We were lucky to catch up with Michael Mollo recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Michael thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.
“Can a man become a phoenix, from the ashes be reborn?”
Ive been a film composer for the past 15 years. Now, post-pandemic I’m leaning into music that soothes my soul rather than my pocket. October 13 I release my first record with my ensemble Blue Door Records.
Blue Door Records is a brass-fueled blues ensemble led by composer Michael Mollo. The album explores one man’s search for love, truth and redemption. With his first album release in 7 years, Mollo presents 9 raucous tracks of blues and rock and roll. Five horns and a line-up of guests compliment a jam-packed rhythm section to execute a foot-stomping blues circus.
With the help of mixer Alvin Wee and the brilliant mastering of Abbey Road Studios, we are proud to present Blue Door Records debut album.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I spent my youth performing in the bars of coal-country Pennsylvania. I studied music composition in college and eventually found my way west to LA to pursue film scoring.
I’ve worked as a scoring composer for th past 15 years contributing to a number of projects in a variety of musical capacities. Here’s my imdb
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2590083
I’m not much interested in discussing my career as a film composer however. Post-pandemic I am focussing on music that feels most organic to my soul.
Having spent 15 years as an instrumental music composer, In 2019 I gave up drinking and the songwriting came flooding back. In 2021 I booked a studio in Philadelphia and hunkered down with some old music friends. Fast forward two years, we finished the record in LA with a 5 pc brass band small choir.
Have you ever had to pivot?
Life is a continuous pivot. We grow as artists and as individuals throughout time. As such, we must allow ourselves the freedom to ebb and flow with own our personalities.
At 18 I wanted to be a traditional “rock-star”, guitar hanging around my neck, different city every night etc.
At 28, all I was interested in was scoring films, and establishing myself in the entertainment industry.
At 38, I had essentially seen and done what I wanted to accomplish as a “film composer” and I pivoted for a number of years into music publishing.
Now at 43, I’m simply interested in exploring music that feeds my soul. I perform on electric piano, organ and synthesizer around Los Angeles with a number of bands. And while I have zero desire for “rock-stardom” I’ve essentially come full circle as a musician and am now making music simply for joy again.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
I am most interested in the music of artists who are a genre in and of themselves. Artists like Regina Spector, Philip Glass, Bjork, Danny Elfman, David Bowie.
No matter what form their art takes. You almost always can tell “stylistically” that it is them. Their art. Their voice coming through.
I’ve been searching my entire. And I didn’t realize until recently what it was I was searching for. My own voice. My own authenticity.
I grew up listening to Southern and Classic Rock on the record player. Grateful Dead, The Allmans, Joe Cocker etc. When I left home for music school, I was searching for knowledge. I drank up music like a sponge. Wendy Carlos, Debussy. Zappa. Bernstein. It was all amazing and foreign to me. Leaving school I was searching for a music career. I found early success in film / TV music and got to work on a huge variety of amazing projects. I still work on scoring projects to this day but mostly as an arranger / behind the scenes.
All these varied influences along my creative journey have given me a vast pool of music to pull from in the search for my own unique voice. I believe you can hear this in my previous works for film and TV. On one project I was doing my best to channel Amon Tobin. On another I was working on my densest brass voicings ala Bernard Herrmann. I have been trying on music outfits for years in search of my own voice.
I do believe, at 43 years old I have finally found that voice.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://bluedoorrecords.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bluedoorrecords/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100093820482981
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeljohnmollo/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_-6HdGFEY1_5jgmp17CM3A
Image Credits
photos courtesy of Mark Tassoni & Vincenzo De La Rosa