The Mikols/Goble Project began when Karl Goble discovered Philip Mikols’ music online, sparking a faith-driven collaboration that merges diverse styles into heartfelt, soulful songs filled with meaning and musical ingenuity.
1. This collaboration started from a simple online message. Can you walk us through that first connection and what made each of you feel that this partnership was worth pursuing?
Philip: Karl sent me a DM saying that he found my music online and if I would be interested in doing a collaboration. I checked out his Cosmic Silk Project and responded by asking him to send me some demos of what he had in mind. The first song was Under the Wings and I thought it had potential. Then he sent me Much Wiser Than That Now, and I said, “Let’s do this.” The lyrics to Much Wiser Than That Now really hit home. Any man who has been through the wringer in life can instantly relate to this song.
Karl: When I first thought of collaborating with Philip, I was thinking lyrics. Wow, was I surprised! He sent me back this music that caused my heart to leap. I mean, you don’t get a chance to play with this caliber of musician, but maybe once in a lifetime if you are lucky. So, Philip wrote me, let’s do an album. Here we are now with an album.
2. Your musical backgrounds are vastly different — from folk and gospel to classical and progressive rock. How did you approach merging these styles without losing the essence of what defines you individually as artists?
Philip: It all starts with a good song, and the song itself will dictate what needs to be done with it. No amount of technical wizardry and virtuosity can fix a bad song. Many of the songs I actually reworked to be much simpler than what was on Karl’s demos. With the simpler chord progressions and song structures of Karl’s songs, it gave me the opportunity to do some interesting things that I don’t normally hear in this genre of music. Things like using different chord voicings and chord inversions for each section of the song instead of playing the same thing each time. Plus, I was able to let the bass take a lead role in many songs by playing subtle counter melodies throughout the song.
Karl: I never really thought about our styles merging. I just think of it as two musicians improvising and having a great time doing it.
3. Faith appears to be a central thread in both of your creative identities. How does your shared spirituality influence the themes, lyrics, and emotional direction of your music together?
Philip: It is all for the glory of God. Our coming together for this project was quite a synchronicity. I have released seventy-four of my own instrumentals and was working on some new ones but was not feeling very inspired. I was thinking that I would like to do something really different with someone else, and shortly thereafter, Karl’s DM showed up.
Karl: Well, I pray a lot and count my blessings just for being in life with God. The ideas come straight from Him, and they are all His songs. If God doesn’t write it, I can’t. I personally believe God brought us together for such a time as this.
4. Karl, your songwriting often feels deceptively simple on the surface while carrying deep meaning underneath. How did Philip’s arrangements and instrumentation help expand or reinterpret the messages in your songs?
Karl: I write the songs, the basic melody, and send them to Philip. He interprets them in what ever way he does. Philip may ask for more lyrics to be added, but usually when I send a song to him it develops. I write by feeling, and that feeling comes from God.
5. Philip, you come from a classically trained perspective with a strong focus on composition. What was it like adapting your instrumental style to complement Karl’s storytelling and vocal approach?
Philip: I am actually not a fan of any of the genres that Karl writes in, but there was something very unique about his songwriting that really appealed to me. There was a lot of really good raw material to build from. I started putting some backing track ideas together and found myself having way too much fun with them because I have never done anything with this style of songwriting before. It was really easy to adapt my compositional style to Karl’s songs because they are just so good. I was able to do something with them outside of the same, tired old pentatonic and blues scale licks. “Honest With You” is a song that is really different from Karl’s original demo. It was a techno rock song, but I started playing around with 7th and 9th chords, and it became a 1970’s style “yacht rock” song and is a favorite of mine. The mood of the song really fits with the moody lyrics. There were little bits and pieces of melodic ideas in the demo that I was able to develop more fully, and am really pleased with how that song came out.
6. As this project continues to grow, what can listeners expect next? Are there themes, sonic directions, or messages you’re excited to further explore in future releases?
Philip: It is anybody’s guess as to what comes next. There are a few of Karl’s demos that did not make it on this album that I will be revisiting. I also have a few musical ideas floating around in my head that would work with Karl’s lyrics and voice.
Karl: God is in charge, so I just hang on.
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