Get to know: Mike Stephenson

I met Mike Stephenson in the nineties, when his band and my band went head-to-head in a "battle of the bands" in Bristol. We were the third best band in the competition, but we came out as winners, for some reason. Mike's band, Elijah Strange, was better — and I felt like we all knew it. Mike was a beast on the drums and his brother Chad was a stellar guitarist and front man — they had a great sound and show. Not just talented, but extremely nice and good-hearted folks — the kind of people you really want to see do well and succeed.Over the years, it was no surprise that Mike become more involved in music and made great records with and for local artists — he honed his skills, basically lived in the studio, and crafted a working relationship with some of the most talented people in the region. And then he made relationships with artists from outside the region. And then he blew up. The success he deserved arrived in a big way.Last year, Mike's relationship with cellist Dave Eggar led to work with some big names in the business and also brought his first Grammy nomination. It's not often you see a small studio in a small town garnering the attention and praise Mike has received at Classic, but those who know him know it's just the start — there is plenty more to come.Spend a few moments and get to know Mike Stephenson.When did you decide music was going to be a big part of your life, and how did you first get involved?"When my brother Chad was 5 and I was 3 years old, my uncle brought his KISS ALIVE! record to our house. We must have listened to that record thousands of times and, as a lot of kids did in the 70's, we dressed up and used water color paint to pretend to be KISS.I started beating on pots and pans while he would hold a broom as a guitar. We would 'play' along to that record endlessly. The pots and pans turned into a toy drum set and a plastic guitar. When my parents figured out we weren't going to stop pretending, they got me my first real drum set around the age of 9 and I started really learning how to play (and my brother also on his first real guitar).While playing in our first original music band, we quickly realized we didn't have the money to record in the studios around the area. I saved up and bought a 4 track cassette recorder and we made our first record on that, which I still have a copy of to this day. Over the years, while working at Morrell Music in Bristol, I worked on my days off and bought better recording equipment. While recording the first album for my band, Elijah Strange, other bands started asking me to record them at their practice rooms.I did that for a couple of years until Curtis Morrell recognized how much I was working at night and offered to help me fix the top floor of the old Morrell's building and that became my first studio of my own. It had been his dad's studio in the late 60's and 70's and I was there for nearly 14 years until I acquired Classic Studio."Is this your first project, or have you been involved in other things?"Classic is my second studio that I've owned and now I'm building a new version of Classic in a bigger space."What is it about music that makes you want to perform or be involved?"From a very early age, music just spoke to me and became my identity. While other kids were partying and playing sports, I was practicing. To me, it was something I had to do. It's all I wanted to do. And it still is today. It's my only outlet for anger, sadness, happiness — it's just how I've always expressed myself. Whether playing or recording music, that's when I feel like me the most."How would you describe your music/band/project?"My main projects these days revolve around recording and the studio and building the new studio exactly as I want it. But — I'm also in a band called Black Hollow, that writes when we all can. I actually play bass in this band. The members are Pat Carter and Scott Thomas, who I also played bass with in a band called Revlow, and Adam Goodson on guitar, who has been a good friend of mine for many years also. We are a hard rock/metal band that mixes aggressive music with melodic vocals and harmonies. I was always influenced by Alice In Chains, as were the other guys, so there's a good deal of that type of thing going on in it. We have some music up and are working on several more songs."Is this something you see yourself doing as a career?"For me, the studio is the career. It's taken me farther in music than I ever could've hoped for. The band is something we do because we love it and love writing music. Hopefully some other people will like the songs also, but it really is strictly for our own satisfaction. We are all close friends, so that makes it even better."What are your other interests? Do you have any surprise talents or hobbies?"I'm not sure I have any surprise talents. I am somewhat handy with computers and can fix problems with them. I have done some video work in the past and some graphic art for album covers and promotional material. Just some artsy, creative type things. I stay mostly in the music world. It has surprisingly kept me a float for many years and I'm very thankful for that. I get to do what I love and it's kept the bills mostly paid."Who are your influences/favorites (worldwide and local)?"As I mentioned previously, KISS was the first influence and what got me into music initially. The Beatles are right there with them but it wasn't until my twenties that they clicked for me. Alice In Chains changed everything for me. I love a lesser known band called Ours, who I think are incredible. Queens Of The Stone Age are one of my favorites. But I also like silly bands like The Darkness and Steel Panther. Sometimes I like some humor, but not too often.I also love other types of music like The Civil Wars and Lee DeWyze. There's so many.As far as local influences, I could go on for days. Omega Tribe was a favorite. They were all close friends, and I ended up recording them a lot and running live sound for them often. I always loved Scull Soup. Wormwood:Earth was a great band. Punchin' Judy. Most any band from that 90's era in Bristol and the surrounding area. I recorded so many bands and I really loved all of them. It would be impossible to list them all."If you could tell people one thing they should know about you, what would it be?"This is a hard question. I would say that aside from the immense love I have for my wife and family, that I love the life that has been afforded me by all the years of music that I've been lucky enough to make with everyone I've worked with. I truly do appreciate every project I've had the opportunity to work on. I hope there's many, many more years ahead."How can you be reached for booking or information about Classic Studio?"The best way to get hold of me is my email, classicstudiobristol@gmail.com — or you can call me at 423-383-5851. I'm hoping to have the new Classic Studio open by October, but there have been a few roadblocks and set backs with the city and that kind of thing. But that's the plan as of now."