Stocksdale by Wendy Bloomingdale 

Mike: I'm really excited about getting back into home recording. For my first two albums, Searching for September and The Hill, I recorded at home using a 16 track digital recorder and a few mics. The next two albums, Chase You and Ashland, were recorded in studios in more of a live band environment. Don't get me wrong, I love playing with other musicians and jamming, but studios cost money and therefore you have less time to make the record. We made this last one (Ashland) in three days not counting mixing. I spent months on The Hill because I could, trying different parts or bringing in different players. Some of the quality may be sacrificed when you record at home, but it's made up for with the hours of work and love that you can put into the recording process. I'm working on building up a portable Pro Tools rig at the moment, and can't wait to start experimenting with this new set of songs that I've written. The road is so open with home recording...I could do anything, play anything, write anything, and sound however I choose.

Isaac: What do you feel is the one aspect of making music that gets you the most discouraged?

Mike: At my level, I get the most discouraged when I start thinking about other people. Whether it's envying other bands with bigger fan bases, being dismayed that I haven't generated fans from TV placements or radio, or being disappointed that I didn't pull as many people at the last show as I thought I was going to. But that's all bullshit. It's stuff I can't really control. What I can control is the music I make, and if I keep my focus there, all of that discouragement fades away.

Isaac: Do you feel that Indie music gets the respect it deserves? Why or why not?

Mike: Yeah, I think so. Maybe it's just in the circles I'm in at the moment, but it seems that more and more people are actively searching for good, interesting music. Whether it's online, at their local record stores, or local radio stations it seems that there is a strong faction of people that aren't going to settle for crap. It's much harder to fool people into buying bad music or fake music these days, because it's so much easier to find the music that truly speaks to you thanks to the Internet. Radio hits and pop stars come and go, but the power is returning from the huge labels to the hands of the people. Indie artists who are staying true to what they believe in are beginning to get the respect they deserve.

 

Stocksdale - Ashland Cover photo by Mike Olekshy 

Isaac: In your opinion, what are your thoughts on how the most unusual place you've ever played a show or made a recording impact the qualities of the show/recording?

Mike: I've played a lot of weird shows at weird places in my life. It turns out the way you perceive the situation and the attitude you take will make or break the show. I guess that's true for most things in life. Perspective is everything. Recently, my band and I drove down to Carlsbad, CA, to play a show at a Daphne's, which is a fast-food Greek restaurant. It's actually really delicious, and I was working with them on a new music promotion they were doing. The plan was to have us come down and play in this courtyard next to the restaurant as a way for Daphne's to do something nice for the community, and for us to play some music and get some exposure.

Well it turned out that nobody got the permit for us to play outdoors, so after a two hour drive in traffic, we had to set up INSIDE the restaurant, which was not at all suited for music. It was really weird to have people ordering and eating fast food right next to us in that tiny space, but we just said "whatever" and had a great time playing our music. No big deal. I was pissed at first, but thanks to my level-headed bandmates, I got a little perspective on the situation and made the best of it. They treated us graciously and paid us nicely too, which always helps.

Isaac: I am interested in knowing if in what ways does the place where you live (or places where you have lived), affect the music you create, or your taste in music?

Mike: Yeah, I would say that everything and everyone around me can creep into my songs now and then, so the places I've lived always affect the songs I write. I often write about places and times in my life that I feel nostalgia for. I just released Ashland, named after my street. It has a bright, summery side to it, and those songs came after I moved to Santa Monica near the beach. It's probably not a coincidence. As far as taste in music goes, I'm heavily influenced by my friends, so the places I live can affect me in that sense.

Isaac: What can you tell our publication about the last time you wrote a song? What can you tell us about the whole process?

Mike: I have a new set of songs that I've been working on for the past four months, and for this batch I've really been letting things be. I have a tendency to force songs into what I want or think I should be writing, but lately I've been trying to just let them come to me. These new songs are more like discoveries than anything. I'll sit around the apartment playing and singing little melodies. If I start to feel something, then I'll grab my iPhone and use the voice recorder to get the idea down. Lately, I've been trying to postpone the critic in me. I keep the ideas pure when they come, and then the next day I'll sift through them on the headphones and see if there are any lyrics, melodies, riffs, or chord progressions worth keeping. If I like what I'm hearing, I'll try and figure out where the song wants to go. It's also important to work on writing every day, even if you don't feel inspired. I find that inspiration seems to come around if you're putting in consistent hard work.

Isaac: If you knew that you would never gain fame and fortune with what you are doing now, would you continue to make music? Explain.

Mike: Yep. Very recently I've conceded that I will never gain fame or fortune from my music. It's kind of liberating actually. Songwriting is my creative outlet; it is a part of who I am, so whether I make money or gain popularity from it is irrelevant. Fame and fortune don't make the music better anyway, so what's the point of that?

Isaac: Do you have a strong support system with your family and friends? How have your family and friends help you emotionally, financially, spiritually, etc. with your music? 

Mike: Yeah, I'm very blessed with supportive friends and family. My parents think anything I've ever done is amazing, which has been really helpful in simply relieving any stress of them thinking I shouldn't be wasting my time with music, a thought all too common among parents. They bought me a guitar recently too, which was really sweet of them. It's a metal body tricone resonator with a lot of character, and I've been using it all the time. My wife, on the other hand, has been affectionately labeled "The Queen of Call Outs," by our circle of friends, because she always tells it like it is. This can be shocking for a fragile yet egotistical songwriter like myself, but she has been incredible through my music career by combining brutal honesty with genuine support. She's really pushed me to become better and better over the years.
 

Stocksdale by Mike Olekshy 

Isaac: As you continue your own path for making music, do you find yourself getting more or less interested in seeking out and listening to new music made by other people...and why do you think that is?

Mike: I read in a newspaper article a few years ago that after 25, the human brain becomes much less interested in new music, and most people don't change the styles they listen to much after that. I hope it's not true. I guess there's very little chance that I'm going to all of a sudden become interested in death metal, but I'm still always on the lookout for new music or old music that I can re-discover. I find more often than not that word of mouth is the best way to discover something new.

Isaac: As far as your influences, what would you say are the musical periods or styles do you find yourself most drawn to as a listener?

Mike: I've been drawn to blues and classic rock ever since I could play guitar. Something about those two styles just resonates with me. They're closely related anyway. In the last ten years, I've become more influenced by folk and old country music, maybe because I'm drawn to the stories and lyrics and raw nature of the music. Ironically, I'm a little wary of brand new music, because it hasn't had a chance to stand the test of time. Most of the records and music on my computer are from the 60s and 70s, but there is some new stuff out that's pretty cool. I've been listening to a lot of Tom Waits' Mule Variations, Frightened Rabbit's The Midnight Organ Fight, and The Black Keys' The Big Come Up. Those aren't exactly brand new, but they're more recent than Blonde on Blonde (Bob Dylan) or Graceland (Paul Simon) or Abbey Road (The Beatles). I always seem to come back to those records sooner or later.

Isaac: What is the best site/s that you can be found on the Internet?

Mike: Stream Ashland and download two songs for free at BandCamp -

http://mikestocksdale.bandcamp.com/album/ashland

Buy all four of my albums on iTunes -

http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/ashland/id433798714

Website - www.mikestocksdale.com

Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mike-Stocksdale-Music/14020671922

Isaac: The floor is yours; final words…..

Mike: These were really great questions. I really enjoyed answering them. Thanks for taking interest in DIY artists.