Michael Simone (Ocean Carolina)

Ocean Carolina and their latest release Maudlin Days, a follow-up to their well-received first LP All the Way Home, is what happens when a life-long musician stops questioning himself and lets the music unfold on its own. Michael Simone, the songwriter, guitarist, and vocalist behind the band, has immersed himself in music since he was a teenager, and his varied passions and interests—from Prince to Led Zeppelin, The Cure to Waylon Jennings, and Jeff Buckley to The Smiths, everything has culminated to produce a record that sounds like ‘70s alt-rock while maintaining a timeless story of heartbreak and trying to find one’s place in the world.
Even before Ocean Carolina, Simone was part of several successful bands and projects—including playing guitar and bass for Mercury / Polygram recording artist The Veldt, fronting Seems So Bright, and selling roughly 250,000 units as an electronic producer under the moniker of Lovesky—but all of his connections seemed to have been building towards this band. Featuring Tony Leone (Chris Robinson Brotherhood / Levon Helm / Phil Lesh), Jon Graboff (formerly of Ryan Adams and the Cardinals and pedal steel player for Willie Nelson, Noel Gallagher, and others), guitarist Dave Wanamaker (Expanding Man / Loveless) and Simone’s life-long friend Alex Cox, Ocean Carolina features many accomplished studio and stage musicians.
Using all of the techniques he’s learned from his career—from production, keyboards, synth, rhythm, guitar, and earnest songwriting—Simone began the recording process for Maudlin Days, a record that has more in common with ‘70s alt-rock or Southern rock than anything else. The songs are sincere and honest, but they also capture the energy and spark of Ocean Carolina’s live performances. “For the first time, I just wanted to be the guy who showed up in the studio with my guitar and played and sang my songs with a band and capture that,” he said. “We were lucky enough to get Jon Graboff involved as a producer and second guitar…and we knocked out the entire thing in eleven days. Jon was adamant on making sure we stuck to the tradition of making albums the way they used to be made,” Simone says. Michael’s passion for music and songwriting shine through and combine to create a unique voice. “It was a whirlwind, and looking back, I can’t believe we actually pulled it off,” he says, but even this is a familiar tale: few musicians relax and trust their ability and process. Maudlin Days is an exercise in giving up control and allowing the music to be what it’s meant to become.
The single, “If It Burns out Bright,” immediately mimics the energy and drive of something exploding. It’s catchy and upbeat, and the direct, sweet lyrics help to contrast the inherent risk of violence in the title: “Everything will be all right, darling blue / Even if it burns out bright, I have you.” The combination of comforting phrases and vocals contrasted with catchy music is at once memorable and soothing. Even when discussing eternity and the end of time, Simone’s songs are accessible and thoughtful. Other tracks like “Words” showcase the energy of their compressed recording time: though the actual rhythm is slower, the song doesn’t lose any forward momentum: it kicks off with a wailing guitar part, and maintains that tension throughout. Simone’s low, warm voice sings, “So I push the needle in the red / All the evil things I said arrive / Can I find the freedom in the wheel? / Got no words but I can make this right,” and the listener is carried along with him, looking towards a better future. Each song seems to tell part of a story about looking at heartbreak and people’s human failings. However, they all dare the narrator—and the listener—to triumph in spite of the pain, and to grow stronger, if not back together.
Maudlin Days will be released on June 26, 2015. Look for Ocean Carolina on tour this summer! Until then, you can find them on Facebook (www.facebook.com/oceancarolina) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/oceancarolina), as well as their website at Old Hand Record Company (www.oldhandrecordcompany.com/oceancarolina).