Chatting about his current tours, Michael Shuman (better known as Mikey Shoes) had a talk with us about his bands Queens of the Stone Age and Mini Mansions, the lack of vacationing in his life and a brand new EP, Works Every Time, which is released today.
Mikey had a lot to say about his tour after just finishing up playing in Japan for Summer Sonic Festival, naming the country and in particular Tokyo as one of his favourite places in the world. Despite a different crowd where you can’t even hear them getting rowdy before the band comes on, Shuman say’s that the crowds “were energetic” and kept things spicy. When it comes to fitting in time to write new songs and create new music with his band, the musician had one tip. No days off.
Discussing their epic “lightsaber-esqe” light show, Shuman talks about how their lighting director is phenomenal and how easy it is to get injured in the other-worldly show. “It’s exciting and dangerous, like little American Gladiators” Mikey says when talking about their impressive show created by their talented lighting director.
“We usually have our lighting director design the show. [We} give her the directions, and than she goes at it.” Describing their lighting director in one word, Mikey Shuman puts in plainly. “She’s a beast.”
Chatting about Mini Mansion’s re-imagining of Edwyn Collin’s 1994 track “A Girl Like You” for the new EP Works Every Time, Shuman thought not only that the song was such a hit but that he remembered seeing it when he was younger in Empire Records. “I always thought the song was such a hit” Shuman said, discussing the song.
“[Empire Records] was a big movie for a young kid who was searching for music”, with Shuman believing the lyrical content made it feel as if the song was their own and that it had the same sentiments, so that it fit well with the other songs on their EP.
When it comes to touring with his bands, Michael Shuman is no stranger to long nights of music but when it comes to the one and only time that Mini Mansions opened for QOTSA at SXSW, Shuman said he wouldn’t do it again. “I don’t like to mix the two,” He said, preferring to keep his music separate.
Finally, whilst discussing the magnificence that is The Bronx who managed to pull of a The Bronx/Mariachi El Bronx all Mikey had was respect for the band who were one of the first to take him on tour when he was only eighteen. “[The Bronx] really helped us out. They keep it fresh,” Shuman said, referring to their ever growing group as one big family.
Fingers crossed we see Mikey and his bands back in Australia very soon. In the meantime, the new Mini Mansions EP Works Every Time is out today.
For more information on music, tours and all that juicy stuff head on over to Mini Mansions website HERE and Queens of the Stone Age‘s page HERE.
Interview conducted by Larry Heath.
