Page 15 - ION Indie Magazine JanFeb 2020 Issue

MGS: (con’t) Okay, here's the bad side...it's all up to you to
make it happen! Most musicians do not have the aptitude or

vision to create all the details associated with presenting
yourself to the world. Not to mention, today's marketing is a lot
different than the way we did it 30 years ago (damn it, was it

really that long ago?). To be effective in the musical landscape
of today, you better have some real marketing savvy under
your belt and understand algorithms and the manner in which
music is distributed and propagated online today. It is a lot
different to get more plays on Spotify today as opposed to

getting radio station adds years ago. It's a lot different today to
get views on your YouTube video as opposed to being added
to MTV. Is one way better than the other? No, I do not think so.
There are many who prosper in today's marketplace doing it
themselves and there are many, even very talented bands, that

do not succeed because they fail to embrace what is necessary
to succeed in today's marketplace.

MH: Did you ever feel pressure to look and dress like a

country star or have you always just been totally yourself?

MGS: Ha! Look and dress like a country star! That's funny! I
bought my first cowboy hat in Texas in 1990 while I was on the
road with Stryper touring the US. It looked cool as hell and I

started wearing it in photo sessions. The guys would make fun
of me because I would get off the tour bus at a truck stop with
snakeskin boots, a monogrammed bathrobe, shades and my
snakeskin boots, a monogrammed bathrobe, shades and my cowboy hat with all of my jewelry

cowboy hat with all of my jewelry walking around
walking around like it was just another day (and no, I didn’t wear any pants). Ha! I certainly did not

do it out of pressure. At the time, it was actually just more functional than anything. I would lay around
on the bus comfortably in my underwear. But if the bus stopped for gas, it offered us the opportunity
to get off and grab some food or buy some crap that we didn't need in the gift shop. I would just
throw on my robe, cowboy boots, cowboy hat and shades and I was good to go. Cowboy hats look

great with long hair also, even now with short hair. I like the way it looks, particularly with a suit
jacket. I certainly did not do it out of pressure. In the Midwest and in the South, it isn’t an issue
whatsoever. It’s just weird when you walk around places like the Northeast with a cowboy hat on.

These days, it's certainly more commonly accepted, much like mainstream country music. Now, I'm
not going to say I'm the first guy to do it, but I have been doing it for a long time. Living in Arizona
now, I certainly have the opportunity to wear a cowboy hat and nobody thinks twice about it. Not to
mention, I love country music, but I'm not trying to be a country star.

MH: How do you describe your music and what made you decide to go this route?

MGS: This is a very important question for any artist looking to conquer. The most important question
you can ask yourself, ‘What is my place in the marketplace?’ If you cannot successfully answer that
question, you are running a crapshoot. You have to have a target if you're looking to shoot for
success. That being said, let me shed some light on my dilemma. First off, I have been involved in
many different projects: Rock and roll with Trixter, my Christmas album, movie soundtrack work with
‘The Monkey King,’ and now, an adult contemporary song from the heart, ‘With You…’ You know
what my problem is? I got crap all over the place. (con’t.)