Page 86 - ION Indie Magazine MayJune 2020 Issue

Courtney Ludwig: What do you like to do outside of music that contributes
to your musicality?

Mike Scully: I have a lot of hobbies and interests but one of my favorite things
to do is anything that I have not done before. I love trying new things and seeing
new places and meeting new people. When I listen to my favorite artists/groups
and I hear lyrics that discuss towns in Tennessee, for example, I want to go
there and see what they are talking about. One of my musical heroes is Jason
Isabell. Many of his earlier songs reference his home state of Alabama and the
surrounding areas. So, during my first trip to Nashville, TN, I made a point to
drive down to Muscle Shoals and Green Hill, Alabama, and see what it is I have
been singing along to all these years. That is the sort of thing that inspires me.

CL: How has your music evolved since you first started playing?

MS: Tremendously. I first started writing songs at 12 years old and most of them
were filled with anger and hatred. Naturally, I found myself in a heavy metal
band in High School and we sang songs about death, destruction, and just about
every other cliché you could think of. However, those years taught me a lot about
collaborations, technique, work ethic, and what not to do (like scream for two
hours straight into a mic right next to the speaker).

CL: What has been your biggest challenge as a singer? How have you
been able to overcome that challenge?

MS: Other than almost losing my hearing and permanently damaging my vocal
cords in the metal band? When I was first starting out on my own in the LA music
scene, I would ‘catch a cold’ the day of the gig. Looking back, I wonder if it was
just nerves, but I would wake up with a sore throat like clockwork. Most times, I
just pushed through it with some warm tea and bananas.

CL: What is your ultimate direction for the future?

MS: Forward, I honestly have no idea what my future may hold and that fills me
with anxiety, but also, excitement. One of the last lines in one of my favorite
movies says something like: ‘It is the kind of feeling that you can only get at the
start of a long journey whose end is not determined,” …or something like that.
And that is exactly how I feel right now -- like I am taking the next step. I try to
avoid having plans, because they never work out and can often limit our view.

CL: Do you want more than just to be famous?

MS: When I was around 12 years old, I told an old mentor/friend of mine that I
wanted to be famous. This man was in the movie industry and saw first-hand
what fame was actually like. He told me he would never wish that for me, and I
really took that heart. So, do I want to be famous? No. But, do I want a
sustainable career in the music industry as a performing artist? Yes, absolutely!
I do not believe the two to be reliant on each other.