ION INDIE MAGAZINE August 2014, Volume 3 | Page 35

ION: Your songwriting style is viciously independent--with you doing ALL the music playing all the
instruments for demo, before having Russell put the lyrics to and the guys laying down the tracks for
recording. So you are a perfect e xample of what ION Indie Magazine is all about. How important is that to
you--to have that control, while not giving in to label pressure or pre-conceived fan expectations?
Mike: That's really just the way I've always done it. I sit there and if it's a certain drum beat/groove I want to
get into I'll program it and off I go. Or a guitar line/melody I lay down, I immediately lay down drums then
bass. Or a vocal line I throw down, that will automatically need drums, bass and guitar. Me and Russ have
cranked out some great tracks together though, like “Freight Train”, right there in the studio and finished it
that night. It's a great thing to be able to have the freedom for sure, but sometimes there'll be a song created
and it just doesn't make the final cut. I think writing for yourself, first and foremost, is most important and
you simply hope that the powers that be love it.
ION: Within that style, do you have any ideas on the lyrics, or are you done with it at the instrument end of
it? Are lyrics a collaboration with you and Russell?
Mike: No there's always vocal ideas of either life experience or stories, I like to start off with, then Russ and
I will then talk it out and really get into it. Tracks like “Fallin to Pieces” came from Russell playing me the
chorus and verse he came up with on acoustic. I took it home and added a pre chorus, produced the drums,
guitar and bass, and brought it back to Russ, and we finished all the lyrics. Then some tracks like “Indifferent”
and “Angel Sky”, I wrote all the lyrics and vocals. But it's always Russ and I who finish and complete all that
together. We have a great lyrical and melodic writing system together.
ION: Okay Mike, we’ll wrap this up with one more. It’s a totally different world in music today. Gone are the
days when a band can become instant successes and stars and being backed by the machine. How
important is being independent today, and if you knew what you know now, what advice would you give the
younger Mike Orlando when he was listening to Les Paul’s recordings?
Mike: You sure got that right, LOL. I would try and get across that you need to create and write as much
music as you can. Learn to be self-sufficient and try to accomplish as much as you can on your own. You'll
be that much stronger teamed up with others that are of the same mind set. Constantly work on the art of
songwriting, it's the best tool you can have. And of course, your craft--be it guitar, bass, drums, keys--learn
many instruments, so when you sit down to create a piece of music, you can lay down your idea in a
somewhat complete form. It helps to sit back and hear a good version of what it is you're trying to create.
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