Where are you from and could you tell us a little bit of your upbringing?
I was born in Fort Myers,Fl and moved to Miami as a teenager. I was raised by The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks The Who and The Faces.
What genre of music do you make and when did you first decide to be a musician?
See above. I first wanted to be “Paul” when I was 4 years old playing air guitar on a street corner in downtown Ft.Myers singing “ …I‘ll never dance with her mother,oooh….” Once I reached puberty, I preferred “John” and then discovered Keith Richards and that was all she wrote, so to speak.
Who are some of the notable artists and people that influenced your career thus far?
Other than as mentioned above, listen to any song in my catalogue and it’s apparent that I picked up the guitar so that I could sound like Keith Richards. Ray Davies, Tom Petty and Paul Westerberg have had the most influence over how I go about trying to write and record.
Could you tell us about your latest projects?
“ Life of Crime” is my latest release-with vinyl to be released on October 19,2023. It was written and recorded throughout the “COVID-era” and I suppose if it has a theme it would be a requiem for those who have been “taken.”
My other latest project was with Europe’s other “Mick”, Phil Wolff, in a project under the moniker of “War-Wolff”. I did two records with Phil(“Two Badasses” and “Slapback Backslap”). I love those albums since I get to be “Keef” to Phil’s “Mick”. We plan to re-release both records as a vinyl double album in ‘24.
What should we expect from you in the near future?
I plan in ‘24 to release a couple of new singles with Phil Wolff to celebrate the Re-release of The War-Wolff catalogue.
I am also currently working on the next “Monty Warren” record, with a working title of “The Back Nine”, with my musical partner in crime(ie, co-producer, engineer and multi-instrumentalist)Roderick Kohn. So far it’s sounding pretty darn good( but on the other hand, I have tinnitus so there’s that).
Could you give us some advice that you can offer to someone who is just getting started in making music?
1) When you start to record, buy yourself the best microphones you can afford, and find yourself a very patient recording engineer who actually loves the same genre of music you do.
2)If you are doing it for fame, money, attention or a hug, pursue something else.
Are there any important achievements you have gained since beginning to do music?
I have met and even gotten to work/play with some of my musical heroes. Just knowing that my music cam be heard around the world right this moment and I can play it from every hotel room tv I go to anywhere I roam is beyond what I ever thought would actually happen. It also brought me to Europe, to meet Phil Wolff, and in Phil I found a long lost brother-it’s as if we were raised by the same family(i.e., Mick and Keef).
I couldn’t be more grateful for the peaks as well as the valleys which came along with pursuing songwriting and recording.
Besides music, what are some of the things that you are into?
Running, tennis, cooking and power watching well written movies and television series and getting lost in real life crime tv.
Are you currently on tour or planning to be?
The current state of our world these days has kept me happily safe at home. But I’ve learned to never say never and I really miss playing with Phil so…perhaps Europe in ‘24?
Any last remarks?
Long live rock!!
Check out his music here!
https://open.spotify.com/artist/0ZP8F2OByjcAuA492b0U9f?si=_lmnJhDeR6yWJ2t9WJwewQ
