Today, we sat down with Mike from the Deadly Virtues to discuss inspiration to write music, heroes, and much more! Be sure check out the music of Deadly Virtues on Spotify below after the interview!
Interview:
What is your inspiration to write your music? Is it your
surroundings?
Mike: My inspiration comes from life experiences and events that have been impactful in some capacity. A lot of it is written in the moment (especially riffs) to really try and capture the pure emotion of the song at the time it’s being written and then conveying it to the listener. Not only does it foster authenticity within the music itself, but it’s also very therapeutic for me as a way to cope with my challenges and struggles.
What type of music did you listen to growing up?
Mike: I started really getting into music around 12yrs old, when I got my first CD from ZIA Records, which was the Blink 182 Enema of the State album with the voluptuous nurse on the front cover. I’d get down to other bands in the same genre as well like Simple Plan, Sum 41, Bowling for Soup, Etc.
In high school I became a fan of heavier, grungier rock, nu-metal, and metalcore. Bands like The Offspring, Staind, Chevelle, Korn, Limp Bizkit, Disturbed, Killswitch Engage and Atreyu were frequently on my playlists.
In my late 20’s I started becoming more appreciative of the older 80’s classics (Van Halen, AC/DC) and industrial metal legends (Static-X, Bring me the Horizon) that have shaped how my music is being written today.
Is there someone you looked up as a hero?
Mike: There wasn’t one musician or artist that I looked up to per se, it was the “rock and roll” iconography that came along with the rise of 2000’s metal scene. Frontmen such as Wayne Static, Pete Loeffler, Ben Burnley, and many others were a great influence on me as a player and I strive to try and someday achieve the same success and impact they have left on me and the industry as a whole.
If you weren’t a musician, would you be doing today?
Mike: I have a variety of interests and performing, in really any capacity, is a lot of fun for me. I’ve done things ranging from pantomime and juggling, musicals and theatre shows, to mambo conventions. I’ve always enjoyed entertaining people and there’s magic in being able to create an environment where people can
escape the burdens of their everyday struggles.
I also enjoy inventing new solutions to existing problems, applied physics, and entrepreneurship.
What advice do you have for our fans out there that want to create music?
Mike: Never stop writing new music and songs. Composition is a skill, and like anything else that you want to improve on, it takes repetition and practice. Don’t be afraid to share the music you are proud of creating. Songwriting is an ever learning process, and if you produced your best work out of the gate, what’s left to look forward to?
Music:
