By Lisa DiCarlucci
Mike Maclain is one of the most promising young talents on the Hofstra campus. His charming folk songs are perfect to listen to while relaxing with friends over a favorite cup of coffee. He’s made it his mission to make himself known in larger music circles as of recently. Last week I sat down with Mike and was able to get his perspective on how he started out and where he’s hoping to go with his music.
The Chronicle: How would you describe your music style?
MM: If I had to use one genre I would say folk, but I try to be as varied as possible. I play some country, pop and rock.
TC: Who are your biggest music influences?
MM: I would definitely have to say Bob Dylan but the Beatles are one of my favorite bands as well as Led Zeppelin. Some more contemporary people like Wilco, the White Stripes and Damien Rice is a big one.
TC: Where do your ideas for songwriting come from?
MM: I guess just from my daily experiences. A lot of the songs are pretty literal though a lot of them come off as funny, fictional songs, but they are based in reality. I’ll take something that actually happened and change the lyrics, but I’ll know it’s just some little mundane thing.
TC: How long have you been writing music/ performing?
MM: I first bought an acoustic guitar in freshman year of high school to play in the talent show.
TC: What did you play in the talent show?
MM: The first song I ever played was “Bubble Toes” by Jack Johnson, which is a song I still love. So I’ve been performing for real for the past seven years, but I really started going at it seriously in the last year and a half. I tried to write some music throughout high school but my early stuff was pretty bad. I started writing for real the summer of 2007 and that’s the music I perform today.
TC: So you recently started breaking into the NYC open mic scene. What has that experience been like for you?
MM: I’ve been trying to. I don’t know if breaking in is the right word. Every open mic night has their regulars and who knows how long they have been going. I have had some good luck. I’ve had some experiences where I have played for a half empty room at 1a.m. which can be satisfying if the response is good, but I’ve also played to a full room at 10 p.m. and the response is great. It’s good; I’ve been having a great time with it.
TC: Where else can people see you perform?
MM: Well I’ve made myself a regular face at a couple of coffee shops around the Island, primarily, “The Cup” in Wantagh and “The Spoon” in Lindenhurst. They are two of my favorite places to play. Other than that I go to a lot of open mics around Long Island and in the city. I also play on campus at Cabaret which is every Wednesday night at the Spiegel Theater.
TC: What has been your favorite experience performing?
MM: I mentioned cabaret which is great because it’s always a receptive crowd. You’re not at a coffee shop where people could just be there for coffee. You’re at an entertainment venue hosted by entertainers at Hofstra. They’ve shown a great response to me every time I’ve been there.
TC: Finally, what is your favorite song of all time?
MM: In the seventh grade I decided my favorite song of all time was “Over the Hills and Far Away” by Led Zeppelin and I have stuck to that to this day. But, it’s an impossible question to answer so I would add to that list probably “Like a Rolling Stone” by Bob Dylan and for variety’s sake “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant” by Billy Joel.
You can listen to Mike Maclain’s music and find dates for performances at www.myspace.com/mikemaclain.
(myspace.com)