The frantic Mr Franti

You can say one thing about Spearhead's frontman Michael Franti, he's organised. In fact, you don't have to say it for him, he mentions the virtue a number of times in this short conversation which finds him in a San Francisco recording studio.

He's taken time out in the afternoon to shoot hoops with friends, but now the discipline necessary to complete his work has kicked in and he's grappling with the sequencing of tracks on the band's forthcoming album.

A new album is good news because - how do we put this politely? - Spearhead have been dropped by their longtime label, Capitol. Although I'm sure there's another way of putting that, Michael.

He laughs and puts his spin on a very familiar story: "Sure, I had to get a lawyer to get us out of contract. What happened was there were changes at the record label, shake ups were going on, they brought in a new person to run the label ... "

And so it goes on. Personalities change and the people you used to know in the company are gone, the new ones don't know you, want to stamp their mark on things by maybe dropping bands ... But Franti couldn't sound happier.

Big companies tie you down to releasing albums only every two, maybe two and a half years, and for artists who have a lot of music they want to get out, it's frustrating.

Spearhead are now looking at releasing, through their own label, two or even three albums in the next 18 months.

Does that mean there are fewer problems sequencing tracks for an album when you know you can leave something off and shove it on the next one in a few months' time?

"Yeah, in a way, but it's hard deciding, because you feel some songs can get lost. You become very attached to them."

So sequencing is what he's doing and he's taking it seriously. He listens to classic albums, like Bob Marley's Kaya, to remind himself of how a great album feels over its running time and he notes most of these albums only had about 10 songs. CDs are getting too long, he observes.

Because he's got an album release date scheduled he works back from there, sets deadlines for himself for things like determining the running order, artwork, interviews and so on, and just gets disciplined.

The independently released new album, Stay Human, will appear on their Boo Boo Records label, as does the already released Live at the Baobab, a spoken word album recorded at a number of Franti's stand'n'speak performances last year.

With all the recent ructions in the music industry, Franti says he feels Spearhead's music will have a better chance of finding its audience if they are outside the major label vortex.

And he still believes - despite many saying entertainment will become increasingly in-home via the Internet, Playstation and other technologies - people want to go out and see live music.

"Record companies seem to be saying these days people will go out and buy crap records like they buy toilet paper. I feel people still want to see great bands, something that stirs their soul. Sometimes it's hard to get that across to record labels.

"We now don't have to work on the same level in terms of cash flow and capital. Major record companies are spending millions and millions of dollars. We do our own record and instead of getting a buck a record we're getting six bucks a record and sell to a distributor. With us, it's not an at-all-costs mentality."

After more than a decade in music with a social activist's agenda - first with San Francisco's Beatnigs, then Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy before Spearhead - Franti says he still enjoys getting on to a stage.

"Always. Just being connected to the spirit, I get a big charge out of that, to do a great show. I was just talking about this with a buddy of mine an hour ago when we were playing basketball. Like, you can miss that intensity of competition and training. Same with music and playing in a band, I still have that passion and a vehicle to channel the passion."

Franti also acknowledges music has been his passport into the world and he holds New Zealand in particular affection.

"I've found every place has its own personality, but there are also places in some parts of the world where there are certain political or social situations you find you can identify with.

"And through my music I've always tried to follow the different struggles of colonial people and who colonialism has affected. So I've got a lot of inspiration from the people of Aotearoa, the Maori brothers and sisters, and people like Tame Iti.

"I love New Zealand and this time we'll spend another week there before we go to Australia. I love the country, the land and water," he says with a laugh, then notes anything would be better than where he lives, near a shipyard.

But our time is up and he has work to do. Michael Franti, the living embodiment of the work ethic.

Who: Spearhead

Where: Powerstation

When: Saturday, April 29