Mike Scully

I think Mike Scully is an extraordinary singer and songwriter. His impassioned songs can veer between the exhausting struggles of life and heartbreaking episodes of love. Scully’s latest noble songwriting endeavor sits somewhere in between, but only on a whole higher plain, as the writer himself explains how the song “Take Me When You Go”, came about. “I wrote this song for a dear friend of mine who lost his beautiful wife to cancer 2 years ago. Days before she passed they married and were selfless enough to share the photos with us on Facebook. The truth is the photos were quite shocking as I had not realized how sick she truly was.”

“Here is this well built, extremely healthy looking man in his prime,” continues Mike Scully, “marrying, holding, kissing, and crying with a woman so frail and fragile. By then she could not even stand. After seeing those pictures I sat down at my piano and asked myself if I could do what I was witnessing my friend do. Could I stay and allow myself to fall more in love with a woman that I know I will shortly lose? I put myself in his position and began writing. The next day she passed away. I completed the song that night with tears in my eyes.”

Mike Scully
Mike Scully
Indeed, “Take Me When You Go” offers up a prayer to friends and not with mere platitudes, but surges of white-hot honesty delivered in Mike Scully spoonful of sugar timbre. In many ways, this track could serve as a spiritual companion and as the world’s most heartrending pep talk on loss.

Through its painful and tragic theme the tune manages to convey a small ray of hope, while also coping with the inevitable. This music is what I like to call ‘soul music’. It’s like a squeeze to your heart and oh man does this guy make you feel the things he feels.

The song is more than just throwing an arm around an ill-fated pal; this is like a handwritten letter you’d keep folded up in your pocket to take out and read over and over until it begins to tear at the creases, the text allowing you to muster up strength and courage in rough times.

Though each time you read it, tears will flow from your eyes. It is absolutely breathtaking. But what else would you expect from this master wordsmith and musician? His music has always been hauntingly beautiful, and this song is no different.

Mike Scully is a wonderfully literate songwriter, a man who possesses both a poet’s ear and a truth-teller’s heart. This song speaks plainly of the deeply intimate pain of love and life lost. But it does so without being heavily rhetorical, cheesy or preachy.

There are millions of singer-songwriters I don’t know out there, and I’m going to miss out on getting to know the music of most them. I’m very glad I didn’t miss out on Mike Scully, though. I think his music may figure into the music-scape of my life for some time to come. And he should be doing the same for you. - Jamshpere Magazine

1. Where are we talking from today?

A. Southern California

2. What would you like to accomplish in 2019?

A. 2019 is already half over now, and I feel I have accomplished a great deal thus far. The most exciting of which was signing my exclusive management deal with Liner Entertainment Group. It’s a whole different ball game working with a team, especially one as amazing as Liner. Other than that, songwriting is truly my passion. So as far as goals go, I just want to keep writing and connecting with different audiences in different ways. I’ve started branching out of SoCal and playing some gigs out of the area and I’m excited about that. But the whole thing is a process, so I’m excited for whatever comes next.

3. What is your take on politics?

A. Regardless of opinion, children should not be locked up in cages. Other than that I stay open-minded to new ideas for old unresolved problems.

4. Where did you get your artist name from?

A. My mother and father gave it to me the day I was born.

5. Growing up, how important has music been in your life? Can you recall the moment when you decided that you wanted to be a musician? Was it an easy or difficult choice to make?

A. Music was everything to me growing up. It was my escape from reality when I needed it the most. I have many times in my life that I dreamed of becoming a musician, but one of the most impactful ones was a house party I was at for a very good mans birthday. These five old gentlemen (at least old to me at the time) were playing music and just jamming and having a blast. I remember thinking that I wanted to be one of those guys. Over the years my idea of what it means to be an artist has shifted a bit, but jamming old rock and roll tunes with four good buddies is still a whole lot of fun.

6. Was there ever a time when you thought about doing something else? If you weren’t a musician today, what could you see yourself doing?

A. I always wanted to play in the NBA but I never was too good at Basketball. My father used to tell me that I have the passion but not the skill. Couldn’t argue with him.

7. What has been the biggest surprise so far about making music your career? What has been an unexpected or welcome challenge to it all?

A. I am honestly surprised anytime anyone comes to my show, takes time to listen to a new song or much less tell me how much it meant to them. It happens quite a bit for me, and I attribute that to nature of my songwriting style. I like to dive deep into some content that may make others uncomfortable. Child Abuse, drug addiction, death, divorce. Things I have experienced and I want to show others that they are not alone. So when I get that DM from Australia from a stranger saying they heard my song and it got them through a rough patch in their life, what more could you ask for?

8. What was it like putting together your EP?

A. People ask me that all the time and the answer is always a bit longer than they expect. Because, again, for me, it’s all about the song. So when I think about “putting together my EP” I think of writing the songs and what I had to go through in my life in order to have that experience to share. The single I will be releasing very soon is titled The Alternative and the song is about mine and my sister's childhood. It was not pleasant. And I wish nothing more than to change it for my sister but I can’t. All I can do is try to raise awareness of domestic issues and child abuse so that maybe it won’t happen quite as much, or at the very least let the little 9-year-old boy know that I went through it and I got through it. So the process was painful, joyful, frustrating, revealing, informative, scary, and fun.

9. Who are some of your favorite artists or rather, what musicians have continued to inspire you and your music? Who would you still love to work with in the future?

A. Ray Charles, Brandi Carlisle, Chris Stapleton, Kacey Musgraves, James Taylor are a few of my favorites. But I am a HUGE fan of Jason Isbell and Ray Lamontagne. They are my two go-to songwriters for inspiration. The thought of working with one of them is a bit too radical for my realistic mind and honestly, I would probably be a bit too starstruck to speak around them, much less sing.

10. What has it been like keeping up with your social media accounts and all of the different platforms? Is it hard to stay up to date on it all? What would you say is your favorite way to connect with your fans now?

A. I’m not so great with Social Media. I have all the accounts and what not but it’s an area of growth for me. I like to connect with people at my shows. I am pretty raw on stage and not afraid to talk about my mistakes, regrets, sorrows, and things of that nature. And typically, someone will always come up to me afterward and thank me for being so honest and share their own experience with me. It’s quite a beautiful thing.

11. If you were going to be stranded on a deserted island, what musical item would you take with you and why?

A. Probably my piano, just because the Strings last much longer and I’m not sure how long I will be stranded. Also, if need be, I feel like I may be able to use the wood to build some sort of raft and paddle myself out of there.

12. If your music was going to be featured on any TV show that is currently on right now, which would you love it to be on? Or if you prefer, what is a movie that you love that you wish your music was featured in?

A. I wrote a song called Basketball In Heaven for my uncle when he passed away. He was a huge basketball fan and the song is an upbeat rock song celebrating his life. I would love that song to be featured in the upcoming Space Jam 2 movie!

13. At the end of the day, what do you hope people take away from your music?

A sense of companionship and a few moments to reflect.

14. When you are not making music what else do you enjoy to do?

A. Play with my children, read, write, paint, hike, talk, eat, breathe, sleep.

15. Where you @ online?

@mikescullymusic is all my social media’s.

www.mikescullymusic.com - EPR