There’s not many ways to properly describe We Were Pirates. You could say the music is awesome, or super awesome. But my feeling on the matter is that We Were Pirates is a one man bandgasm of awesomeness. And today, I was able to get to talking with Mike Boggs, the man behind the music. Mike, a resident of DC, and a Belmont University Alumni, has been enjoying life with his wife Lisa, working and playing music whenever he can. With shows here and there, plus a new album that just recently came out called “Cutting Ties”, there’s always something new to find with We Were Pirates.
Washington D.C.
United States
Genre: Indie / Pop / Rock
Album(s): The Wolf EP, Cutting Ties
Website: http://www.myspace.com/wewerepirates
Bobby: So Mike, for a first time listener, what is We Were Pirates all about?
Mike: Oh, hello there Bobby. I didn’t see you there. We Were Pirates started a couple of years ago. I started taking the melodies that would burrow into my head and torment my brains and recording them on my computer. I didn’t know much at all about recording, but I figured I’d pretend that I did. I had an iBook and a got a copy of Garageband and just hit record and started layering different instruments. My ADD came in handy at this point because, since I’ve never had the patience to get really good at any one instrument, I am decent at several. Anyway, I started really liking the songs I was making and playing them for some friends. And since all of my friends are musicians, they started backing me up on various instruments and we were booking shows before long….and music just kept becoming more and more of annoying obsession.
Bobby: I’d like to ask you a bit about your newest album, “Cutting Ties”. Honestly, I can’t get enough of it. Where did the inspiration come for the album concept?
Mike: Thanks man. The concept for the album is pretty loose. While I wouldn’t classify it as a concept record, there’s a definite theme. Most of the characters in the songs are lonely and selfish and have a pretty easy time making superficial connections, but a really difficult time keeping and maintaining any kind of depth when it comes to personal relationships…hence the title…. “Cutting Ties.”
Bobby: What is the process like for you when you are writing and recording new songs?
Mike: It’s about 50/50 for me. I carry a little voice recorder with me and about half the songs come from melodies that get stuck in my head throughout the day and half of them come from sitting down with a guitar, bass, or drum kit and building a song. And it’s extremely sporadic. I’ll go weeks or months without writing a song and then sit down and write 3 or 4 at a time. And usually when I’m writing it, I think every song is a hit. So, I’ve learned to give them at least two weeks and then go back and listen….and by then, I usually think most of them suck.
The rest of them, I record a really rough version of and then make notes about what to change about the songs and once I have enough accumulated, I start the grueling process of recording them one-by-one, by myself in my studio.
Bobby: One of the things I love is that you’re very into recording spontaneous tracks, not in connection with any albums. It’s like a fun little surprise every time I jump onto your MySpace or Facebook page. You recently just released a cover of Thriller, by Michael Jackson. It’s a really fun rendition, just in time for Halloween too. Do you have any ideas for future songs? Perhaps some new Christmas tracks like last year?
Mike: Yeah man. Cover songs are a blast. You get all the fun of re-imagining a song with none of the personal involvement of it being an original. It’s kind of freeing.
I don’t have any plans at the moment, but the Thriller thing just kind of happened in a few days because we were playing a Halloween show and wanted to do something fun. It’s generally a pretty spontaneous process.
Bobby: One thing I’ve been interested to see is one of your live shows; unfortunately I missed the last one. What is the live show experience like at a We Were Pirates show?
Mike: We play as a three-piece, which can be a bit limiting, but the songs are simple and I think it works pretty well. When I started We Were Pirates, I was in Nashville and we played as four-piece. When I moved back to DC, I was a bit out of the loop and it was pretty tough just to find two guys who wanted to play. Ben and Gabe and I all get along really well and after having played together for about a year and a half, we’ve got a good thing going. We’ve tried to add a fourth, but in the end we seem to prefer to keep it simple.
The songs definitely have a different feel live than they do on the records, which I really like. I bring the guys the recording I do and we use them kind of like a blueprint. They listen to the parts I write and change things a little bit and we just try to find a way of playing the song we think will translate to a live audience. I think it would be somewhat boring if all the songs sounded exactly the same as they do on the records.
Bobby: Is there anything that you’d like to let people know, perhaps upcoming shows or music for fans to look out for?
Mike: At the moment, we’ve got two songs on the books. We’re playing November 20th with Goodnight, States in Fredericksburg, VA. And we’re also playing with Lights on December 12th at DC9 in DC. After the holidays, we’re planning some weekend tours that will hopefully include Nashville. I’ll keep you posted.
Bobby: Mike, thanks again for doing this, I appreciate the time, and I wish We Were Pirates all the best!
Mike: Likewise, Mr. Tate…..Likewise
You can download three free songs from We Were Pirates at Last.FM by clicking HERE!
Also, check out Mike’s Myspace Page, or look him up on Facebook.
We Were Pirates - The Making of “Settle Down” from We Were Pirates on Vimeo.
