Have you checked out the new self-titled record from The Mighty Tortuga, yet? The fantastic new record from Heading East Records is so damn good! TGEFM highly recommends you click this link to download, press play on the record and then check out our interview with the quartet below, and then listen to Mighty Tortuga again and again and again and again.
Thank you so much for agreeing to this interview! Congrats on the upcoming self-titled full-length! What should our readers know about Mighty Tortuga, your history and your sound? Let’s also talk a little bit about the new record and how it came into existence. What was going on at the time that helped kickstart and inspire the songwriting process?
Thank you so much for having us! Mighty Tortuga has been a band for 6 years we grew up in the mall emo era so our sound is heavily influenced by the fuse & mtv2 sound along with other indie rock influences. The new record came into existence after we made 4 eps and were about to wrap up our 5th when Mike and Kev took over vocal duties. At that point we knew it was time to make a full length and decided to head back into the studio to make a album that best represented what we love about the band.
You’re working with Fred Mascherino and his Heading East Records label on this album. First question, behind closed doors he’s gotta be really mean.. I mean, nobody can possibly be as kind and caring as Fred comes off, right? More importantly though, what has his experience and tutelage brought to the band? He’s probably tread all of the waters you’ve faced, including stepping into a duel vocalist role like Mike and Kevin did recently. What’s the best advice he’s given so far?
Haha it’s rare to come across someone as generous with their time and experience as Fred has been with us. Going through the changes our band has with his guidance we were able to not just survive but use the opportunity to come out stronger on the other side. He is one of the pioneers of the sound we stepped into with dual vocals so it was a dream come true to have him there to help produce, write and figure out how to play to everyone’s strengths to create something original to us. The best advice he’s given us is hard to corner down since he’s really there every step of the way and it’s invaluable to us to have someone with his experience giving us his genuine and honest opinion and advice on how we can keep evolving without losing what is fun about being in a band.
What album or band or significant singles made you go “Yeah, this is what I want to do” Not just an influence but who or what was the catalyst?
When we started this band the records that were the catalyst for our sound were Turnover Peripheral Vision, & Taking Back Sunday Where You Want To Be.
What have been some of the most memorable moments or experiences with the band so far? What’s been the most unexpected? The weirdest?
I think the answer to all of those questions would be the reception to the music overall. Getting to hear from people and how they have connected with it is the greatest feeling since you are giving back what we were getting from all the music we love.
One of our obligatory questions in these interviews also tends to be the one I have found most important on a personal level. Who are some bands on your radar that TGEFM readers may not know about, but you think they should?
Any of the label mates on Heading East Records, Hileah, & My Cousins Girlfriends house just dropped amazing records as well as Bonsai Trees, Have Fun!, & Anthms from our New England scene.
What’s next for Mighty Tortuga?
World domination. We are gonna head out on a Fall Tour to celebrate the new album release. And after that we have some cool surprises. We spent the summer writing and doing pre production on new music so we’re looking forward to hopping in the studio in the winter.
Was there anything I missed that you’d like to share or dive deeper into with our readers?
We just want to thank anyone who’s been along for the ride and sincerely thank anyone for taking the time to check us out.
Roll of the Dice is a short interview format with a variable amount of questions. A pair of dice is rolled and the total, between 2 and 12, is the amount of questions we can ask. All questions are given to the interviewee(s) at once, and no follow-ups are allowed. The interview may be lightly edited for content and clarity.
Bad Dad (occasionally called Ed) has been on the periphery of the punk and punk-adjacent scene for over twenty years. While many contributors to this site have musical experience and talent, Ed’s musical claim to fame comes from his time in arguably the most punk rock Blockbuster Video district in NJ where he worked alongside members of Blanks 77, Best Hit TV and Brian Fallon. He is more than just an awful father to his 2 daughters, he is also a dreadful husband, a subpar writer, a terrible dresser and has a severe deficiency in all things talent… but hey, at least he’s self-aware, amirite?
Check out the pathetic attempts at photography on his insta at https://www.instagram.com/bad_dad_photography/
