Music Q&A with Mike Liorti of Summer Years
San Diego’s pop punkers, Summer Years, released their music video for “This Light” last month (it is AWESOME) and are getting ready to release their EP, You Can't Live There Forever, which will be out via ENCI Records! Mike Liorti (bass/background vocals) took some time to answer some questions about the EP, what musical hero of his he would interview if he could, and more!
Congratulations on the signing to ENCI Records and the release of your single, “This Light”! Everything about the song is awesome! The song is off the band’s upcoming EP, Can't Live There Forever. What does the EP mean to you?
Thanks so much! We're all super excited to be on such an awesome label that really believes in us. Regarding the song and EP, thanks for the kind words! “This Light” is kind of the title track of the EP as it has the line "You Can't Live There Forever" in it. I feel like it has a different specific meaning for everyone in the band. Universally, it means letting go of your past and what you thought you were supposed to be or maybe what you thought you deserved. For me, specifically, it stands for getting out of my parent's basement in Canada. I was touring a lot in my 20s, thinking that was eventually gonna build a loyal following and my legacy as a musician. What it actually built was a solid foundation of friends all over the country and the realization that I belonged in San Diego. Going home to my parent's basement always brought on this comfortable (as it is a very nice basement) depression. So for me it's about Flying the Coop and going where your heart belongs.
Had it not been for the pandemic, how different do you think this EP would be? What about the direction that the band has taken; would that have been different?
I feel like the pandemic just forced us to hit pause on adulting. Pre-Pandem; we were all working full time jobs that got very busy over the holidays, playing shows around town, doing small tour runs; and we had 4 new songs that we were just struggling to find the time to come together and finish. So as soon as the lockdown hit, we had more time to not only finish those songs, but get really choosy with all the lyrics and production options. We were kind of in a bubble with nowhere else to go but the little studio we set up in our practice space in Carlsbad. Then I went back home to Canada for most of 2020 and had a lot of time to keep messing around with production ideas. I flew back down in July to track those 4 songs and again we were in this youth-like bubble in LA with nowhere to go. Those distraction-less bubbles allowed us to fast forward the evolution of Summer Years' sound to be more experimental and intentional.
How old were you when you started playing music? Is the instrument you play in Summer Years, the only instrument you play?
My mom put me in classical piano lessons when I was 7. I was not cooperative because all I wanted to do was play hockey. More reading/learning was not appealing. But I'm super grateful she and my brother pushed me to stick with it. I play bass and sing backup vocals in Summer Years. I also play acoustic guitar for acoustic songs/sets. I never really saw myself as a bass player. It kind of just came with being a "yes man" in 2019 when I moved to San Diego and was hanging around Nick (frontman) a lot. It also suits my freakish height (6'9"). For my solo stuff, I play everything (drums, bass, guitar, piano, vocals). The further along I get with music, the more I realize how important a good bass player is.
Who is your favorite band to see live?
Angels & Airwaves. Hands down. I feel like I'm flying when I hear those songs and one hour feels like 5 minutes. I've seen them over 30 times and it never gets old. Very inspiring.
In your opinion, what artist/band are you a fan of that doesn’t get enough attention?
I know so many small bands across the northern hemisphere that deserve so much more recognition/attention. A band that comes to mind is our labelmates, The Aquadolls. They're getting some much deserved attention now, but I remember randomly seeing them at Soma in 2019 and I was blown away (which is rare) and only a few other people there gave a damn! I was going up to kids asking "hey, don't you think that band killed it?" and I was getting lame answers like "yeahh, they've been around for a while though"...isn't that more reason to support a band/artist? So props to them for sticking with it and finally getting their break.
If you had a chance to interview any of your musical heroes, who would it be and why?
Tom Delonge. The Goat. I just wanna figure out how he has the time to do it all and so well. I've run into him a few times and it's mostly dick jokes and me being awkward. But I feel like he's actually a really positive role model/mentor for artists, especially in these weird times. I really wanna get him on my podcast, State of My Art Podcast - quick plug ;)
What helps you stay positive?
Great art. Whenever I see someone killing it in their element, stacking on the hours and getting rewarded for it, I'm just reminded of what matters most. Even if I don't agree with the artist's message or vision, I'm still inspired and reminded life is full of beautiful individuals with different backgrounds and everything is gonna be just fine.
Any last words or final message for the readers?
Summer Years now has a TikTok. @summeryearsband on TikTok. Thanks!
Summer Years on social media and on digital streaming platforms:
Facebook | Instagram | Spotify | Apple Music