Feature / One Question Interviews
Michael Yonkers

Words: Loren • October 3, 2014

Michael Yonkers
Michael Yonkers

Michael Yonkers

SPB: How does it feel to revisit music from so long ago? Are you the type of musician that enjoys playing and listening to a full back catalog or are you the type who tends to release an album and move on to the next project?

Yonkers: It is a very odd feeling, to say the least. I have been doing music for 52 years, so going back in time is quite a trip. It is not only the music, but the associated memories too. 

I do go back in time, from time to time. But, mostly I am in a forward leaning position. I don't think there is any "right" or "wrong" way to look at (listen to) history. A lot can be learned from the past. For me, the past is too overwhelming to deal with on a regular basis.

So, the answer to your question is...

I am a person who mostly "moves on."

Loren • October 3, 2014

Michael Yonkers
Michael Yonkers

Related features

Dead Pioneers

One Question Interviews • April 2, 2026

Abe Brennan (Dead Pioneers) SPB: How many Nazi teeth do you think you could knock out in a single punch? Brennan: Hi, Chuck, nice to hear from you, and thank you for the opportunity to discuss the dislodging of Nazi teeth. I appreciate it. So knocking Nazi -- or any … Read more

Death of Youth

One Question Interviews • March 31, 2026

Rob David (Death Of Youth – vocals) SPB: What is the weirdest description you’ve heard of your music and could you see where the commenter was coming from? David: One outlet once described our single “Fix Your Heart or Die” as “An emotionally charged piece of heavy rock combining 80's … Read more

Shizune

One Question Interviews • March 30, 2026

Filippo (Shizune – bass) SPB: Breviario d'oblio is something of a comeback after 8 years. What triggered this comeback? Filippo: It was not meant as a comeback. We were almost ready to enter the studio in 2020, then Covid happened and we lost our practice room. It was hard to … Read more

The New York Dolls: Reflections and Legacy

Music • March 30, 2026

I first discovered the New York Dolls in the mid-to-late 1980s, just as I was beginning to stretch the boundaries of my musical journey. Up until then, my exposure to music had mostly come through my parents, aunts, and uncles. They planted the initial seeds, and those seeds quickly grew, … Read more

East End Redemption

Interviews • March 24, 2026

Punk’s never been about polish. It’s about passion, sweat, and the grind it takes to keep going when most people quit. East End Redemption carry that spirit like a trophy. Out of the East Coast underground, they’re mixing hard-earned experiences with the urgency of a band that still believes in … Read more

Related news

Drag City reissuing Michael Yonkers

Posted in Records on November 16, 2013

Related reviews

Michael Yonkers with The Blind Shake

Period
S.S. (2011)

Michael Yonkers has a fascinating story: getting dropped by the majors, personal injury, and being rediscovered a generation later. That story has already been told in almost every review I’ve read, though. Instead, let’s talk about the rock. Period marks his third record with Minneapolis trio The Blind Shake, and the two forces offer a full collaboration when they get … Read more

Michael Yonkers with The Blind Shake

Cold Town/Soft Zodiac
Learning Curve (2009)

The Blind Shake are a power-garage trio from Minneapolis. They play highly synchronized, precision rock with guitar, tenor guitar, and drums. Michael Yonkers is a noise-guitar pioneer, having finally gained recognition when Destijl and, consequently, Sub Pop released the 1968 recorded, but never released, Microminiature Love in 2003. The record starts with haunting, dark, and heavy guitars and Yonkers' warbly … Read more

More from this section

Dead Pioneers

One Question Interviews • April 2, 2026

Abe Brennan (Dead Pioneers) SPB: How many Nazi teeth do you think you could knock out in a single punch? Brennan: Hi, Chuck, nice to hear from you, and thank you for the opportunity to discuss the dislodging of Nazi teeth. I appreciate it. So knocking Nazi -- or any … Read more

Death of Youth

One Question Interviews • March 31, 2026

Rob David (Death Of Youth – vocals) SPB: What is the weirdest description you’ve heard of your music and could you see where the commenter was coming from? David: One outlet once described our single “Fix Your Heart or Die” as “An emotionally charged piece of heavy rock combining 80's … Read more

Shizune

One Question Interviews • March 30, 2026

Filippo (Shizune – bass) SPB: Breviario d'oblio is something of a comeback after 8 years. What triggered this comeback? Filippo: It was not meant as a comeback. We were almost ready to enter the studio in 2020, then Covid happened and we lost our practice room. It was hard to … Read more