STRATEGIC ARTIST ADVOCACY SINCE 1997
Loving the latest edition of the Ranking The Beatles podcast, in which Mike Viola talks about a Beatles cut that kinda creeped me out as a kid. I dunno, like… My mother should know 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵, exactly? Anyway, Mike handles chatting about this tune quite deftly, you should listen!
Spoiler: Mike is not the walrus. His album Godmuffin, though, was released last year via Grand Phony.
Sodajerker calls Mike Viola “one of our all-time favourite guests,” which is damned impressive considering that they’ve spoken to luminaries including Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil, Paul Williams, Graham Gouldman, Alicia Keys, Edie Brickell, Paul Simon, Beck, “Weird Al” Yankovic, Paul McCartney, Billy Ocean, Kate Tempest, Rufus Wainwright, Jeff Lynne, and, well, basically every beloved living songwriter from the past six or so decades.
The duo’s podcast has just posted its second interview with the Godmuffin creator, during which he “explains how he makes time for creativity, how the past informs his present, and how he is coping with the loss of his friend Adam Schlesinger.” They’ve also curated a career-spanning Spotify Playlist with much of Viola’s best work.
Mike Viola’s new video, for Godmuffin closing track “That Seems Impossible Now,” was pieced together from Super 8 footage from the artist’s childhood. “All the repetition of us as kids disappearing really pulled me in and spoke to the subject of my song ‘That Seems Impossible Now’ in such a poignant, unplanned way,” he told Rock N Roll Globe, which premiered the video today on their site. “So, I decided to make it into a video… to try and paint a picture of specific feeling of loss without tragedy.”
On the Godmuffin ballad “We May Never Be This Young Again,” The Big Takeover writes, “Mike Viola’s lightly wistful, aching vocals float over the slow sway of a gentle drum beat, ticking cymbals pace, and softly strummed guitar lines.”
The song soundtracks the third installment of Viola’s monster movie trilogy, which isn’t a monster movie at all but instead a sci-fi Twilight Zone inspired story featuring an aura that visualizes the malaise that ordinary domestic distress brings. It's a beautiful and stirring way to represent the song’s Fifties-esque sonic overtones. Directed with grace by Silvia Grav.
Powerpopaholic contends that “years of producing others and his own experimentation have left their mark” on Mike Viola, who is known for myriad accomplishments including his band the Candy Butchers, his production work for artists including Mandy Moore and Panic! At The Disco, and his vocals on the late Adam Schlesinger’s iconic theme song for That Thing You Do!
The site recently recommended Viola’s Godmuffin (out now on Grand Phony), a wholly self-recorded LP on which he applies his “top-notch” songwriting to introspective songs that explore tragedy, loss, and “the stress and isolation of the time.”
“So, there you are, filming your latest music video, made up as a vampire floating around Mandy Moore’s swimming pool in Los Angeles."
The Patriot-Ledger - which has been serving Massachusetts’ South Shore since 1837 and was once Mike Viola’s local paper - recently spoke with Viola about how far he’s come since he was “a Stoughton teenager cutting his musical teeth playing innumerable gigs at the old Scotch and Sounds Lounge at Westgate Lanes in Brockton." Link in bio.
Mike's new album Godmuffin is out now from Grandphony.