‘Killer music’ and hard graft pay off for Mike

Groove Tube with Jimi McDonnell – tribunegroove@live.ie

American pop/rock songwriter Mike Scala comes to The Loft, Bridge Street next Friday, September 11, and Monroe’s Live on Saturday, September 12.  The ambitious artist, whose stated goal is to play New York’s Madison Square Garden, is currently in the middle of a European tour. Although it’s been going well, it hasn’t been without its challenges.

“A bunch of things happened,” Mike says. “My phone was stolen, my laptop was crushed, my flight got all messed up. It’s been quite a series of events. It’s been a bit trying, but such is the tour and it’s going to add to the story of the adventure!

“I’ve lost all my contacts in the music industry – maybe it’s a sign I need a fresh start for whatever reason.”

That fresh start is off to a good beginning – when Mike takes the call, it’s the morning after a sell-out show in London. He’s expecting some more full houses in the following few nights. What has brought about this surge in interest?

“A combination of hard work, determination, perseverance and just making sure every show I do is undeniably killing!” he says. “I’ve been working super hard in the States and all over – this is the third world tour, so I feel very fortunate to be able to have the opportunity to make it happen.”

On I’ll See You Again, Mike sings about being on Grafton Street one day, and in Dallas the next.  Being on the road so much comes at a price, but it’s one the Brooklyn native is willing to pay.

“Every day I’m in a different city,” he says. “Sometimes the road gets pretty crazy and you forget where you are. Sometimes you get to see the places you’re in, sometimes you don’t. But that’s the nature of the beast.

“If you want to pursue this and you want be in the music business and tour the world, part of it is dealing with all the stuff, like sometimes being broke, sometimes doing really well. Sometimes having your computer crushed!”

Mike Scala’s latest single is Stratosphere, a track he’s especially proud of.

“That’s been the game changer, the one that’s moved things forward,” he says. “I think Stratosphere has been the gateway to a new sound. It’s still pop/rock stuff, but it’s gone to a whole new level. Like any artist, if you’re pursuing it, it grows as time goes on.”

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.