What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/1148320
"This one was definitely just more personal," he confesses. "A lot of the songs I had already written prior to us going into the studio, lyrics-wise and chord-wise. So it really allowed us to just focus on recording and the musical aspect. I didn't record any vocals at the studio; I did them all at my house. It was cool; that process kept it real personal. And I think it's important to carry that narrative. Fans know when you're giving them the same f***ing mumbo jumbo." Franti, too, is on the heals of a new release. His album "Stay Human, Vol. II" dropped in January, but Franti is still spreading its socially conscious message and celebrating the resiliency of the human spirit — a theme on both the album and his 2018 self-directed, award- winning documentary of the same name (minus the Vol. II). What started as an impulse decision to interview his friend blossomed into an assemblage of stories from people overcoming cynicism with optimism and hope. Knowing their stories inspired Franti to include his own journey in remembering to "stay human" and to share how these experiences changed him. "As a person who, just like anybody else, is trying to figure things out in this world, it's a challenge every day. And what I want to bring through my music is this expression that all of us have our scars and warts, and all of us are beautiful beyond measure," Franti offers. "I feel like to be human is to accept that in yourself, but to stay human is to be able to accept that and embrace it in others." Franti also puts forth tremendous effort in his personal, political and social spheres to share the love and positivity he hopes people experience in his music. One of his proudest accomplishments is the nonprofit he and his wife, Sara, founded called Do It For The Love. The organization brings people with advanced stages of life-threatening illness, children with special needs and wounded veterans to see any live concert by any artist in any city. Franti has sent more than 2,000 music lovers to all genres of performances in the six years since its inception. "We have a phrase in our band, which is, 'Work hard and be nice to people.' And that's the key to longevity in anything, but especially in music, because that's what music is really about," Franti says. "And I really believe what makes music so powerful is that music is the sound of feelings. We tap into those moments where the human intersects with the divine. That's what joy is. And that's why sometimes we cry when we're sad, and sometimes we cry when we're happy — because we're intersecting with that feeling of something that's greater than ourselves. "Our goal as a band is to make people leave [the show] feeling this sense of being inspired and refreshed emotionally and happy," he adds. "And feel like whatever they have to face next in their life, they can stand up just half an inch taller and just be like, 'You know what? I got this.' So I'm excited about the show because Sublime's music has always been about that sense of optimism through whatever chaos and hard times life brings us. And that's what we're all about, too." JULY 28-AUGUST 3, 2019 WHAT'S UP! 9 LISTEN HERE: Visit the online version of this story at nwaonline.com/ features/whatsup to hear Michael Franti talk about his documentary "Stay Human," in which the musician shares the stories of people who inspire him. Photo courtesy Jay Blakesberg Musician, poet, rapper, activist, documentarian and beacon of positivity Michael Franti joins Sublime with Rome on their summer tour.