I love a good success story. Especially when it’s earned off making great music with no major label machine push from behind the scenes. That’s what happened with a band called The Marias. The producer from the band contacted me about a year ago to see if I wanted to mix their debut EP. When I checked out the rough mixes, I just had this gut feeling there was something special about the EP. The songs were just so raw and honest, but also had this fresh modern twist to them that I hadn’t heard in awhile. People were either going to get it and fall in love or it was going to fly over everyone’s heads and not do anything.

Fast forward to about a year later now and they’re selling out tours with Live Nation and getting their singles placed on the biggest Spotfiy playlists you can get. It’s just absolutely amazing and inspiring.

I know there’s a lot of special sounding bands out there who unfortunately will never get their shine…. but when it does happen. And you’re playing by your own rules when it happens. It really is something special. It’s what making music is all about.

Finally. The video premiere for Des Rocs “Hvy Mtl Drmr” is here making it’s debut on Clash magazine last week. This has been a passion project of mine for awhile now which I’ve been been producing and mixing with Ken Lewis (Katalyst).

It feels so great to finally be getting this out there for people to hear. After being holed up in the studio working on this project for over the past 6 months, sometimes you start to go mad and wonder if anything will ever come out and see the light of day. Nothing can be more heart breaking than working on a  project or great song and it just dies a lonely death on your computer. That’s the type of stuff that makes people want to quit the music industry.

“Hevy Mtl Drmr” is a rock influenced song but with a modern twit to it. Almost a Jack White feel. I think Des Rocs is going to be filling a much needed void in rock music so many    songs to come out soon for this project. Can’t wait to show you.

I produced and mixed the song “Rounds” on K Michelle’s new album (Atlantic Records) that came out today with my production partner Ken Lewis and Bangallure.

Special shoutout to my good friend Bangallure for breathing life into the music on this one. Bangallure’s been sending me music for over 3 years and no matter how many times things didn’t work out with whatever artist we were working on, he never quit sending me music. Just shows you how much perseverance can payoff. So a huge congrats. I’m sure there will be many more to come. Drive does pay off!

Rarely do I have the opportunity to work with good friends on a song just for the fun of it. The song posted below is one of those. Written by Mani Hoffman and Matt Hartke (two well established artists already on the indie front), this song came about with no purpose, no hidden agenda. Really just goofing around. Kind of the best way songs are written in my mind. Just writing a song because you want too. Knowing you won’t have some political minefield to go through if you were trying to shop it to a major label artist.

The beat is one of my favorite instrumentals I’ve ever done with Ken Lewis as a Katalyst production. It’s got that old soul vibe that I love so much. Almost reminds me of something Gnarls Barkley would do. Produced and mixed both by us.