Watch: Michael McDermott - "Hit Me Back" (Video Premiere)
Michael McDermott is the quintessential comeback kid. A gifted songwriter and charismatic performer whose promising career was derailed by addiction and personal issues has now re-emerged with a powerful and provocative new album Hit Me Back (September 25, Rock Ridge). "I couldn't go much lower", sings McDermott on the LP's title track and striking, so to speak, new video as he attempts to remember the prior night's inebriated events and takes the role of a fighter down for the count. The morning after can indeed pack a powerful punch. Beyond the boxing and barstool imagery is a song with a hook that's equally as potent, a killer melody that hits home on a barrage of dense guitar riffs and McDermott's own well-worn and cigarette-stained rasp of voice. Check out the Direct Current premiere of the hardhitting video for "Hit Me Back" and read about the song's inspiration below:
Michael McDermott on "Hit Me Back": "For as light hearted as it seems - "Hit Me Back" is actually a fairly dark song. I was driving 2 hours everyday to see my mother in the hospital - was 6 weeks from when she broke her hip to when she died. I was destroyed by seeing her slip away. As she shuffled off this mortal coil.,,,, I shuffled some things off too. 2 hours in the car listening to the radio and hearing these pop songs gave me the idea......I can write me one of these .... So I did..... The lyrics to the chorus came first, driving down LaGrange road..."
Hit Me Back, Michael McDermott
Reader Comments (5)
NOBODY hits the pen to paper harder writing impact rock n roll songs than Michael McDermott.
There's gotta be a million singer/songwriters out there, humping their music on web sites and local shows. And some percentage of them are worth listening to. There is not a single one, though, who can bring tears to my eyes with his Irish Catholic intensity/insight/philosophy/black & white word on the page brilliance as Michael can. His music cuts like Springsteen at his best, with a personal yet universal insight on what it feels like to feel.
If an archangel could sing, I'd bet it would sound like this.
hey Mikey....i likes it
Good stuff. I've been a fan for quite some time and it's good to reconnect.
Finally have listened to song Matt sent me way too long ago. This song tells your story so well. Hope you continue to rise!!