Michael Robert de la Hoz

Attitude

I have a very serious attitude about making music, but I enjoy laughing while working on material with my band mates. I like to be focused in practice, but I also like to be stupid and have fun. On stage I am pretty intense, but not a caricature of myself. I always keep it grounded. I have to be forthright. I am a queer artist. I write about life as I have experienced it, but my writing is not limited to aspects of my sexuality. I write about all aspects of life which I experience, don't understand why things are such, or just interest me. I am far from a Pollyanna, but I am also not a Nihilist. I seek balance in my personal life, and as an artist I express myself in multiple ranges. Musically, what I am after is a group of people who can credibly represent the dark and chunky side of alternative rock, but who also posses collectively a strong commitment to creating music with dynamics. My vocal range is a deep baritone to a very clear tenor, and I enjoy going from a growl to a very open head voice sound, but even then, there is a dark edge in my tone. I don't do happy songs.

Influences

Chicago Blues, Billie Holiday, Melvins, TAD, Alice in Chains, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Helmet, Prong, Killing Joke, Sisters of Mercy, Ministry, White Stripes, Sonic Youth

Equipment

MXL MX770 Cardioid recording mic, Behringer BEUMC22 USB MIDI interface, Shure SM58 Cardioid mic, stands, cables, mic covers. I record directly to my PC. Have a 3 terabyte drive installed.