Michael Pink set to record first music video

By Jamie Hutchinson

After having his songs featured in the documentary “Madd Frank Presents Madd Frank,” Fargo musician Michael Pink plans to record his first music video for a fan-favorite song. Pink has been well known in the Fargo-Moorhead area for years due to his blend of pop rock and alternative country and the upcoming music video is just another way to get his music reaching the ears of fans.

HPR: So, you’re going to record a music video soon?

MP: Yeah. I’m working with Mike Bredon, the guy who made the documentary about Madd Frank that screened at the Fargo Theatre about a month ago, roughly. He used a couple of my songs for the thing, which sucks because I actually missed the screening for it, of course. I was playing at a local establishment and he approached me about the idea and I’m like, “Yeah, of course.” I’ve been approached a lot of times and ... You never know who’s going to have the moxie to really pull it and all of a sudden, he’d done it and then some. So I haven’t even seen the thing. I want to see it. I grew up watching Madd Frank on the couch with my old man. We’re working with him and we met for coffee — maybe about two weeks ago here — and he just kind of gave me a rundown on an idea that he has. I don’t know how I feel about the music video concept. You always feel ridiculous, you know? I don’t f**king know what videos should be like. I know they should probably have a band playing in them or something. I like performance videos, you know?

HPR: Is this going to be a performance video then?

MP: It’ll have performance scenes. He does have a loose storyboard planned for it. It’ll be interesting. There’s going to be actors and actresses from the Madd Frank documentary making little cameos in it. There’s a little mini tribute there.

HPR: Which song are you going to use?

MP: It’s a song I wrote a little while back. It’s not a new song. At one time, I was in the works of working with Steve Greenwell, who’s a guy who discovered Joss Stone. He’s also produced some other stuff. Long story short, he remixed one song, which I’m glad it was this one because people seem to think it’s my best and it’s kind of been the one that’s opened the most doors for me. He ended up remixing one and sending it back and it sounded really, really damn good. The song is called “What Hurts.” I recorded it in a bedroom in North Fargo and sent it to this guy in NYC and he cooked it up. You know, I’ve never really officially released anything and I thought it’d be a good way to do some promotion for a song that I don’t really want to get buried. I intend to put out an EP of brand new music and it’d be like, “What Hurts, plus 7,” or something like that. I’d put it on there because I just want it to reach the ears of people and I thought this might be another way to do that.

HPR: I read online that you had the chance to be produced by Paul Westerberg, singer and guitarist of The Replacements. Is that correct?

MP: That actually is correct. I f**king love — obviously, you know — I love The Replacements. He’s one of my favorite songwriters of all time. Obviously, his producing abilities are not as widely known ... I don’t think I would’ve taken any steps up as far as fidelity went, but obviously, just having an opportunity to be able to even f**king meet the guy and have him identify me in some kind of way, shape or form as like some kind of worthwhile sack of bones ... The deal is just it didn’t work out. In retrospect, I probably should’ve tried to go for it.

HPR: You played at the legendary Whisky a Go Go in March of last year. How did it feel to play on the same stage where legends like The Doors, Frank Zappa, Motley Crue and many other Los Angeles acts got their start?

MP: F**king unbelievable. It was the shortest set that I ever played and not by minutes but by moments. It was such an incredible thrill to be up there. I’m definitely a rock nerd and I know that Jim Morrison and Van Morrison did f**king duets up there and Janis Joplin had her last bottle of Southern Comfort in the booth that we sat at and made our set list.

HPR: You have an upcoming performance at Junkyard Brewing Company on Oct. 17. What can people expect from the show? I heard you’ll perform some new songs.

MP: I’ve been out of the game a little bit just because life keeps happening all over me. As a result, I’ve got some new stuff coming up and it’s a little different. I’m going to throw a few of them in there and see how they roll and then just lean on the old standards a little bit and a few obscure covers that will alienate everybody. My usual shtick but with some new stuff on the side there too.

IF YOU GO

Michael Pink, including new compositions

Junkyard Brewing Company, 1416 1st Ave N, Moorhead

Sat, Oct. 17

701-936-5545, www.junkyardbeer.com