We recently connected with Michael Naus Jr. and have shared our conversation below.
Michael , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?
A strange thing happened in my life where I had realized at a very young age, before the age of ten, that I knew I had wanted to become someone who created music that would be played on the radio and or to share with others. As a child I initially wanted to learn to play guitar but my parents were not allowing that. My grandfather learned to play organ and fortunately my parents allowed for me to take organ lessons. This was in the late 70’s and into the early 80’s. I recall the first time listening to Duran Duran’s first self titled album and it was at that moment that I had realized that synthesizers could become a path to obtaining my dream. Once I had turned 21 and left home, I had purchased my first professional synthesizer.
Michael , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
My name is Michael Naus Jr. yet I go by Mike. Originally from the Chicago, Illinois area, I am based near Houston and Galveston, Texas. I represent myself as an Independent Recording Artist and Composer under the name Vertigo Blue. Vertigo Blue is also referenced as Vertigo Blue TM on many music platforms… the TM as I own a Federal Trademark here in the United States on the name. I primarily use synthesizers and occasionally music samplers to design sounds which I use to create my songs. I view this approach with an analogy… I design the sounds like I am creating pieces of a puzzle, then I take these sounds and create a song from them… much like placing those puzzle pieces to finish a puzzle that I created.
As I love synthesizers and working with them… the format or style of Vertigo Blue spans across various types of synthesizer music including synthpop, electropop, electronica, electro, synthwave, alternative rock as well as ambient and downtempo compositions. Some of my music is accompanied by vocals and some are instrumental. I was a child in the 70s and 80s who’s influence in the music I create was primarily from that time period of popular music. During those years, synthesizers were becoming very prominent in the music scene as they were considered a fairly new instrument. With numerous music releases and live performance shows, aside from my own numerous shows throughout the United States, I have had the honor to share the stage and or open for quite a few major Recording Artists and bands. Another great opportunity that has come my way is being able to help others learn about synthesizers and music production. A few examples include being a Guest Speaker at St Edward’s University in Austin, Texas in 2008 in which I provided a presentation for the Digital / Media students, Performing and Being a Guest Speaker providing a Panel Discussion on Creating Music with Synthesizers at Comicpalooza in Houston, Texas in 2015 and currently assisting in running the Synthesizer Houston Group in Houston, Texas.
Prior to Vertigo Blue I was the keyboardist (synthesist) in a few rock bands both in the Chicago area and in Houston, Texas. I had went on my own to record the type of synthesizer music that I was interested in doing. In 1995 I put together an album titled, “digital ZEBRA” under my name Michael Naus Jr. which only a few copies were made on cassette tape. In Houston while attending a Duran Duran concert, I had met a band who were one of the bands who were performing on a side stage at the concert. I gave one of my albums to the band (Forgiving Iris later known as Iris) who had mentioned they were working with a lady, Jeri Beck, who ran a Network of Synthesizer Pop bands who were at the time were releasing Synthesizer Pop compilation albums. Some of the bands who were associated in their network were Information Society, Anything Box, Channel 69 and the list goes on. After she had heard my album, I was invited to submit a song for their upcoming Holiday Compilation album. I had teamed up with my friend, Colin Travis and soon after, Stacey Quebodeaux (now Stacey Savino). Along with Producer and Recording Engineer Byron Payne, we had submitted a song that we collaborated on… titled, “Christmas Day”. You can currently hear this track on my Vertigo Blue TM YouTube channel. The song was submitted and was added to the Control-Alt-Delete “CatClaus 96” compilation album. Just before submitting the song, it was Colin and I who had come up with the name Vertigo Blue. He had the idea for a band name to be Vertigo and I had the idea for a band name to be Digital Blue… so he and I compromised and we had named ourselves, Vertigo Blue. This was in 1996. As we did perform in 1996 as a trio at a music festival not too far from Dallas, Texas and a few months later on a Houston television show. Around that time, Stacey had went back to working with her Jazz band and Colin went on to his own music production works. In 1997 I carried on to currently being a solo artist under the name Vertigo Blue. Colin Travis did assist as a Producer and a Collaborator on the first two Vertigo Blue albums, “Area 51” and “Evolution”. A total of six albums and two EPs have been released as of today in 2024. Over the years I had the great opportunity to sign with an Independent Record Label titled, Ultra Trec Records, then later had another great opportunity to have quite a few of my tracks on Electronica Compilation albums under the We Records label including a vinyl record release. In 2001 I started the label where I currently release my music from, Ozmotic Records. On a side note: Two of my songs landed on the Entry List for Nominations for the Grammy Awards. My first song from my first album, self titled, “Area 51” was listed on the Entry List for Nominations for the 50th Annual Grammy Awards for Best Dance Recording. My song, U.F.O. Abduction from my Evolution album was listed on the Entry List for Nominations for the 54th Annual Grammy Awards for Best Dance Recording. As these were not the final nomination, it was nice to be considered for the Grammy Awards.
Vertigo Blue is available for live performance booking including Venue, Festival, Corporate and Private Bookings.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
For me personally, pivoting in my life pertains to how many times I change my goals according to what makes me happy and successful. Pivoting is something that in my early days as the artist, Vertigo Blue that I thought I would never do as an artist. Over the years I have learned that goals can change, my measurement of success has also changed. If you had met me when I went on my own as Vertigo Blue in 1997, you would have met Mike who was determined to sign to a Major Record Label with the purpose to get to my initial goal of getting my music on the radio and going on tour and becoming a Major Recording Artist as like those artists who had influenced me. At that time, nothing was going to stop me from obtaining that dream. As time moved forward life presented to me different situations that completely opened my eyes and mind to realizing that changing to fit my dream according to my life and happiness is what is more important. From my personal opinion for me, at this time in 2024… I do not view success by how much money I have made or make, I do not view success by how popular I am in the world or on any social media platform, I do not view success by someone else’s opinion or view about me. I view success as with what goals I set to achieve that make me happy. I decide for myself if I have obtained success and if I did not, in my mind, I decide what I need or do not need to do. With that I have noticed that when it comes to my artist work as Vertigo Blue, I am my worst critic! I will not release music unless it meets my final approval. Here are a few examples of what situations have presented to me to cause me to pivot. When I was not working on music I was a career Firefighter and Paramedic. I was rather successful in my work of close to 30 years in Fire and EMS (more of those years as a Paramedic). I loved helping others and working with the great people who were along side me in that profession. Aside from my full time employment I became a Husband and Father of two daughters. With an established career and family I had come to the realization that why do I need to throw away a great career to chase something with no guarantee? …..Yet….After a few years another pivotal situation happened, I was responding to an emergency call when I came close to losing my life in an ambulance accident where I was not the driver yet had sustained major injuries ending my career in the Fire and EMS business. It was at that point when I realized that my career as a Paramedic had no guarantees. So with that my perspective on life and goals changed again. I found myself again with focusing attention more on my music and dream to be able to create and release music and hopefully help others to learn about synthesizers and to follow their dreams. For me personally, pivoting and changing my goals seems to be something that can change depending on what and where I am at in life. Even though I had never signed with a Major Record Company I have found success in continued moving forward with music creation on synthesizers and I enjoy performing my music live.
Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
Yes! When I first began creating music I had no clue on how to get into the music industry or sign with a Major Record Company. I used to send my music to Major labels and end up with the package being sent back to me with an “Unsolicited” stamp on the package by the record company. That was before internet and I had no understanding what “Unsolicited’ meant other than thinking that these people are not listening or giving me a chance to be heard. When I would ask others, other musicians would say, that when you play gigs (shows) an A&R rep from a label might hear you and you could get offered a recording contract. It was quite a few years later that I would read music industry books and realize that artists and bands would shop for Major Record labels by being represented by an Entertainment Attorney or a Management Company so that their music was not “Unsolicited”. I also learned that sometimes artist or bands have an in (as a person who has a contact) to a major label to be heard. By the time I figured this out, I had already signed to an independent label in Houston and then went on my own with my own label. So from there, I pivoted and had never pursued the major record labels as I was doing well on my own.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.vertigobluetm.com
- Instagram: Vertigo Blue TM
- Facebook: Vertigo Blue TM
- Youtube: Vertigo Blue TM
- Soundcloud: Vertigo Blue TM
- Other: iHeartRadio Vertigo Blue TM Radio station and Vertigo Blue TM on Bandcamp
