Page 12 - ROCKNATION ISSUE 27

SteelCity
PAGE 12 ROCKNATION ISSUE 27
VOODOO MOONSHINE

Interview with Mike Floros

Hello Mike Floros from SteelCity and welcome to
Rocknation. Congrats on your album “Mach II”
that was released on Perris Records. Please tell us
about your two favorite tracks and what they mean
to you.
Thanks for having me here. We’re really excited to be
a part of the Perris Records team. Wow, favorite two?
That’s a tough call as they’re all pretty special to me. However, if I had to choose, it would be “Give It Back” and “Down to
One.” “Give It Back” is a really fun song and a great listen. It’s really a blast to play, as well, and shows off the talent within
the band from the opening sequence. BJ Zampa blasts off with that double kick and then JC (Jason Cornwell, our
bassist) and I just kind of have a duel on our instruments to follow. Fireworks from jump! Roy’s vocals on that song are
pretty killer and we all loved what Tony Stahl came up with on keys. Initially, he wasn’t sure what would fit and the song
ended up sounding a bit like “symphonic Van Halen.” True story? The song started out as a joke about petty theft and
morphed into what it is now. The other song that I’d say is a personal favorite is “Down to One.” From the poignant intro,
“Prayer for Love,” that Tony wrote until the final note, the song is basically an open love letter to my wife. If one listens
closely, the influences on this one are pretty obvious, as well. The sonic inspirations behind it were “I’m Not That Man
Anymore” by Survivor and “Desire Walks On” by Heart-two of my all-time favorite bands. The words couldn’t be more true,
either.

Roy Cathey is the vocalist, did he write the lyrics or it is a collaboration between you both?
Roy is an amazing vocalist. To be honest, I’d never really heard Cold Sweat songs before I saw Roy live at Rock N Skull
2017. When I saw him perform, I was an immediate fan. They guy just has it all. The looks, the swagger, the voice...and
that cool Bob Seger beard. Top it all off? He’s a great dude and a true Southern gentleman. As for your question, I’d
already written the album when Roy got a hold of it. However, as I told every single member of SteelCity, “This album is
yours as much as it is mine. The blueprint is there but by all means, make it your own.” Roy called and suggested some
edits on songs like “Hearts On Fire” and “I Cry.” Those changes helped him have a better flow within the songs and
ultimately, they made the songs stronger. Those are the two that ended up as co-writes on this album. As we delve further
into the process of becoming a band, one can only expect this process to grow.

You released a lyric video for “Hearts On Fire” Please tell us about the making of it.
That was a fun one to make. The song itself is all about that feeling of playing live-something the whole band loves to do.
There’s no greater feeling than walking on that stage, having the lights hit you, and seeing your fan family in that front row
screaming their heads off to your songs. We wanted to thank all of the people that support SteelCity by creating a video
that reflects that. What better way than to share pictures of us onstage and also hanging with our family at the gigs?

Since the band is located in different states please tell us about the recording process.
To say the least, it’s unique but it works for us. I demo all the instruments on the songs to completion and send the stems,
along with a lyric sheet and demo MP3, to Ty Sims, our producer. Ty will strip the stems down to just the guitars and send
them to BJ for drums, then JC for bass, and Roy for vocals. After that, Erik Johnson, a huge part of our production team,
comes in and injects some life with his backing vocal ideas. Then, it’s on to Tony for the perfect amount of keyboard
greatness. After any final guitar tweaks, Ty adds all the ingredients to make
SteelCity sound like it does.

Your CD is available through WOWHD overseas in 11 countries with
FREE SHIPPING. How has that helped the sales?
WOWHD has been a godsend for overseas sales. Both Perris and our own
website, www.steelcityband.com, had difficulties with overseas shipping due
to Covid. Giving people the opportunity to buy your album with FREE
shipping helped avoid postal service shutdowns and expensive shipping
from the USA. Truly a genius move from Tom and Perris Records to
utilize this firm for international distribution. Visit www.wowhd.com, pick
your country from the top-left drop-down menu, and search for Steelcity
Mach II. It’s that easy. Love it.