazy and the importance of doing chores around the house and how if I hate it that much, I’ll understand how wonderful it is to have kids of my own and blah blah blah… Suddenly, the idea of taking out the trash becomes appealing!”

Still, Voss doesn’t smile. The famous frown deepens. “It doesn’t matter who you are or how you earn your way in the world. We all have those times when we need to break free of being polite and let it all hang out. Our fans get that. That’s part of what makes the bond they have with us so strong. We’re leading the way, almost. Showing them how to cut loose and let it all out. Come along with us and get the s— out of your system for the length of a song, a CD, a show. You’ll feel better afterward.”

Yep, it’s fiction. But it’s fun to show off my journalistically trained chops every now and then!