When asked what made Danny Balis and Jeff “Skin” Wade — collectively, the Silver Skylarks — ideal partners in crafting his new EP, Fort Worth-based singer-songwriter Michael Lee doesn’t hesitate.
“It’s the best fit,” he said during a recent conversation. “Everybody was on the same page. There wasn’t a whole lot of dissonance. From doing the demos [to] the final mastering, everything — everybody’s been on the same page, so it’s been really, really enjoyable.”
Released under the name Michael Lee & the Wartime Limousine, the four-song Object of the Game, which arrives Nov. 8, is a collection of covers, designed to showcase Lee’s muscular singing, but also his formidable guitar skills.
Backed by some monster, Grammy-winning players, like Robert “Sput” Searight, Mark Lettieri and Jordache Grant, Lee, who cut the songs at Niles City Sound in Fort Worth, tears into staples like the Allman Brothers’ “Whipping Post,” alongside reggae deep cuts and gems from Dallas great Bobby Patterson’s back catalog.
Lee will celebrate Game’s release on Nov. 7, with a show at Tulips in Fort Worth, joined on the bill by Rosemont Kings.
Game, with its focus on covers and sizable debt to blues and soul, is merely the latest iteration of a career Lee has been nurturing for the better part of 15 years. You might recognize Lee’s name from his appearance on The Voice, which he made in 2018, as a member of Blake Shelton’s team.
The EP is also an appetizer for his as-yet-untitled third studio album, which will also be produced by Silver Skylarks and recorded at Niles City Sound, and is due out next year on the independent label Skylark Soul Co.
“It’s an introduction to where we’re headed,” Lee said of Game. “I’ve always wanted to do a more soulful, funky thing, and really let the guitar take a back seat to the songwriting and vocals.”
Michael Lee & the Wartime Limousine EP release at Tulips, Fort Worth. 8 p.m. Nov. 7. Tickets are $16-$26.
Preston Jones is a North Texas freelance writer and regular contributor to KXT. Email him at [email protected] or find him on X (@prestonjones). Our work is made possible by our generous, music-loving members. If you like how we lift up local music, consider becoming a KXT sustaining member right here.
