Interview by Rebecca Mae
Photo by Abby Clare
Hi Mike, how are you?
Hi! I’m doing great, how are you?
So you are releasing your debut album, “when it all gets old” everywhere on October 11. Congratulations! Can you tell us about the album?
The album was recorded over 2 years. I started recording it in my basement then I moved some of my gear into a janitorial office space and recorded at night when no one was there. Then I finally finished the record at a studio I now work at called DIMM studios.
What does this album mean to you in terms of an accomplishment or goal?
Recording and playing everything on this record was a massive learning experience and I couldn't have been happier to do it on my own. I definitely feel like it helped me improve a lot as a musician/engineer.
You write, produce, record and mix all of your music, but who would be a dream collaborator for you and why
Jimmy Buffet because he lives his best life.
You are in another band, The Stolen. What drove you to release solo projects?
I really just had a bunch of songs that were going in a different direction than The Stolen and thought it would be cool to make something on my own.
What is the creative process like when you are creating a solo project versus something with the band? Is there a difference in how you approach that?
It’s interesting doing it on your own because there are no other opinions. Sometimes that's a good thing, sometimes that's a bad thing. It was also way more tiring playing everything and recording it rather then just showing up to a studio, playing drums for 2 days, and being like ‘sick I'm done...gonna go get drunk now lol’
You also have a release show for the record coming up with Pollyanna and a few others. Where can people grab tickets for that great show?
“On my Instagram, link in bio”
You have also been included in a Tom Petty cover compilation album benefitting the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, next to artists like The Last Arizona and Marigold. How cool is that! Can you tell us how that came about?
Yes! My friend Ben Lieber from Marigold asked me if I would like to add a song. I love Tom Petty and loved that it was going to be a part of an amazing cause.
What else is coming up for you?
Probably some more shows :)