20 People to Watch - Randy Michael: The rock 'n' roll statesman

Singer and guitar player Randy Michael boasts an illustrious résumé working both within and far beyond Atlanta's rock 'n' roll scene. He performed as a member of Butch Walker's the Let's-Go-Out-Tonites! in 2009, and stood as a major songwriting presence with his own band, the Booze, for nearly a decade. Over the years, Michael has produced songs by numerous local acts, including Poison Arrows, Stolen Hearts, Customers, and the Heart Attacks. After moving to London and playing guitar with Joe Lean & the Jing Jang Jong, he landed in Los Angeles in March 2012 to work as an actor and musician. Last year, following appearances in Desperados commercials and episodes of "Revenge" and "Hell's Kitchen," Michael was spotted in the video for David Bowie's "The Stars (Are Out Tonight)." But he could stay away from Georgia for only so long.

"If you're going to be in the entertainment business in L.A., whether it's music or movies, it's a place you go to settle down once you've established yourself," Michael says. "I don't think it's a good idea to go there and try to start from scratch. It's like going to the DMV at 8 a.m. thinking that no one is going to be there."

But all of these things are in the past now, and when asked about what's lined up for 2015 with his current group, Black Linen, he slyly offers, "I've got a few things coming up."

For more than a decade, Michael's rock 'n' roll bent has been laying the groundwork for a sound that transcends both the times and modern trends. With a soulful croon and swaggering nonchalance, Michael's songs draw from the simplicity of '50s and '60s pop songwriters such as Ritchie Valens, Bo Diddley, and the Rolling Stones to the universal appeal of Dexys Midnight Runners' '83 hit "Come On Eileen." Now, with so much experience on stage as a bandleader, performing as a sideman, and working in the music industry's trenches, Michael is poised to carry Black Linen to the next level.

The pieces are already in place. With Black Linen, Michael is crafting a body of swaggering songs with his bandmates Pietro DiGennaro (drums), Adam Anzio (bass), and Jonah Swilley (guitar). Together, they're hashing out details to release Black Linen's debut album, White Noise. The band recently signed with the Palisades, N.Y.-based Hornblow Group, a management company that also represents acts such as They Might Be Giants, Moon Hooch, and Mike Doughty.

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Along with his most recent songwriting partner Jonah Swilley — brother to Black Lips' singer and bass player Jared Swilley — Michael has begun penning material for other artists such as vocalist Mattiel Brown. "We've been writing music for her. She writes the lyrics and melodies and we do it all live at my house," Michael says. "She has a huge voice like Jim Morrison. She's going to be huge!"

After co-writing the songs "Keep On Shining" and "I Need a Friend" with Curtis Harding, Michael spent much of the last year playing shows on the road with Black Linen and performing with Harding's band supporting his latest album, Soul Power.

In his fleeting moments of downtime, Michael continues writing songs, filling up books, and learning as much as he can while remaining poised for the year ahead.

"In the Booze, we tailored everything to fit an aesthetic," he says. "I'm a big fan of being in love with music. I like some pop stuff, some rock stuff, and some ska, but I also like NWA and the Beatles, the Ramones, and Wu-Tang Clan. If you're going to play or be involved in music, you should learn everything that you can."