Mike Walsh the guitar virtuoso and founding member of Sage was called up to answer to MER questions regarding their second, impressive self financed EP and the future plans about a full length album.
Metal Express Radio:
Happy New Year and congratulations on your latest release In Vain
MW:
Happy New Year to you too and thanks for the great review!
MER:
The EP has been released for quite a while. Are you satisfied from the metal scene’s reaction to In Vain?
MW:
Since its release in September of ’05, we have been psyched about the overwhelmingly positive response from both critics and fans.
MER:
Are you in search of a record deal because you have already self financed two EPs?
MW:
SAGE is currently talking with major managers and labels. However, the band’s main focus is taking our music to the next level. If that involves getting a record deal which allows us to write and perform music as a career, than we are all for it. In the mean time, I have opened up a new recording studio (Sinister Studios) so that the band can continue to release high quality recordings regardless of if they are self financed or backed by a label.
MER:
What are the difficulties that a band faces without a record contract?
MW:
The difficulties are getting a major CD distribution, play on mainstream radio and television, and performing on big tours. If these issues are important to you, then they will be difficult to deal with on your own.
MER:
How long did the composing/recording sessions last?
MW:
We are perfectionists, so both the composing and recording take a long time. Luckily, we were able to take as much time as we needed to get the songs recorded the way that we wanted. I made a huge list of things the band needed to improve on after the first cd, and it took time to achieve them all for the new record.
MER:
Did you face any problems during that period?
MW:
Ya, that there are ONLY 24 hours in a day! We couldn’t wait for people to hear the finished product of all of our hard work.
MER:
Were you the only composer? Did the rest of the band contribute in any way?
MW:
I compose all of the music and Tracey writes all of the lyrics while giving arranging, editing and mood input. Tracey and I have been writing like this since the day we started the band and we have finally found our sound on the new album.
MER:
What is your composing procedure? Do the lyrics or the music come first?
MW:
It varies. Sometimes, I will have music already written and then we will pair it with Tracey’s lyrics that fit the music’s mood and emotion. Other times, I will write songs around Tracey’s lyrics and her intended mood for them. It’s more complex than that, but for the sake of time, that’s it in a nutshell.
MER:
Are there any differences when composing music with a female singer?
MW:
Maybe some writers might change their style or soften it up, but we do not look at our music as gender specific. We are both into metal and have similar musical tastes, so my composing process is no different than if a guy was singing in the band.
MER:
Tracey has a wonderful voice. What is her musical background?
MW:
She has been studying for several years with a great vocal coach, Sheryl Rak. Tracey has worked extremely hard and has really found her own style and tone. I couldn’t be more impressed with her voice, and it has really helped the band’s unique sound shine through on the new record.
MER:
Is SAGE a project or a full time band?
MW:
SAGE is beyond a full time band, it’s a huge part of our lives and what we focus on everyday. For me, it’s pretty much everything I have been working towards since I started playing guitar and writing music.
MER:
Can you pinpoint SAGE’s music influences?
MW:
While I have yet to hear a band that sounds exactly like us, I would agree with others that hear elements of Alice in Chains, Metallica, Tool, Dream Theater and A Perfect Circle in our music. We do like all of those bands, but never intended to be in the style of any one of them.
MER:
What names can we find in your best guitarist list?
MW:
Steve Vai, John Petrucci, DimeBag Darrel, Marty Friedman and Tom Hess. All of these guys are great players and song/solo writers.
MER:
What are your activities outside SAGE?
MW:
Currently I pretty much spend all of my time consumed with music or sports cars. I wish I had time to get back on the baseball field or basketball court but its just not going to happen until I get to where I want to be with my music career.
MER:
When did you start playing guitar?
MW:
I started right around my 14th birthday in 8th grade.
MER:
Do you have any piece of advice for anyone that wants to start playing guitar?
MW:
If you play it because you love it, it will never let you down. It really is one of the coolest instruments on the planet. Also, if you can find a great guitar teacher to help guide, mentor and coach you along the way, you can achieve the goal that made you want to start playing in the first place.
MER:
Do you have any tour plans?
MW:
Currently we are rehearsing and hope to have some dates on our website soon.
MER:
You have already released two EPs, is it about time to release a full length album?
MW:
Yes. Our intentions/strategies for the two EPs worked out pretty well for us. We now have our sound and are writing and working on releasing a full length CD next.
MER:
What is the next step for SAGE?
MW:
We have a bunch of opportunities in front of us right now and hopefully will have a lot more to say in the near future about this. I am confident that SAGE will have a full length CD out soon.
MER:
Thanks for your time. Feel free to add anything you’d like to.
MW:
Thanks Dimitris for taking the time to get to know us. Hopefully we will come back in the future and pick up where this one left us off. Take care, SAGE.
Be the first to comment