Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Wilson.
Thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I was born with wonderful parents. They saw that I had a knack for music and helped me buy guitars, drum sets, saxophones, and even Native American flutes. I mean, if it made a sound, I wanted it, and I wanted it bad.
Music to me was like water in the middle of the desert, even as a young kid. I grew up on 40 acres of land with a pond so I would play out in the wilderness catching snakes, lizards, and an occasional muskrat.
At night, I would sit on my parents’ porch swing and strum and sing songs that came from some “place.” I was always different because I rarely played other people’s music. There are so many sounds and different emotions and experiences to sing about, I feel like I have barely scratched the surface. Fast forward to high school, I had a wonderful time and music was always there.
I got sidetracked by thrills and anything that would give me a rush: football, baseball, extreme sports, and especially the girls. I guess I was pretty good at extreme mountain biking. Right out of high school, I toured through Canada, jumping my bike in front of cameras and TV crews. I even turned it into a small career and rode in the Red Bull Rampage. In my gut, I knew it was the wrong thing to do. I am supposed to play music and sing my songs. Fast forward even further to when David Bowie died and after a few heartbreaks, my soul was in a very very dark place. In the back of my mind, I still had these melodies and arrangements that kept pushing me not to give up.
I obsessed over trying to find God and my purpose and religion. In a drunken stupor, I ran away to the Oregon coast. I sat on the beach and realized I needed to do what I was supposed to do, and that was to start a rock band. I returned to Utah, but the dark hooks of sorrow were still stuck in me. I remember telling myself, “What am I doing? I need to start a band.” The hooks continued, alcohol consumed me and I lost my mind. I went to a psych ward in Salt Lake. I remember my mind starting to heal, and through all of it, there was music. I had one of those moments when you look at yourself and realize and feel all of your faults and wrongdoings and selfish actions.
I spent the next three years healing relationships and getting myself ready mentally, physically, and spiritually to finally start a band. Any credit that Runaway Fire gets, should mostly go to my wife, Marci, who has stuck with me through this whirlwind. Marci could see how serious and dedicated I am. One night, she chimed in with her cute little voice, “Can I join the band?” Little did I know, that music could not just be there, but be part of my life in every way. I am now surrounded by tools that make sound and people who love and appreciate what my wife and I are doing. I am finally doing what I am supposed to and my best friend is doing it with me.
We are so excited to have Ian Shaw, from Nashville, playing drums for us and Chancelor Taylor playing bass guitar. I play guitar and sing, and Marci plays keyboards. The last year truly has been one of the most exciting years of my life. We just released an album, but we have written multiple albums worth of material. The universe aligned and has taken care of me and continues to take care of me and my family. I am grateful for our band and especially grateful for my wife going all in with Runaway Fire.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has always been hard to make money playing music, especially in southern Utah. There were times I would go play my guitar and sing and busk for money so I and my friends could have dinner and a movie. The hardest thing about being a musician, I think, is the personality type that comes with it. It makes holding a normal job nearly impossible. I worked at a grocery store once, I lasted about a week. I walked out and never went back. I’ve always used creative ways to provide for me and my family.
I have a knack for music so I tuned pianos for many years, and even tuned pianos for some famous people a few times. Hell, even KBYU had me tune their piano often for the radio station. Now we are trying to find ways to make money playing music. I wanted to make a band, and it was hard finding musicians who were ready to hop in the spaceship and go! We went through drummers, bass players, guitarists. They either had drug problems or jobs that were more important or band life was too much work. At one point, I made a huge sign that said “BASS PLAYER WANTED!” with an arrow pointing to our house.
Finally, after some effort and luck, we found Ian, Chancelor, and Marci. We are all in the spaceship ready to go! I feel honored to play music with these dedicated individuals. All four of us share the same dream now. The struggles even become fun when you have four people tackling them together. This interview has been nice for me to have a moment to stop and think about how far we have come in just a couple of years. Man, I am grateful for these beautiful people, my friends. There’s been so many people who have reached out and helped us.
We have done a lot of events for cities, we even got to play in front of the state capital for 3,500 marathon runners. As they were coming up the hill, we were playing and sending them all of our energy through the music. Utah has been accepting of our music, and we appreciate that. If I could look back, I would tell myself, “Get a team together.” When you have a team, it is much easier than trying to make it in this industry alone.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
We’ve developed a very unique sound, unintentionally. My guitar-playing style is unique, and Marci’s keyboards add a very beautiful and hopeful element to our rock n’ roll sound. We’ve created multiple original sounds on her keyboard and synthesizer, you will never hear on any other album.
We also enjoy making some pretty wild music videos. We got a piano and Zip-lined it over a 500ft cliff while playing it haha. Performing music with Runaway Fire is what we love and enjoy the most. I do imagine we will be making some more music videos in the future.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I like how friendly most people are. Some dance clubs and rock n’ roll venues would be nice.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.runawayfire.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runawayfireband/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100083139476016
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@runawayfireband
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/20YTafSqFjwJyWebEgZKDT
