Brace yourself, Jesse Michaels has returned to the music world. Only it’s not in the form many were expecting/hoping for. No, the former Operation Ivy frontman turned painter turned Common Rider frontman will use the New Year to introduce the world to a brand new project, the Classics of Love.
After originally debuting the outfit at a benefit concert in San Francisco last month, Michaels has since posted details of his new band via his MySpace page. According to the 39-year-old Berklee, California native, the Classics of Love is composed of Michaels on guitar and vocals along with Mike Huegenor on guitar, Morgan Herell on bass, and Max Feshbach, all of whom are from San Jose based band, The Hard Girls.
I had been doing solo stuff but really wanted to start a band. My hopes weren’t too high because in the past I have found it very difficult to find people to play with who had good instincts, who weren’t fucked up in some way, and who didn’t party too much (Common Rider notwithstanding). Mike and Skylar from Asian Man records suggested I try jamming with these “Hard Girls” dudes for the sake of recording a 7″. To make the story short, it worked out. I feel very fortunate to have found such compatible people to work with.
Michaels went on to describe the band’s sound as “high energy mid-tempo rock/ punk” with a little bit of reggae mixed in here or there.
Classics of Love will use the coming months to make a more proper debut: the band will soon begin work on its debut EP and plans to kick off a mini west coast tour in February. Michaels hopes to embark on a more extensive trek at somepoint as well.
Sure, all this puts a damper on those hopes for an Operation Ivy reunion, but let’s be realistic. Between Rancid’s forthcoming studio album – wait what? – and the fact that the whole thought of the legendary punk outfit getting back together was more a result of heresay than anything else, an Operation Ivy reunion isn’t happening. At least, not anytime soon.
