BY:  Kreig Marks, May 1, 2020

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TRR:  Hi, Mike.  Congratulations on the new album, Viking. I wish it were a more exciting time for you guys to be announcing the release of the album.  How are you guys dealing with this craziness with this “plague?”

 

MG:  This is a tough time for everyone.  We are just sitting tight and writing music.

 

TRR:  Hopefully, once the quarantine is over, you guys will be able to get back out on the circuit to promote the album.   I assume there’s been a lot of shows that had to be rescheduled.

 

MG:  Yes, like everyone out there, we've had to postpone our schedule.  But we will be back out there soon.

 

TRR:  Tell me a bit about the band. 

 

MG:  Well, I'm Mike, the bass player.  Andy Mitchell is on vocals and guitar.  Mark Nawara is on the drums, and his brother, Matt, is on lead guitar. 

 

TRR:  You all got together in 2016, right?  What is the band history of you guys?

 

MG:  I had known the brothers for some time. I met Andy when we formed the band.

 

TRR:  Your first single, “Soldier Boy” did pretty-well on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Chart back in 2018.  How did that feel, seeing the success you had?

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MG:  It's tremendous. It helps us build [momentum]. It's always great hearing your record on radio.

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TRR:  Your song "Viking", from the new album, has already done well on Billboard, too.  A sister site we’re involved with at Tru Rock Revival Magazine is Bandivious; a platform to promote unsigned and newly signed bands, and we will enjoy promoting these killer songs. 

 

MG:  That's great, please do.

 

TRR:  Tell me about the first-time you guys performed live.  How did that go?

 

MG:  It was great. We played a big club in our area, and had an enthusiastic response. We always have a great time playing live.

 

TRR:  Who are some of your musical influences? 

 

MG:  l like a lot of the older stuff. Jeff Beck, Zeppelin comes to mind, and some of the current stuff is really good.  21 Pilots and Black Keys make great albums.

 

TRR:  Who would you guys like to share a tour with?

 

MG:  Any Modern Rock acts that we could get with.  We have done shows with Soil, and we have dates coming up with Puddle of Mudd.

 

TRR:  The new album was mixed by Ulrich Wild.   I can definitely hear his influence in there, especially on "Carnival," "Little Bit," and "Midnight Moses."  What was it like working with Ulrich?

 

MG:  He's a great guy.  He has incredible ears and he works fast, so we had to be alert and on our toes.

 

TRR:  No 80’s style rock ballads on this record.  It’s all in-your-face Hard Rock.  I like that.  What’s been the general consensus from your fans?

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MG:  It's being received really well. The band has developed nicely, as far as material.  We have a bunch, and pick what we feel is working best and go with it. 

 

TRR:  Aside from the current quarantine, how’s the music scene in Chicago these days?

 

MG:  There are some great bands in the city, although it can be tough to get people out to support the live scene sometimes.

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TRR:  Unfortunately, it's like that in a lot of cities these days. Was performing at Rock USA your biggest thrill as a band so far?

 

MG:  It really was. It's a massive fest with some great bands on the bill. One thing that we can't forget was the heat. It was a particularly hot day.

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TRR:  Hopefully, this year’s festival will go on as scheduled.  Did you get to hang out with any of the other bands there?  We’ve had the opportunity to interview a lot of those bands, and they were all very cool.

 

MG:  A little bit. And yeah. All cool guys.

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TRR:  How do you guys write your songs?  Is this a team effort?

 

MG:  Yeah. There are little sparks of ideas and everybody builds on that and we see where it goes.

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TRR:  Tell me about your relationship with Pavement Records.

 

MG:   Pavement has been great. They are very smart in how they work with time and other resources available. Great people to work with.

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TRR:  Any advice for other up- and- coming bands that are trying to get their name out there?

 

MG:  Just keep working hard and enjoy the work.

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TRR:  Best place in Chicago for pizza?

 

MG:  Villa Nova on Perishing Road.  

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TRR: Without a doubt?

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MG: Without a doubt!

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TRR:  Mike Ditka or Brian Urlacher?

 

MG:  Ditka. Da coach

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TRR:  Thanks, Mike!  

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MG:  Thank you so much. 

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For more information about The Outfit, visit their website at www.theoutfit.rocks

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