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Los Angeles songsmith channels his boyhood R&B heroes on forthcoming debut  

Mike “ultraLOVE” Wagner is the West LA prototype — an aspiring actor by day, and by night the frontman of a funky neo-soul band that holds down residencies in jazz clubs and whiskey joints along the coast. A white kid from a black neighborhood in south Pittsburgh, Wagner conjures up the blue-eyed soul image of fellow Pennsylvanians Daryl Hall, John Oates — with some G. Love mixed in for good measure — though he takes sonic direction from artists like D’Angelo and Erykah Badu. He throws in covers of OutKast’s “Roses” and “Purple Rain” by Price in his sets, and can hold his own in a rap battle and with a guitar. ultraLOVE is poised to release his debut LP Seraphim later this year.    

Hometown: Pittsburgh

Current city: Los Angeles

Tell me about how you first got turned on to making music.

Music was ever-present in my life from before I can recall. I remember my dad’s stereo and his cassette collection. Prince’s “Purple Rain,” Joe Cocker’s “Mad Dogs and Englishmen,” and Bowie’s “Heroes” were some of the album covers I remember seeing in there. My mom really nurtured my interest in theater and took me to the Pantages Theater in Toronto to see The Phantom of the Opera. That’s when I really got into acting and where my love for the stage came from.

I attended the Pittsburgh High School for the Creative and Performing Arts for theater and was accepted to various prestigious theater programs throughout my adolescence. I was really into it. But I was always showing off, performing for my friends and classmates. I had known I wanted to entertain. It’s like it was written.

Did you start into writing R&B and hip-hop right away as a kid?

Well, when I was like 14 I wrote some rap verse referring to myself as the “white Jay-Z” or something ridiculous like that. When I was 22 I bought myself my first guitar for my birthday. Before that I wrote my little raps to beats and famous instrumentals and shit but it wasn’t until I picked up the guitar that I really began learning the songwriting process. I probably wrote 50 songs that first year and they were all about revolution.

Who were you listening to around that time in your life?

I remember being really into grunge and alternative rock. I dug Bush big time. Something about that stream-of-consciousness type of writing spoke to my teenage emotions [laughs]. The first CD I ever bought was Nirvana’s Bleach. It wasn’t until high school that I started listening to the neo-soul and hip-hop stuff that helped shape my own music today.

What contemporary artists might you call influential to your approach to music?  

I still listen to the cats that I listened to in high school. That whole neo-soul movement really had a deep effect on me. D’Angelo, Bilal, Badu, The Roots, and Musiq; those are my idols. I think Kendrick Lamar is a fucking genius. Same goes for Frank Ocean. They are by far the best songwriters in their respective genres.

Tell me the genesis of the name ultraLOVE.

I just thought it sounded cool really. I’ve made up various justifications for it in the past but that’s the God’s honest truth. It wasn’t like I put any thought into it. It just came out of my mouth one day and some repeated it and it stuck.

Has there been a performance or gig that stands out from the rest thus far in your career?

A benefit show for a packed house of people to celebrate the life of a poet friend who had passed suddenly. In between songs I would read some of his poetry over the music and it was just magical. People were crying and singing and his spirit was in the place with us.

What do you like best about ultraLOVE right now at this moment?

I like the fact that as I grow older I refine my ability to be objective. I say “no” a lot more than I could before. I’ve gain a better sense of my worth as an artist and an entertainer. Literally in the past year or so, I feel like I’ve finally found my footing and am on my path to success in this fucked up industry.

I heard that your shows get kind of wild. What is the craziest thing that has happened so far?

It’s always a surprise when someone flashes you or throw their panties on the stage. One time a drunk girl hopped up on the stage mid-song and tried to snag a microphone in an attempt to sing with us. Out of nowhere another female fan tackled her ass and pulled her off of the stage by her hair. Craziest shit by far.

Can you share a little about your creative process and how you make music?

My process varies depending upon whether I’m writing on guitar, to a beat, or acapella. When I write on guitar I generally come up with a progression first and then add melody and lyrics. Writing to a beat is less common for me these days and I find myself coming up with melodies on the street. At which point I’ll record the idea on my phone and when I get home I’ll come up with a chord progression on guitar. The magic really happens once I get my producer and my band involved. My guys are insanely talented. It’s a family and I’m blessed to have them.

Who are your favorite songwriters?

I think Bob Dylan knows no comparison as far as songwriting goes. I’m lyrical, so I listen a lot for that. I think Sia is unbelievable. I had the opportunity to work with Harold Lilly a few times and it’s beautiful to see someone like him just bounce around from session to session with his artists writing lyrics in his head.

Here is a tough question. How would you describe your music to someone who hasn’t heard it?

I have to describe it on a case by case basis because it changes with every song. In terms of the upcoming record I would say thats an acoustic soul thing. It’s a bit autobiographical in terms of content but I think people can relate to the material. It’s about aspirations and chasing dreams.

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