Mike Semesky
7 Questions with Mike Semesky
Singer and multi-instrumentalist Michael Semesky doesn’t take breaks when it comes to making music. In 2011, he joined The HAARP Machine, a progressive metal band that quickly signed to Sumerian Records. After leaving the band in 2013, he was recruited by instrumental progressive rock/metal band, Intervals, where he played bass before becoming the band’s first vocalist. When the band returned to instrumental, Semesky merely joined three bands at once: the industrial metal band, Raunchy; the progressive metalcore trio, Rest Among Ruins; and the progressive death metal group, Ordinance.
Mike Semesky
Even when not touring or writing new music, Semesky gives vocal lessons via Skype to eager students around the world. Somehow, he also found a few minutes to speak with Rawckus about making a living in music, juggling three bands at once, and scaring his mother with his voice.
Rawckus: Your projects include members living in various countries. How do you manage to get together to rehearse and perform?
Mike Semesky: The majority of the members in all three bands (myself included) have recording capabilities in our own homes, which makes writing individual parts and then file sharing an infinitely more convenient route to piecing together songs compared to everyone meeting in a rehearsal room to write. And due to the distance between members, rehearsing is essentially handled the same way, in that every member rehearses individually before the final full-on band rehearsals leading up to a tour.
Being in multiple bands sounds like a lot to juggle. How do you manage to devote time to your current projects and provide regular vocal lessons?
MS: It honestly inspires me to work even harder on my own projects. Juggling both my own musical endeavors and helping guide others is very much a self-sustaining cycle of constant sources of inspiration.
When did you realize you wanted to be a vocalist in a metal band?
MS: The moment my mother admitted she was scared of my voice.
How would you describe the sound of your three current projects? They’re vastly different approaches to extreme metal.
MS: Raunchy, I would describe as a fusion of metal, pop, and electronic music with a Scandinavian twist. Rest Among Ruins is progressive metal with hints of classical influence. And Ordinance is very much a progressive death metal entree with a side of "Caesar salad."
What advice do you have for people trying to make a living through music?
MS: Never stop working to improve your craft. Never try to sound like someone else. Don't be afraid to do something original. Always seek to inspire. Don't be an asshole.
Never stop working to improve your craft. Never try to sound like someone else. Don't be afraid to do something original. Always seek to inspire. Don't be an asshole.
What are some mistakes you see happening with people that juggle multiple musical projects?
MS: Time management is by far one of the most important skills you'll want to work on if you're going to take on multiple projects. By no means am I a master of it, but (with the help of my trusty Google Calendar) I find that planning out writing and recording session times for each specific project can be very helpful in managing a full plate. In a nutshell, if you've got a big musical appetite, I think it's crucial to strategize how you channel and manage your creative output.
With all the tours you’ve been a part of, are there any funny stories that you know you’ll never forget?
MS: Some of the most memorable tour moments were definitely with the guys in Protest the Hero. When I was on tour with them in Europe (I was singing for my former band Intervals at the time), we were out exploring in Paris before a show one day, and naturally made our way to the Eiffel Tower. So how does one manage to turn a climb up the Eiffel Tower into a betting scenario? By racing down the Eiffel Tower, obviously! So after a wager of euros, “loonies” and “toonies” [Canadian one and two-dollar coins] , or what have you, one team raced down the stairs through tons of tourists, and the other team waited in line to take the elevator, first team to the bottom being the winner.
