M4M: THE BAND HAS WORKED WITH A VARIETY OF ARTISTS/PRODUCERS AND SUCH THROUGHOUT EACH ALBUM. HOW HAS THAT
INFLUENCED YOU NOW WORKING WITH THESE SONGS ON THE ROAD?
MIKA: WELL I’V ONLY BEEN WORKING WITH THE BAND SINCE JANUARY OR SO WITH RICH. I HAVEN’T ACTUALLY BEEN IN THE
STUDIO YET BUT BEING ON THE TOUR DOING THE SONGS, HAVE BEEN WONDERFUL.
M4M: THE LATEST ALBUM “ANTHEMS FOR THE DAMNED” DIVES INTO A LARGER PICTURE OF HUMAN NATURE. WHAT ARE SOME OF
THINGS THAT PEOPLE/FANS HAVE ASKED YOU ABOUT THIS ALBUM?
MIKA: WE’V HEARD A LOT OF POLITICAL QUESTIONS ABOUT IT BUT I HAVEN’T REALLY HEARD TOO MUCH ON THE WHY’S AND SUCH
FOR THE ALBUM. I THINK THE WAY THE WORLD IS NOW, IS AN EXAMPLE OF WHY THINGS WERE WRITTEN THE WAY THEY WERE. IT’
S OBVIOUS WHY SOME THINGS WERE SAID IN THIS ALBUM. SO WHY NOT SAY THEM? “SOLDIERS OF MISFORTUNE” HAD A BIG
IMPACT OF PEOPLE. WE HAVE SOME SOLDIERS BACK FROM DUTY NOW THAT THANK US EVERY NIGHT FOR SINGING THE SONG
AND KEEPING THEM “ALIVE” FOR EVERYONE. SO IT’S BEEN REALLY COOL TO BE A PART OF THAT.
M4M: THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT’S IT’S ALL ABOUT WHEN YOU COME DOWN TO THE FINAL POINT OF WHERE MUSIC IS AND WHERE IT
STANDS; THE PEOPLE AND THEIR EXPERIENCES.
M4M: YOU HAVE A VAST BACKGROUND AS A DRUMMER/ARTIST. TELL US A LITTLE SOMETHING ABOUT THAT.
MIKA: YEA IT’S PRETTY VAST. I GREW UP IN A HOUSE OF MUSICIANS. SOMEONE WAS ALWAYS PLAYING THE PIANO OR SOME SORT
OF INSTRUMENT. ALWAYS BEING AROUND MUSIC AND BANDS, I STARTED LEARNING AND DOING MUSIC WHEN I WAS 3 YEARS
OLD; I SWITCHED OVER TO DRUMS WHEN I WAS LIKE 9 OR 10 YEARS OLD. AND IT’S BEEN ALL TYPE OF GENRES, NOT JUST ONE.
YOU’RE IN THAT SITUATION OR ENVIRONMENT AND IT JUST GROWS WITH YOU AS YOU GET OLDER.
M4M: TODAY’S MUSIC INDUSTRY IS BASICALLY ABOUT MAKING MONEY VS PUTTING OUT A GOOD RECORD. WHAT ARE SOME OF
THE THINGS YOU KEEP FINDING WITH SOME OF THE NEWER BANDS THAT DON’T DEFINE THEMSELVES AS REAL MUSICIANS?
MIKA: OH MY GOD, I CAN’T EVEN BEGIN TO TELL YOU, THIS MIGHT TAKE ABOUT 6 HOURS (both laugh). BUT TO MAKE IT SHORT, THIS
WHOLE SCRAP ROCK/POP ROCK MOVEMENT OF EVERYONE COPYING EVERYONE, THAT WHOLE THING OF TRYING TO SOUND THE
SAME, IS REALLY WASTEFUL. THERE’S A MESSAGE THAT NEEDS TO WORK BUT IT’S GETTING LOST IN ALL OF THESE SAME
SOUNDS. SO 98% OF THESE ROCK BANDS THAT HAVE COME OUT IN THE PAST FEW YEARS SOUND THE SAME. I CAN’T TELL THE
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ONE AND ANOTHER. YOU’LL GET 15 DIFFERENT NAMES, AND I’LL ASK “WANS’T THAT THE SAME AS THE
LAST ONE?” IT’S JUST PATHETIC THAT ANYMORE, PEOPLE ARIN’T TAKING RISKS IN THE INDUSTRY WHERE THERE ARE STILL
SOME OUT THERE THAT ARE BEING CREATIVE. THERE ARE SOME AMAZING BANDS OUT THERE, BEING CREATIVE, AND YOU’LL
NEVER HEAR ABOUT THEM. THEY’LL NEVER BE PROMOTED; THE LABELS WILL NEVER PUT ANY MONEY BEHIND THEM. IT’S A
SHAME, BECAUSE YOU REALLY HAVE TO SEARCH TO FIND THEM. THESE DAYS, IT’S NOT AVAILABLE TO FIND THESE GREAT BANDS.
SO INSTEAD, YOU GET SOME TERRIBLE BANDS OUT THERE, THAT SOUND THE SAME BUT DON’T BRING ANY REAL MESSAGE OR
CREATIVITY, AT LEAST AS ROCK GOES.
M4M: ROCK DEFINITELY IAN’T WHAT IT USED TO BE. WE CAN ONLY HOPE THAT SOMEONE BREAKS THAT MOLD ONCE AGAIN AND
BRINGS BACK THE CREATIVITY WE NEED.
M4M: YOU GUYS PLAYED ROCK ON THE RANGE THIS YEAR IN OHIO, WHAT WAS THAT EXPERIENCE LIKE FOR YOU?
MIKA: IT WAS KILLER! WE GOT TO PLAY WITH SOME OF OUR FRIENDS IN STONE TEMPLE PILOTS AND TEN YEARS, SO IT WAS A LOT
OF FUN. I ACTUALLY HAD A LOT OF FRIENDS AND FAMILY THERE AFTER THAT, SO IT WAS JUST A GREAT TIME AFTER THAT,
HANGING OUT AND SEEING EVERYONE.
M4M: WE WERE THERE AND THERE WERE JUST SO MANY PEOPLE WITH SO MANY GREAT BANDS, IT WAS DEFINITELY A THING TO
REMEMBER!
MIKA: WE THERE DEFINITELY WERE A LOT OF PEOPLE. WE HAD THAT SECOND STAGE PACKED, SO IT WAS EVEN BETTER.
M4M: BEING APART OF A BAND THAT HAS ITS OWN STYLE OF CREATIVITY AND MINDSET, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE THINGS YOU
“PICK UP ON” OR LISTEN FOR WHEN LISTENING TO OTHER MUSIC?
MIKA: WELL I DEFINITELY LISTEN FOR SOMEONE WHO’S TRYING TO BE UNIQUE. IF YOU CAN’T HEAR IT RIGHT OFF, IT’S NOT EVEN
REALLY WORTH IT. BUT IF IT’S DIFFERENT AND SOMETHING UNIQUE, THEN I KEEP LISTENING. I LISTEN FOR MELODIES THAT
STAND OUT. LISTENING FOR SOMETHING THAT HANS’T BEEN DONE BEFORE; IT’S LIKE GETTING A FRESH BREATHE OF AIR, IT’S
ABOUT THE ARTIST TRYING SOMETHING DIFFERENT. WHETHER IT WORKS OR NOT, YOU GOTTA GIVE THEM CREDIT FOR TRYING. A
LOT OF THE BANDS I’M HEARING THAT HAVE THIS, ARE COMING FROM EUROPE AND SOME WEIRD PLACES AROUND THE WORLD.
M4M: WE’LL HAVE TO KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR SOME OF THESE BANDS AND HAVE YOU COME BACK. (both laugh).
M4M: WHAT IS SOMETHING YOU WANT TO TELL THE READERS?
MIKA: WOW. I’D PROBABLY SAY TO NOT BUY INTO THE GIMICS OUT THERE AND TO ACTUALLY LISTEN FOR THE CREATIVITY AND
UNIQUENESS THAT’S BEEN MISSING. YOU HAVE YOUR OWN VOICE, SO DO THOSE THAT ARE MUSICAL, POLITICAL, WHATEVER IT IS.
TAKE A STAND AND SPEAK UP, DON’T HIDE IN THE BACKGROUND.
M4M: WELL, THANK YOU FOR DOING THIS WITH US TODAY! I HOPE THE REST OF THE TOUR GOES WELL AND WE’LL SEE YOU ON
THE ROAD SOMETIME SOON!
MIKA: NO PROBLEM! THANKS AND WE’LL SEE YOU SOON!
INFLUENCED YOU NOW WORKING WITH THESE SONGS ON THE ROAD?
MIKA: WELL I’V ONLY BEEN WORKING WITH THE BAND SINCE JANUARY OR SO WITH RICH. I HAVEN’T ACTUALLY BEEN IN THE
STUDIO YET BUT BEING ON THE TOUR DOING THE SONGS, HAVE BEEN WONDERFUL.
M4M: THE LATEST ALBUM “ANTHEMS FOR THE DAMNED” DIVES INTO A LARGER PICTURE OF HUMAN NATURE. WHAT ARE SOME OF
THINGS THAT PEOPLE/FANS HAVE ASKED YOU ABOUT THIS ALBUM?
MIKA: WE’V HEARD A LOT OF POLITICAL QUESTIONS ABOUT IT BUT I HAVEN’T REALLY HEARD TOO MUCH ON THE WHY’S AND SUCH
FOR THE ALBUM. I THINK THE WAY THE WORLD IS NOW, IS AN EXAMPLE OF WHY THINGS WERE WRITTEN THE WAY THEY WERE. IT’
S OBVIOUS WHY SOME THINGS WERE SAID IN THIS ALBUM. SO WHY NOT SAY THEM? “SOLDIERS OF MISFORTUNE” HAD A BIG
IMPACT OF PEOPLE. WE HAVE SOME SOLDIERS BACK FROM DUTY NOW THAT THANK US EVERY NIGHT FOR SINGING THE SONG
AND KEEPING THEM “ALIVE” FOR EVERYONE. SO IT’S BEEN REALLY COOL TO BE A PART OF THAT.
M4M: THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT’S IT’S ALL ABOUT WHEN YOU COME DOWN TO THE FINAL POINT OF WHERE MUSIC IS AND WHERE IT
STANDS; THE PEOPLE AND THEIR EXPERIENCES.
M4M: YOU HAVE A VAST BACKGROUND AS A DRUMMER/ARTIST. TELL US A LITTLE SOMETHING ABOUT THAT.
MIKA: YEA IT’S PRETTY VAST. I GREW UP IN A HOUSE OF MUSICIANS. SOMEONE WAS ALWAYS PLAYING THE PIANO OR SOME SORT
OF INSTRUMENT. ALWAYS BEING AROUND MUSIC AND BANDS, I STARTED LEARNING AND DOING MUSIC WHEN I WAS 3 YEARS
OLD; I SWITCHED OVER TO DRUMS WHEN I WAS LIKE 9 OR 10 YEARS OLD. AND IT’S BEEN ALL TYPE OF GENRES, NOT JUST ONE.
YOU’RE IN THAT SITUATION OR ENVIRONMENT AND IT JUST GROWS WITH YOU AS YOU GET OLDER.
M4M: TODAY’S MUSIC INDUSTRY IS BASICALLY ABOUT MAKING MONEY VS PUTTING OUT A GOOD RECORD. WHAT ARE SOME OF
THE THINGS YOU KEEP FINDING WITH SOME OF THE NEWER BANDS THAT DON’T DEFINE THEMSELVES AS REAL MUSICIANS?
MIKA: OH MY GOD, I CAN’T EVEN BEGIN TO TELL YOU, THIS MIGHT TAKE ABOUT 6 HOURS (both laugh). BUT TO MAKE IT SHORT, THIS
WHOLE SCRAP ROCK/POP ROCK MOVEMENT OF EVERYONE COPYING EVERYONE, THAT WHOLE THING OF TRYING TO SOUND THE
SAME, IS REALLY WASTEFUL. THERE’S A MESSAGE THAT NEEDS TO WORK BUT IT’S GETTING LOST IN ALL OF THESE SAME
SOUNDS. SO 98% OF THESE ROCK BANDS THAT HAVE COME OUT IN THE PAST FEW YEARS SOUND THE SAME. I CAN’T TELL THE
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ONE AND ANOTHER. YOU’LL GET 15 DIFFERENT NAMES, AND I’LL ASK “WANS’T THAT THE SAME AS THE
LAST ONE?” IT’S JUST PATHETIC THAT ANYMORE, PEOPLE ARIN’T TAKING RISKS IN THE INDUSTRY WHERE THERE ARE STILL
SOME OUT THERE THAT ARE BEING CREATIVE. THERE ARE SOME AMAZING BANDS OUT THERE, BEING CREATIVE, AND YOU’LL
NEVER HEAR ABOUT THEM. THEY’LL NEVER BE PROMOTED; THE LABELS WILL NEVER PUT ANY MONEY BEHIND THEM. IT’S A
SHAME, BECAUSE YOU REALLY HAVE TO SEARCH TO FIND THEM. THESE DAYS, IT’S NOT AVAILABLE TO FIND THESE GREAT BANDS.
SO INSTEAD, YOU GET SOME TERRIBLE BANDS OUT THERE, THAT SOUND THE SAME BUT DON’T BRING ANY REAL MESSAGE OR
CREATIVITY, AT LEAST AS ROCK GOES.
M4M: ROCK DEFINITELY IAN’T WHAT IT USED TO BE. WE CAN ONLY HOPE THAT SOMEONE BREAKS THAT MOLD ONCE AGAIN AND
BRINGS BACK THE CREATIVITY WE NEED.
M4M: YOU GUYS PLAYED ROCK ON THE RANGE THIS YEAR IN OHIO, WHAT WAS THAT EXPERIENCE LIKE FOR YOU?
MIKA: IT WAS KILLER! WE GOT TO PLAY WITH SOME OF OUR FRIENDS IN STONE TEMPLE PILOTS AND TEN YEARS, SO IT WAS A LOT
OF FUN. I ACTUALLY HAD A LOT OF FRIENDS AND FAMILY THERE AFTER THAT, SO IT WAS JUST A GREAT TIME AFTER THAT,
HANGING OUT AND SEEING EVERYONE.
M4M: WE WERE THERE AND THERE WERE JUST SO MANY PEOPLE WITH SO MANY GREAT BANDS, IT WAS DEFINITELY A THING TO
REMEMBER!
MIKA: WE THERE DEFINITELY WERE A LOT OF PEOPLE. WE HAD THAT SECOND STAGE PACKED, SO IT WAS EVEN BETTER.
M4M: BEING APART OF A BAND THAT HAS ITS OWN STYLE OF CREATIVITY AND MINDSET, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE THINGS YOU
“PICK UP ON” OR LISTEN FOR WHEN LISTENING TO OTHER MUSIC?
MIKA: WELL I DEFINITELY LISTEN FOR SOMEONE WHO’S TRYING TO BE UNIQUE. IF YOU CAN’T HEAR IT RIGHT OFF, IT’S NOT EVEN
REALLY WORTH IT. BUT IF IT’S DIFFERENT AND SOMETHING UNIQUE, THEN I KEEP LISTENING. I LISTEN FOR MELODIES THAT
STAND OUT. LISTENING FOR SOMETHING THAT HANS’T BEEN DONE BEFORE; IT’S LIKE GETTING A FRESH BREATHE OF AIR, IT’S
ABOUT THE ARTIST TRYING SOMETHING DIFFERENT. WHETHER IT WORKS OR NOT, YOU GOTTA GIVE THEM CREDIT FOR TRYING. A
LOT OF THE BANDS I’M HEARING THAT HAVE THIS, ARE COMING FROM EUROPE AND SOME WEIRD PLACES AROUND THE WORLD.
M4M: WE’LL HAVE TO KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR SOME OF THESE BANDS AND HAVE YOU COME BACK. (both laugh).
M4M: WHAT IS SOMETHING YOU WANT TO TELL THE READERS?
MIKA: WOW. I’D PROBABLY SAY TO NOT BUY INTO THE GIMICS OUT THERE AND TO ACTUALLY LISTEN FOR THE CREATIVITY AND
UNIQUENESS THAT’S BEEN MISSING. YOU HAVE YOUR OWN VOICE, SO DO THOSE THAT ARE MUSICAL, POLITICAL, WHATEVER IT IS.
TAKE A STAND AND SPEAK UP, DON’T HIDE IN THE BACKGROUND.
M4M: WELL, THANK YOU FOR DOING THIS WITH US TODAY! I HOPE THE REST OF THE TOUR GOES WELL AND WE’LL SEE YOU ON
THE ROAD SOMETIME SOON!
MIKA: NO PROBLEM! THANKS AND WE’LL SEE YOU SOON!
 | |  | |  | |  | |  |
| FILTER LINK'S |
In an industry that’s been failing to bring out new unique and creative musicians, we still find that there are
bands out there that are still bringing individuality to the tables. With a newer album, tour and ideas, Filter has
begun bringing back the original mission: create music that means something and do it your own way.
bands out there that are still bringing individuality to the tables. With a newer album, tour and ideas, Filter has
begun bringing back the original mission: create music that means something and do it your own way.
