Prophet of Aloha

Image courtesy of A Frame Forward Photography

When Mike Love got married—adopting three children and becoming the biological father of one—he dropped the “less” from his “Loveless” birth name. “All my cousins are girls—I’m the only guy in my family, so I thought it was cool to change the legacy of our family name to what it should be,” he explains, chatting from the van he rented to tour with Xavier Rudd this spring. Moments later, he’ll take the stage in Charleston, S.C., for the first time, leaving the audience gaping at his guitar prowess and a vocal range that finds the common ground between Keller Williams and Bob Marley. Although his reggae-infused looping and powerful message of unity and “Aloha” have already made him a headlining act in his native Hawaii (where he built his reputation leading the group Dubkonscious), Love—both solo and with his quartet—has only recently spread his gospel of groove and positivity to the mainland. He’ll release his next album, Love Will Find a Way, this fall. “The ultimate goal is to make a change—to help humanity and the entire planet—that’s the whole reason for making music,” Love expresses, adding, “but sometimes it’s just about helping people feel better and get through their day.”