Michael Franti
The Sunshine State
Michael Franti & Spearhead deliver their most personal album yet

Originally a poet, Michael Franti became a performer when he started playing with the punk outfit the Beatnigs in the late ’80s. He then segued into the hip-hop group Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy before ultimately founding Spearhead in 1994. The band returns this month with The Sound of Sunshine, a collection of soul/funk/rock tunes inspired by Franti’s recent hospitalization for a life-threatening appendix operation. The album includes everything from dancefloor fodder (“Shake It”) to sublime tunes about survival (“Hey Hey Hey”). An intoxicating blend of hip-hop and reggae, it’s all about the good vibes; even “Gloria,” a song about the death of a close one, puts forth a positive perspective.
 
Take me back to the Beatnigs and Disposable Heroes days. What first inspired you to start rapping and singer?
Well, when I first started, I didn’t know how to play any instruments. I was just writing poetry. I hooked up with percussionists. We’d go to junk yards and became the Beatnigs. We toured all around the punk clubs. With Disposable, I started sampling industrial drum sounds. We made this hip-hop record and it got noticed by U2 and we opened their Zoo TV tour in 1992. We found ourselves the opening act on their tour. Then we started Spearhead. I always like hip-hop reggae and rock music. I wanted a band to make all three things.

Early on, you were inspired by Bad Brains?
I was and still am. We had the great honor to play with them last summer. Between their ability to go to the fastest thrash metal and then slow up and be this dub reggae band with intense political lyrics, that’s what it inspiring.

Spearhead has proven to be more resilient than your other bands. Why?
I think the main thing is that we have an open-minded posse of individuals who aren’t afraid to try different stuff. We all come from different musical heritages. Our bassist Carl [Young] grew up playing jazz and Motown. Our guitarist Dave [Shul] grew up playing Santana in the [San Francisco] Mission District and our other guitarist J Bowman played rock and glam. And our drummer Manas [Itene] is from Nigeria and grew up playing reggae and traditional African.

You wrote The Sound of Sunshine after you were hospitalized in 2009. How did that inspire the songs on the album?
I had my appendix rupture and myself and family and friends were concerned that I was going to check out. My belly was completely septic. I couldn’t stand up or walk. I was in so much pain. When I was coming back from the surgery, I would see the sun shining. When the weather wasn’t good, I’d find sunshine in my guitar and my family and friends. I wrote all these songs about overcoming adversity and friendship and a bit of romance. They’re all songs you can dance to, too.

“Gloria” was written about guardian angels?
It’s about guardian angels. One day when I asked for a guitar to be brought, a friend brought a new guitar. My friend was pealing off the sticker and I said there was angel coming out of the guitar. I was on good drugs at the time. Where she pasued there was this snow angel. I wrote this song for all the angels in my life.

Sly and Robbie are so great. What did they bring to the album?
They are the kings of rhythm. We went to Jamaica and worked with them on a bunch of songs. And then we took the songs on the road and started playing them live on the John Mayer tour. We had our studio set up and made changes as we went along. We would make it faster and some needed different chords. The audience had a great effect.

Do they play on the album?
They do some playing and some producing. Overall, our relationship has been a mentorship. They’re always there to give input about how a song can still be quiet and still have people dance to it. They’re locked into what is going to make the song groove.

There’s also a song dedicated to your ex-girlfriend, who experienced a tremendous loss when her mother passed away. Would you say this album more personal than previous albums?
I think this is the most personal album I’ve done. When I started this record, I was focusing on what was happening in our country with the economy. I wanted to make a record that picks people up. I thought I would write about external things. But it turned out personal.