On December 13th, 2025, Parliament-Funkadelic legacy guitarist and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame member Michael Hampton will release Into the Public Domain, an EP produced by 9-time Grammy Award winner and Ruffhouse Records co-founder Joe “The Butcher” Nicolo. A pioneer of Power-Funk electric guitar, Hampton gets into new territory on Into the Public Domain, with a meld of Rock and World music with Jazz and Western overtones.
Into the Public Domain inaugurates a series of two EPs and an album from Michael Hampton to be released from December 2025 through Spring of 2026, all on Nicolo’s personal imprint, Sound Mind Records. Each release will be available in digital, CD, and vinyl formats.
Into the Public Domain was co-produced by Joe Nicolo, Michael Hampton, Philip Samuel Smith and John Schreffler, the latter three of whom wrote and played on all songs on the EP. Recorded at Fort Wolf Studios in Canyon Country, California, Into the Public Domain, also features a guest appearance from Rock Gospel guitarist Phil Keaggy, whose more than fifty solo albums have earned seven GMA Dove Awards and multiple Grammy nominations.
Additional Into the Public Domain sessions were held at the Sunset Sound in Los Angeles, California, a favorite studio of Led Zeppelin, The Doors, The Beach Boys, Tom Petty, and more. Grammy-winner Shooter Jennings, a musician and producer known for blending Outlaw Country with Rock and experimental styles, guested on keys and co-production at the Sunset Sound sessions.
A defining feature of the album, and the inspiration for its title, involves its licensing status. Into the Public Domain will be released under a public-domain license, granting artists, filmmakers and marketers everywhere royalty-free usage of any and all elements of the album (save for artwork). Multitrack audio files of each song will also be posted online for free remix and sampling purposes, through links provided on Michael Hampton’s social media.
Into the Public Domain will appear on all major streaming platforms and digital stores, and be available for free download via QR codes on limited-edition trading cards included with purchases from the artist’s Bandcamp merch store. Cards will be autographed at random, and are also available for free from his Parliament Funkadelic shows, solo gigs, and all public appearances (while supplies last).
