Micah E. Wood
A fixture in Baltimore's artistic landscape for 16 years, Micah E. Wood embodies the city's creative spirit as a photographer, musician, and educator. His deep immersion in Baltimore's diverse musical communities, from "wild and weird hip hop wordsmiths" to "seductive dance producers," has cultivated a truly unique sound reflected in his music as well as his photography portfolio – a "sonic cholent, long-stewed in Charm City." Recognized by Baltimore Magazine as "a prolific collaborator and charismatic performer," Wood's influence extends to his acclaimed photography, capturing "musicians of myriad genres in compositions that feel deeply intimate" (Baltimore Magazine, 2025), a journey recently chronicled in his 300-page book, Scene Seen: Baltimore Musician Portraits 2016–2024.
Building on the success of his 2022 pop-hook-soaked EP, 'Ring Ring,' which offered delightful rock perfect for a bouncy walk around the park, Wood now presents "You, Me, the Reign," his first single in over three years. Born from a desire to escape chaotic external realities into a perfect bubble with a partner, this song took on new urgency after the 2024 election. It's a dancey, infectious track where the chorus's "ooohs" morph from protest chants to a rousing anthem, inviting listeners into a space of safety and solidarity. This timely anthem, featuring a powerful guest verse from Baltimore rapper and activist Eze Jackson, is about seeking refuge and community amidst external chaos. Penned in early 2024, the song's core theme – "I'd build a fortress around us, just to protect this" – is as palpable as it was then as it is now in these still chaotic and unprecedented times. Blending disco, funk, and rock, "You, Me, the Reign" aims to be an invitation to celebrate released fittingly on July 4th. But rather than traditional patriotism, consider it the soundtrack to a summer of creative freedom and liberation that is forged through reliance on community, collaboration and solidarity. As Week in Pop described his sound, it's "an updated vision of the polyester era through a dream machine lens captured in high def."
