Local Nomad

Dreamy synths and enthusiastic mellotron accompany Michael Desmond’s reinvention on LOCAL NOMAD, which is also the pseudonym he creates under. Throughout the EP’s five tracks weave illustrious drum beats and vintage synths, melding together Paul Simon’s ‘70s aesthetic and the pop sensibility of Gnarls Barkley for an irresistibly catchy soundtrack to rapid change.  

“The idea for this collection of songs was born out of a turbulent time in my life,” Michael says. “I had gotten out of a six-year relationship, my artist name was stolen by someone I knew, my uncle passed away in a tragic accident, and I was gigging full-time while simultaneously working a day job to afford to finish up my college degree. I lost my balance, felt the weight of the world and I couldn’t find the comforts that come with a sense of home. I was at a crossroads and, I don’t want to say I was having a mid-life crisis, but I felt the need to get a lot of things off my chest.”

A native of Long Island, NY, Michael and his orchestral indie-rock band, Gabriel the Marine, garnered regional attention and later performed nationwide with bands like Taking Back Sunday, Glassjaw, Mew, Jacks Mannequin, and The Dear Hunter. On LOCAL NOMAD, he returns as a blue-eyed soul dipped crooner, whose narrative lyrics combine with inviting elements of the future.

The EP kicks off with “Love Is Gone,” an irresistibly fun listen about the inevitable celebration when the clouds clear after a breakup. “I wrote this song when I had gotten broken up with over the phone after being in a relationship for more than six years,” Michael says. 

“I wanted this song to be harsh, funny, and authentic,” he continues. “Like the phases of this relationship, it morphed through a series of versions as I grew more and more comfortable being lyrically vulnerable. It ended up as a coping mechanism for me as I discovered humor and came face to face with some harsh realities — we are just different people in the end, and once the love is gone, it’s time to let go.” 

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