I first became friends with Mike Smith in the early 1980s working at a Toy Store in Indianapolis. Mike and I came from very different backgrounds, but immediately found that we had a lot of common ground – most of which was based on music. I was mostly a percussionist at that time, but mike was writing and recording songs, and it was immediately fascinating to me. He introduced me to a lot of new styles and artists, and I can still remember the first multi-track recording Mike played for me. I couldn’t believe how cool it was that he could record 4 voice parts on one tape, go back and over-dub, bounce tracks down to one, and make room for more sounds. It was an instant friendship, and I learned a lot from Mike.

Fast forward a lot of years. Life took us in different directions, and prior to the internet and social media, it was much harder to stay in touch with people, and sadly I sort of lost track. But recently, I was fortunate to reconnect and much to my delight I found that Mike had been consistently making music through the years and had started releasing albums under the name “Ocean Empire”. He had also been painting (See some of his work here) and while he remained employed in a “normal job” he was very much an artist. For my part, I had kept playing, and music remained an important part of my life as well. So, the connection we had neglected was still there, and I was so happy to find my old (no pun intended) friend and find out what he had been creating during this time.

It’s almost a cliché now to say 2020 was a hard year. People found ways to cope the best we could, and I think we all learned about ourselves. Everyone coped in the way that made the most sense to them. There was no right or wrong way to get through this year, and there was certainly no easy way. But I did take comfort in some of the shining lights I saw from people who managed to lean into their creative side, or productive side, or whatever it was that helped them get through. And of course, nothing magical happened when 2020 ended, and while we are starting to see some light at the end of the tunnel, we know there’s more coping and more endurance needed.

Back to Mike… We were pleased to welcome Mike to the podcast for a number of reasons. First, I was so interested in the creative outlet he has maintained over the years, and I think a lot of us can relate to the need for something aside from work and chores and responsibility to focus on. Of course, given the year we have all had, this need has become even greater. On this episode we get a chance to talk to Mike about how music has been a part of his life, what has influenced him, and we get some specific insights into the latest Ocean Empire release, Summerland. We hope this will provide some inspiration to our audience to find their own outlet. When we are growing up, we try new things and learn new things, play music, take ballet, dabble in art, and as we grow up, we need to “be responsible” and make money and start families and those interest take a back seat. Maybe as adults we should go back to some of those experiences that can provide artistic expression and stress release. Maybe it’s an instrument you once played or are interested in playing, maybe you’ve always wanted to paint or bake or run a marathon. Whatever it is, we hope this episode will spark some idea and reignite that passion.

You can find Mike’s latest release onSpotifyamong other online sources. One thing I particularly enjoy about the album is how it is organized from beginning to end. If you listen, I encourage you to listen in order. We include some samples during the episode, as well as a preview of the first track at the very end[1].

You can find the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Anchor and more. As always… listen all the way to the end for some bonus content. (#outtakes)

[1] The poem read by ee cummings is in the public domain

Be a Rock Star in your Own Home