How did you come up with the name Of Mice and Musicians?
Tony: Ben and I wrote a song our last year of college with the lyrics “the best laid plans of mice and musicians wane in comparison to the life of a new infant.” I had found out I got a girl pregnant which was obviously a huge game changer. Ben was going to law school. We thought the music was over but it turned out to be a phoenix rising out of the ashes kind of thing.
There’s 7 of you with pretty diverse backgrounds. What are your roles in the band and what are what I’ll call your “regular” day jobs?
Ben : Rapper. Day Job: Attorney
Tony: Rapper. Day Job: Child care worker at a residential boarding school for kids with behavioral issues.
Nick: Drums. Day Job: Medical Billing Business Owner
Eric: Bass/Keyboard. Day Job: Jack of all trades. Does sound and lighting for venues all over metro-Detroit. Outfits cop cars for a local city.
Mike: Guitar. Day Job: Subway Manager
Joe: Vocals. Day Job: UPS Driver and Barber
Josh: DJ. Day Job: Construction worker and hot dog vendor
With this many people in your band, I imagine band practice can get pretty intense. What’s the creative process like?
Mike: When it comes to the actual writing, someone comes up with an idea. It might be the guys on the instruments or Josh or the rappers and vocalist. Then we all come together and build around that idea.
Ben: There are some decently strong personalities involved, so things get real. It’s very unlikely that all 7 people are going to agree that something is good. Nick is the most conservative with signing off on anything which keeps our heads out of the clouds. Everyone can say, “Yeah! That’s sweet!” but Nick will just shrug. If you can get Nick to shrug, that’s a winner and that’s the best you’re going to get.
As you guys have matured and grown as a group has the process evolved?
Ben: Definitely. We’re all 30 so we’re not going to do, “Yo, yo, yo.” Tony and I work to complement each other’s raps so that our songs are cohesive. We’re trying to come up with artistic pieces. Also, we are all super honest. We’re not the type of band that has a music persona of awesomeness and then we’re real people in the background. Life is screwed up. When I wrote, “Hello, Father” a lot of people came up to me and told me how beautiful it is and that they were surprised that I was so open about my past. That’s just who we are, though.
Mike: And as far as growth, being in the band has been a real ego-killer. There have been songs recently where someone isn’t involved.
Ben: I think it’s a measure of our artistic maturity. We’re good enough and our taste is refined enough that we don’t all have to participate on a track. We would rather have someone sit out than force something where it doesn’t fit.
What’s being a part of the Detroit music scene been like for you – especially given your unique sound?
Ben: This is a tough market to break into especially with how much talent there is. If you want to get attention in this city, you better show up. It’s good because it has made us better. It’s bad, though, because there are so many shows each weekend and only so many fans.
Tony: We have a very original sound, which has allowed us to cast a broader net. The band is accepted and respected in the core hip-hop community. They like the band and they respect it. Then we have people who don’t like hip-hop much but they like us because we’re not a couple of rappers with some power chords being played behind us.
Since it’s such an oversaturated market is that why your last album was free to download?
Ben: Yes and no. Because of the economy, people don’t spend money on music here. They don’t have that $5 for a CD. If we charged them, they may never hear our music. I would rather have someone download the album for free, like it, tell a friend and come to a gig.
So, what’s next?
Tony: My original goal in music was to create something and give it back. I wanted to put something out there that represented me and with our last album, that goal was achieved. I stand behind everything we did on it. Now the next step is to get it out to more people. What’s the point of creating something and not wanting to get it to as many people as possible?
Ben: If this band was formed for the sole purpose of making it big, we’d be done now. We create music because it makes us feel good. If nothing else comes out of Of Mice and Musicians than what has already come of it, I’m fine with that. That being said, I’m competitive. Every time we reach a new milestone, I am already hungry to do more. If tomorrow we got picked up by a label and were asked to go on a summer tour for 2-3 months, I would do it. I’d tell my boss, do what you want with me but I am not missing this.
You can see Of Mice and Musicians live on July 27th at the Oakaloosa Music Festival in Fort Wayne, Detroit. Tickets are available at www.oakaloosa.com.
