Not too many musicians would leave an up-and-coming promising modern-alternative garage rock band to seek a relatively solo career as a virtual unknown. But that’s just what singer/songwriter Mike Tichy did. He left New York City’s The Moony Suzuki more than a year ago to pursue a solo project that so far has seen its share of adversity.
Tichy walked away from a band that is hip, exciting and on the verge of stardom. Suzuki has been featured on MTV, Rolling Stone and Spin, and they are playing in the second-coming of Lollapalooza this summer. Tichy was Suzuki’s bassist. He was with them during their media blitz, which included a performance on the Late Late Show.
"The kids I teach guitar lessons to think I’m cool because I was with Suzuki," Tichy said. "I don’t regret leaving. I find it funny when people are surprised to hear I left them. The fact is I want to make my own music."
His young students may think their 28-year-old instructor is cool because he was with The Moony Suzuki, but Tichy did not see it that way. The band’s business-like attitude and relentless touring suffocated Tichy’s creativity, he said, and his desire to pursue his own musical interests was too strong to ignore. When he departed from Suzuki, he took some time to write and record melodies in his apartment in Boonton. Last winter he recruited friends to start a band and make a record. The result was Self-Titled. An independent effort consisting a dozen tracks of mellow acoustic rock with a whole lot of melancholy, Tichy’s lyrics evoke pain, struggle and despair. There are some catchy hooks in songs like "Picture Perfect" and "Palatine," but they are unintentional. Tichy’s philosophy is to be non-pop and a deep poetic singer/songwriter. His sound is a bit like Nick Drake, and Tichy said he finds inspiration in early Elton John and Otis Redding music.
"Helplessly stranded on an island of time misery greets me as I climb rising occasions, leading to endless ends further increasing my decline once I was empty…so won’t you please baby come home," he writes in "Come Home."
The songs persevere in making the listener believe the singer will eventually find happiness. A self-described underdog, Tichy inspires his audience to root for him in Self-Titled.
"I have a better chance at succeeding in life doing this than anything else," Tichy said. "This is what I do best."
Young and at clubs
As a teenager, many of Tichy’s peers joined clubs and athletic teams at Parsippany Hills High School in Parsippany, but Tichy played guitar with friends at New York City clubs. He joined a couple of bands and was out and about almost every weekend earning little money and meeting people. He learned about the music scene – the business, fans, touring, and performing aspects. His older brother, Brian, is an accomplished session musician who has played with Billy Idol, Ozzy Osbourne and Foreigner, to name a few. He is also the big reason why Tichy decided to leave The Moony Suzuki.
"For more than 10 years, all my brother did was play for other people. He never did his own thing. Now he regrets it," Tichy said. "I don’t want that to happen to me."
After high school, Tichy enrolled in the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston. He graduated with a jazz performance/songwriting degree. The jazz took a backseat after graduation, while Tichy focused on his singer/songwriter career. He moved to Boonton and recorded songs, engineering them with a computer. Before joining Moony Suzuki, he toured the tri-state area and met Andy Gesner from Artist Amplification in South River. Gesner helped Tichy land gigs and he even promoted Tichy’s music on his CD compilations. In 2000 he met The Moony Suzuki.
"They told me they needed a bass player. I rehearsed with them all summer and toured with them," he said. "It was a good learning experience, but I wanted to pursue my own trajectory."
He left Suzuki after several months. Tichy then formed a band and recorded Self-Titled. Tichy’s "coolest band in the world" includes Joe Vigliotti (bass), Mike Catapano (drums) and Mike Low (guitar).
Lately Tichy is feeling more and more like the underdog in the music biz, he said. As an independent artist, Tichy lacks the support of a record label. He has to front and manage the band, something he does not enjoy.
"I hate calling booking managers. Many times they don’t want to deal with you," he said. "I wish I had the pull. I don’t have pull right now."
Music industry pull may be on its way if Tichy continues recording meaningful hard folk melodies for a new generation. His primary goal is to spread his music to as many people possible. On June 27 he will headline a Maxwell’s show that includes Particle Zoo, Speedsters & Dopers and Stereo Generation. The show starts at 9 p.m. and tickets are $7.
Maxwell’s is located at 1039 Washington St. in Hoboken. For information call (201) 653-1703 or visit www.maxwellsnj.com. For information on Tichy visit www.miketichy.com. q