Psychoacoustic EP - Out Now!

As much fun as it was creating my last full-length rock album, Denihilism, it was a lot of work and took a long time to produce. So, this time around, I decided to write and record an acoustic EP – just me and my guitar; no drums, bass, or keyboard. Since it’s all acoustic and I’m a bit of a psycho, I decided to go with the name Psychoacoustic. Fitting, no?

Psychoacoustics is a real thing, not just a word I made up. It’s the study of how sound affects the mind. And as of August 7, 2025 (somebody’s birthday, wink wink) Psychoacoustic will be a real thing available on all streaming platforms. That, I did make up 100% by myself.

With AI seemingly taking over art and music, it’s important to note that I wrote, recorded, mixed, and mastered all 6 of Psychoacoustic’s songs myself. None of that AI slop here. Although, I do mention AI in the last song on the EP, Hey I.

Sometimes people leave comments on my videos saying things like “you’re AI” or “AI script.” If they only knew how many hours go into writing those scripts or how uncomfortable I am in front of the camera. My awkwardness on screen is 100% natural, baby. Don’t forget it.

I never let comments like that get to me. After all, they’re just Words On A Screen. Hey, that’s the name of the first song on Psychoacoustic! If anyone’s ever left a nasty comment on something you posted online, don’t let it get to you. They’re just words on a screen. And to anyone who’s commented on my videos that I’m AI, go listen to track 6 on Psychoacoustic, Hey I.

“If you think I’m AI, you can suck my DI… CK all day.”

“You might think I’m AI, but I am just a guy. Don’t be shy, say hi!”

While the artificiality of online life is one theme explored on Psychoacoustic, it’s not the only one. Tracks 2 & 3 are about, well, me talking to myself essentially. If you’ve ever begged the universe for one more chance even though you know you don’t deserve it and then knocked on wood to make sure you didn’t jinx yourself, you’ll get track 2, Knock On Wood.

“I pray that we’re not done for good… knock on wood.”

And then there’s my personal favorite song from Psychoacoustic, track 3, Things Are Gonna Be. If you’ve ever told yourself that things are going to be alright when, deep down inside, you know they’re probably not, this song is for you.

“I’m so sick of worrying about money. That paper stresses me so much it’s not funny.

I’m drowning in this sea of debt, regret, never forget just how much worse things can get.

But I keep telling myself things are going to be alright… I keep telling myself things are going to be alright.”

Maybe if I keep telling myself that things are going to be alright, I’ll eventually start to believe it. And maybe you should tell yourself to go listen to Psychoacoustic and follow Ellis Michaels on Spotify or wherever you listen to music. And then, you know, go do it 😉

Psychoacoustic was fun to write and record. I wanted a simpler music project than a full-on rock album and an acoustic EP seemed like the way to go. There were challenges, sure, but on the whole it was much easier to put together.

One aspect that was both surprising and challenging was the inclusion of some slide guitar. A slide isn’t something I regularly use (or even know how to use well) and I’d never recorded one before. Yet, for some reason, I use a slide on several tracks even though it wasn’t part of my original vision. I’m sure experienced slide players will cringe at my sloppy technique, but I had fun with it. And, ultimately, that’s what really matters.

All things considered, I’m happy with the way Psychoacoustic came out. It’s not perfect, but neither am I. In some ways, that’s the point of this EP. I wanted it to be raw… to be real… to be human.

And that’s how you know I’m just a guy and not AI. As artificially created music continues to flood streaming sites, real, authentic human music is going to become more in-demand than ever. My only hope is that some humans enjoy listening to the songs on Psychoacoustic as much as I enjoyed making them.

Thanks for reading! You’re awesome and I appreciate you. And I’d appreciate it if you’d give Psychoacoustic a listen and share it with anyone you know who might like it. And if you haven’t already, please sign up for the Ellis Michaels’ newsletter below to keep up with what this psycho is up to – acoustically or otherwise.