I was completely — and pleasantly — taken by surprise when I saw that the latest track from Voodoo Planet was a collaboration with Mikey J. Needless to say, I’ve been fans of both for a few years now, so listening to “Adrift” for the first time was a thrill. Curious to find out more about their collaboration, I dropped John Gilbert of Voodoo Planet and Mikey J a line with a few questions…

I love that the Voodoo Planet bio on X boasts “No hits, all deep cuts!” Why is that an apt description of your music, and what draws you to deep cuts?

John Gilbert: I’ve always tried to dig deeper into artists that interest me, pretty much in all creative fields. Sometimes it increases my understanding of their point of view, background, and what’s going on in their mind. I have the same hope for myself, to produce something that provokes thought and a little digging. I also believe that I have no idea what might be involved in writing a hit song and have no business delving into that endeavor!

The X bio also includes a quote from Brian Eno: “Every collaboration helps you grow.” What led you to collaborate on “Adrift,” and how did that collaboration help you grow?

JG: I had hoped to include either orchestration or at least strings on an earlier song of ours, “Gone,” which is probably the most personal thing I’ve ever written, but our capabilities as recordists were not developed sufficiently and our musical circle was far too small. Flash forward to 2024 and we are so fortunate to be a small part of a much bigger online community of musicians, #tweetcore and #onlythehost, with a wealth of talent and ideas exchanged. We had a couple of false starts with local musicians playing violin / fiddle. One day I caught a post on Threads from Kelly Kintner regarding a song of theirs (“Take Back,” I believe) and a comment from Mikey J. saying he was “chuffed to have provided cello” on it. I commented on his reply and he quickly agreed that he was game to give it a try!

Mikey, somehow I never knew that you play cello. How long have you been playing, and when did you get started?

Mikey J: I started playing cello in about grade five. I had been playing violin, but my teacher wouldn’t let me sit, so I changed to an instrument where I had to.

JG: I was totally surprised, as well! I knew he played guitar, bass, banjo, mandolin and probably a load more, but cello was unexpected. One listen to the song and I was convinced that he was a tasteful and sympathetic collaborator. 

Do each of you recall the first song you heard by the other?

JG: It was on Stewart Gersmann’s (Bottlecap Mountain) playlist called “An Apple A Day” and the song was “My Little Dragon Girl” from his Wondering album. That song is an unbelievably catchy and fresh take on ska, but listen beyond that and he goes where he wants (anything goes!) stylistically, a very admirable and rare trait these days, and appears to be always creating. 

MJ: First I heard from Voodoo Planet was on the Short Music compilation (which you were also on) –  “I Love Being Your Enemy!” The whole project was just so fun, and I loved VP’s fuzzy pop punk track!

Voodoo Planet is based in Desoto, Missouri, USA, and Mikey J lives in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. I checked the distance online, and it looks like you’re separated from each other by about 10,000 miles. What kinds of complications did you encounter while working together?

JG: It was far less trouble than I’ve experienced lining up locals to record or play. It’s an amazing time to be a collaborative musician. I have no doubt that if we, and many #tweetcore artists, lived in the same area, it would result in collaborations and gigs together. That’s a feeling that many musicians in creative environments dream about – an absence of egos and competitiveness. Mikey sent me a rough draft and it already had ideas I’d have never thought of and, after an email to him with my thoughts, he sent me the parts you hear on the song, both raw and with subtle effects.

MJ: To be honest, none really, John sent me files via email, I recorded in my guest bedroom and sent them back – it was pretty quick and painless really!

What was the recording process like for each of you? Did you record at home or in a studio?

JG: Recorded at home between two of our homes for Voodoo Planet. 

<John’s Side note for gear geeks: Ed Henry (VP bassist/recordist/songwriter) built an amazing microphone, a clone of a Telefunken ELA M 251E (look them up!) and this was the first road test for the mic. I think it’s our best recording so far!> 

MJ: I use my guest bedroom for all acoustic instruments and vocals, so that’s where I did the cello parts!

On Bandcamp, a purchase of “Adrift” includes various versions of the song, including one titled “Psailing the Psychedelic Pseas.” What did you do to psychedelicize the song?

JG: “Psailing…” was actually the first mix submitted to the band by Ed. I’d recorded a separate vocal track run through an ADT (Automatic Double Tracking) effect, possibly to blend in subtly. When he sent out his mix it was way more extreme than I’d planned on, but still very interesting to me, with an otherworldly feel, similar to John Lennon’s voice on “Across the Universe.” We’d originally wanted to add some backward sounds, reverse some things, but ran out of time. Tentatively, we’d like to make the individual tracks available for anyone that wants to try their hand at remixing the song, like Brian Lambert and Western Jaguar have done so successfully.

I know that a few Voodoo Planet songs are based on historical figures, and “Adrift” reminds me, at least thematically, of Gordon Lightfoot’s “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.” Is “Adrift” based on a historical event?

JG: There are some references to the lore of sailing that I found fascinating, but it’s not about a particular historical event at all. To me, my main thought process was lost friendship and the feelings that accompany it.

The tweet—or is it an “x-clamation” now?—announcing “Adrift” describes it as your first new song of 2024. Does “first” mean there are more to come?

JG: Yes, there are quite a few in the queue for Voodoo Planet. Ed and his wife just had their second child at the end of last year and time has been very limited for him, in fact, he didn’t play anything on “Adrift” although his mixing, mastering, and co-production was invaluable. Patrick Myers (VP drummer & also a songwriter) covered bass guitar, as well as percussion, and came up with that beautiful piano arpeggio on the chorus that Adrienne Myers (VP keyboardist / Vocalist) played so brilliantly! 

Do you have any plans for future collaborations—either with each other or with other artists?

MJ: I’m always open to collabs – they are a really great way to expand my own musical repertoire and take my mind off what I’m doing while still being creative!

JG: I feel indebted to Mikey J. for his brilliant work on “Adrift” and, if he ever needs a collaborator on anything, we would absolutely be interested!

The next song we’re about to begin work on will be familiar to anyone that knows us, and it’s in collaboration with a well-known, super talented and well-regarded friend from the #tweetcore universe. Can’t reveal anything yet, but stay tuned. 

Also, we’re looking forward to getting together this spring with Brian Kious (The Brian Jin) and his bandmates, along with a former bandmate of his (and mine from Tumpt), Stephen Meyers, and see what happens. Brian is a creative powerhouse and a practitioner of the “anything goes” philosophy that we admire, and I’m thankful that he introduced us and opened our eyes to the Twitter community of musicians. 

I’d also like to put it out there, we’re always interested in future collaborations (no pressure, Marc lol!)! Sometimes all you have to do is ask!

I’d certainly be up for that!