Veteran guitarist, bassist, songwriter and vocalist Mike Skill has made his mark as a co-founding member of The Romantics for the past four decades. About a month ago, Skill released his debut solo album, entitled ‘Skill…Mike Skill’, out now on all music digital platforms.

Skill’s new album consists of 11 original songs penned by Skill as well as the rocker’s recent remake of ‘What I Like About You’, the classic party anthem that Skill co-wrote with Romantics bandmate Jimmy Marinos in 1979. The album features Skill on lead and backup vocals, lead guitar, rhythm guitar and bass along with Brad Elvis (current member of The Romantics) and Kevin Rankin (A Flock of Seagulls) on drums. Also featured are Mc5’s Wayne Kramer on ”67 Riot’, Ricky Rat on guitar, Chloe F. Orwell on guest vocals and Patrick Harwood on harmonica.

With The Romantics touring halted during the pandemic, Skill turned to songwriting in his home studio in Portland, Oregon. While sheltering at home, Skill recalls that he “was bursting at the seams with that Detroit energy”, invoking the signature rock sound of his hometown which compelled him to write incessantly. Says the artist, “As I was writing, I couldn’t help reflecting on the music that came before me, that I grew up with”.

“Rock and roll with a Detroit attitude and energy!”

Your new album was recently released. What kind of record did you want to make with ‘Skill…Mike Skill’?

Mike Skill: I knew that it was going to be a straight rock and roll album, and I wanted to include some players from Detroit. For me, it’s about writing good songs and sticking to my influences and holding onto what I know best. Rock and roll with a Detroit attitude and energy!

An artist’s environment also determines what is said, felt, projected, & heard. Growing up in Detroit, it was 6 months raw winter, 6 months humid summer and at a time when the city was somewhat smelly, dirty, often smokey and was a tuff hard working class, union town. Early 1960’s the big 4 GM, Ford, Chrysler, and Chevrolet, building cars 24 hours a day, all year. Minus the three big Holidays.

I grew up hearing the beginnings of Motown and their songs on the powerful AM radio station from across the river in Canada. They had their own music director, they played what they wanted, all of the early vocal groups Smokey Robinson & the Miracles ‘Shop Around’, the Temptations, the Four Tops, Supremes & James Jamerson “cutting time” on the Fender Bass. The popular stations in Detroit were WKNR, & Soul Station WJLB! During that time, mid-sixties Detroit Rock’ n Roll bands & the teen club scene were just exploding. With Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels, Bob Seger & the Last Heard, Grand Funk Railroad, The MC5, the Psychedelic Stooges with Iggy, The Amboy Dukes featuring Ted Nugent, and later the Sky with a young Doug Feiger on Bass Guitar. After high school, I worked through those winters in small shops that manufactured small auto parts, one of hundreds around Detroit, just to earn money to buy a better Guitar, amps and Gear, when the month of June came, I took the Summers off! At the time Rock ‘n Roll was looked at as a hobby, a phase, something to get serious or grow up from. I was originally off to Art school, but the Romantics endeavor and success changed all that. (Back tracking, the summer before entering High School,) I discovered John Lee Hooker, B.B. King, the Yardbirds, Beck, Clapton, & Page. It was now a different Guitar world! First it was just learning songs, chords, structure, and dexterity. Now, it was learning to play a solo. With melodies and phrases, in the right key. I was collecting Guitar Licks, Jammin’. ‘Look out’, my fave, Steve Cropper.

Today someone in Austin, Texas, Los Angeles, or NYC writing songs or playing music will have a totally different makeup, different outlook, different influences, & upbringing, to draw from as a songwriter.

I think the listener is looking for an escape in music, and a songwriter is creating that escape, that dream, that other world. I can’t imagine not being a songwriter, having that place to go to, where I escape to find it… that universe.

How do you usually approach music making?

There are so many ways that I use to help me find a path to a new song, from a melody in my head or a few guitar notes. As I said, I have a large backlog of music throughout my life, also on writing pads, lyrics on my phone, song parts, titles, chorus and more. It is a large source to pull from. The most fun is just sitting and playing guitar alone, I will have a basic idea and fly with it, it might be a melody/chorus, or a few chords and it takes off from there.

“The listener is looking for an escape in music”

You wrote or co-wrote many of The Romantics’ signature hits, including ‘What I Like About You’ and ‘Talking in Your Sleep’. How was it to work with the band compared to making your own solo release?

Me and Jimmy Marinos wrote ‘What I Like About You’. I wrote the music and Jimmy wrote the lyrics. I can up with the bass line for ‘Talking In Your Sleep’, if you don’t have that bass line idea you have no start to a song.

Sometimes I would have to leave room or be open to space for other ideas coming from the band members. With my record it is all on me. I would come up with a basic song, a few lyrics and I was thinking, “I have to sing this”, “It’s for me”. With my own record I don’t have to allow for others to throw in ideas, I make the final decision, the choice to what I want the song to be.

Can you share some further details on how your latest album was recorded?

The album features you on the lead and backup vocals, lead guitar, rhythm guitar and bass along with Brad Elvis (current member of The Romantics) and Kevin Rankin (A Flock of Seagulls) on drums. Also featured are MC5’s Wayne Kramer on ”67 Riot’, Ricky Rat for the Dead Boys on guitar, Chloe F. Orwell on guest vocals and Patrick Harwood on harmonica.

I had a small recording studio in the music room at my son’s school. I worked recording a few drum tracks with Drummer Kevin Rankin from Flock of Seagulls, guitar parts and compiled songs for this record. I also recorded drum tracks, guitars, and vocals in Chicago with songwriter Brad Elvis (Romantics drummer) and songwriter Chloe F. Orwell at King Size Sound Labs.

Early on, within the last couple years, I had 4 or 5 songs that I completed, songs that were mixed and then I met Producer Chuck Alkazian from Pearl Sound Studios in Canton (Detroit) MI. I handed Chuck a couple of hard drives full of my songs, and Chuck and I went through them one by one and re-mixed songs, added guitar parts and vocals where needed. To me the material and Chuck Alkazian’s quality and production came out so good it opened the door to a complete album.

Making it a family affair, my son Mick was the engineer on ‘I Got What You Want’ and the new recording of ‘What I Like About You’, recording all guitar, bass and vocals after Brad Elvis sent me the drums tracks, then we sent all tracks to Chuck Alkazian where Patrick Harwood recorded the harp part and Chuck mixed and produced all songs at Pearl Sound Studios.

I knew in the beginning I wanted to use other musicians from Detroit. It was an honor to have Wayne Kramer from the MC5 and MC50 play guitar on ”67 Riot’, Ricky Rat from The Dead Boys and Trash Brats, Patrick Harwood put his harmonica touch on ‘What I Like About You’, Rich Cole (Romantics bass player) and Detroit Vocalist Meridith Lorde sang backup on ‘Not My Business’. Producer Chuck Alkazian also played keyboards and background vocals on the album. Drummer Brad Elvis and Chloe F. Orwell (The Handcuffs) are from Chicago to add a Chicago Midwest flavor.
I play bass and guitar on all the songs, Lead vocals and backup vocals.

What’s the story behind your song about the infamous Detroit riots in the 60s?

I was 13 years old, on an extremely hot summer in July of 1967 there was a riot in Detroit. A few weeks earlier there had been another incident not far away and tensions had been building. Soldiers were home celebrating from the service. They had a late night gathering that went into the early morning hours. Police raided and there were people injured and killed and the rioting ensued. Marshall Law was declared in Detroit. The National Guard came into our neighborhood. This was probably 5 miles away with soldiers, machine guns on jeeps, tanks, and helicopters. Fear and hate were instilled by local TV news and newspapers all raised hostilities, creating a wider racial divide for years to come. It has all stuck over the years and I felt words and feelings needed to come out in a song.

Detroit was quite a special place back in the Sixties. Do you feel that it influenced The Romantics?

Yes, Detroit had a big influence on us and thousands of musicians have come out of Detroit since then. It was a Detroit rock and roll invasion of the world. To us and musicians everywhere. Also, not just rock and roll but jazz, blues and soul.

This might be a bit of an unusual question, but would you like to share a few sentences that come to your mind when remembering albums by The Romantics?

‘National Breakout’
The band was erroneously advised by management and the label to go into the studio and record by the end of the same year as the Romantics first album was released which was a mistake. We still had not finished touring with the first album and were told to go into the studio and do the second album. We had toured America and Canada and we had to come up with material for the second album in a matter of months. Guitar parts, solos it was such bad advice but the record turned out great anyway. But it was dramatic and damaged relationships within the band and management. Great record though.

‘The Romantics’
Another great record.

‘Strictly Personal’
I was not on this album.

‘In Heat’
I was asked by management and label to come back to write songs since the prior album that I was not on failed to chart, or the band was going to get dropped by the label. The Label said to bring Skill back in or hire a songwriter. Recorded in legendary studio Criteria Studios in North Miami Beach, Florida. Good record and I was glad to be back in the studio. ‘Talking In Your Sleep’ went to number 2 on the Billboard charts and we were on the road touring, out for 11 months.

‘Rhythm Romance’
We were ill advised to jump right back into the studio without time to regroup after the exit of drummer Jimmy Marinos to be able to chart out a good game plan and sound. Good songs, meek production.

What are some of the most important musicians that influenced your own style and what in particular did they employ in their playing that you liked?

There are so many I listened to growing up. Scotty Moore, Hank Garland (Elvis’ guitarist), James Burton (Ricky Nelson/ Elvis, guitarist), Chuck Berry, Steve Cropper, George Harrison, Steve Hunter, Peter Green, Keith Richards. Blues Guitarists Jimmy Vaughn, Hubert Sumlin, B.B. King, Jimmy McCarty. Importantly, MC5’s Fred “Sonic” Smith, Wayne Kramer, Stooges, Ron Ashton, bands Yardbirds and The Who.

These guitarists in writing their parts to fit the feel of the songs they played on, all played with a natural ease that always tops speed and flash is what attracted me to them.

Are you planning to go on tour when the pandemic will slow down?

Yes!

Thank you. Last word is yours.

Looking forward to getting out and playing and touring again and more writing and recording. Thank you for the interview, hope we meet soon on the road.

Klemen Breznikar

Mike Skill Official Website / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / Apple Music / Spotify / Bandcamp / YouTube
The Romantics Official Website / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / Music Apple / Spotify / YouTube