Larin Michaels

It’s All About Love

Conch Town Records

Larin Michaels was born and raised in Detroit, often referred to as Motown, where he started his musical career on drums at the age of seven. By fifteen he had progressed to playing guitar and piano in a rock band called The Noblemen, performing throughout the Midwest. In the late 70s, Larin took a position as musical director of the European show Hair and Now. His credits include playing backup guitar for Del Shannon, Freddy Cannon, and Frijid Pink. He has also shared stages with Bob Seger, The Four Tops, Mitch Ryder, The Spinners, Aretha Franklin, The Supremes, Kid Rock, and many others. In 2025, Larin released two singles, four videos, and this new nine-song debut album on Conch Town Records.

Larin wrote and produced all of the songs, singing all the vocals and playing bass, keyboards, guitar, horns, drums, wooden spoons, and percussion. The album was engineered, mixed, and mastered by Steve Carr at his Hit and Run Recording studio.

Larin opens with “Love Straight From the Heart,” singing, “I play to win, I’m telling you. When love comes, I play the blues, love straight from the heart,” while the backing singers answer with a warm call-and-response. Larin handles the B-3 organ, giving the track its soulful drive.

“Look at You” follows, with Larin chiming, “You, you, you… look at you, rockin’ to the rhythm, walkin’ around real proud, look at you,” backed by his own piano work.

On “All That Matters Is the Bottom Line,” Larin plays piano and all the horns as he chants, “Like to go for a country ride… all that matters is the bottom line… let your spirit go, all that matters is the bottom line.”

“I Just Can’t Do It All Alone” is a slow ballad as Larin moans, “I just can’t do it all alone, so much to do, so much undone. Without you every night, I just can’t do it alone,” supported once again by expressive piano.

“Mardi Gras Louisiana” brings a celebratory spirit as Larin belts, “Mardi Gras, Louisiana… went to a parade, Kingfish and crawfish pie,” before slipping into French Creole as the street-party atmosphere kicks in.

“I’m on the Outside Looking In” finds Larin on both piano and organ as he groans, “I’m on the outside looking in, saw you standing there… I feel so lost, so all alone… you left me all alone, I got to find my way back home.”

“Boogie With Da Feel” carries a classic boogie-woogie beat, with Larin sounding almost like he’s playing an accordion as he wails, “Did you ever get the feeling, feeling the groove? You got to boogie with da feeling… you got to jump up and shout, shake it all about, Louisiana, jump up and shout, shake it all about, a’huh.”

“Try and Do It Jerry Lee” features Larin paying tribute as he cries out, “You wanna try and do it… I knew I would, I know I will. If I don’t I won’t. You wanna try and do it, oh yeah,” while he pounds the piano Jerry Lee Lewis–style.

On “Wooden Spoons Boogie Woogie,” Larin closes out the album playing wooden spoons on this all-instrumental track, supported by backing singers providing harmonic lift.

Steve Carr, owner of Hit and Run Recording and a Platinum Award winner who has worked with legends like Aerosmith, Elton John, and Bruce Springsteen, says Larin makes a good-sounding mix easy. He explains that he enjoys listening to the songs while working on them and thanks Larin for the opportunity to be part of the project.

Richard Ludmerer

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