Mixing the smooth sounds of 1970s pop-rock with an Americana flair, Sons of the Mellow Mafia is a group of talented musicians spread throughout the country. Through the magic of digital technology, their remotely recorded tracks have come together to create ear candy for the soul: an engrossing, multi-textured journey through moods, places and mindscapes. Enjoy!
With Sons of the Mellow Mafia out now, we took some time to hear from Sons of the Mellow Mafia. Read below to learn more about Sons of the Mellow Mafia, the story behind Sons of the Mellow Mafia, and what’s to come.
Hi! Let’s start with how did the group’s name come about?
Mellow Mafia was a nickname given to the Section, a 1970s collective of studio musicians who played on records by soft rock and adult contemporary artists like Art Garfunkel, James Taylor and Jackson Browne. Since that sound has influenced my playing and writing, I thought naming the band after them would be a fun way to pay tribute.
What city are you all from, and where are you all based now?
Being a remotely-recorded project, the musicians are based all over the U.S., with New England represented by myself (upright bass) and Ethan Setiawan (mandolin), the Midwest represented by David Oromaner (drums) and Giulio Brouzet (harmonica) and California represented by Scott Smith (piano) and Anthony Fesmire (mixing/mastering engineer). I myself grew up in the Boston area, spent 20 years on the west coast and have been back in Massachusetts since 2019.
When and how did the group form?
Originally, I’d conceived it as a band that would record live in the studio. I did a few studio sessions in Acton, MA with Giulio and Ethan and some other musicians, and while the full album I was hoping to record never materialized, I did get a tune out of it that I released under my own name, ‘Number 4 Train,’ and several of the tunes that would end up on the record were started during these sessions.
How would you all describe your group’s sound to readers who may not be familiar with you all?
My name for it is ‘Yacht-Mericana’ – yacht rock compositional sensibilities, but played with an all-acoustic ensemble, giving it a more Americana flavor.
Who are some of your group’s main musical influences?
Besides Yacht rock and Americana music, the tunes have a wide range of influences. ‘Buck Jones’ was influenced by 1960s Western soundtracks, as well as by the music of Jimmy Webb (the rhythmic figure that is heard throughout the song echoes ‘Wichita Lineman.’) ‘Breonna’ has a chord progression based on ‘Run for the Roses’ by Dan Fogelberg. ‘October 9th’ was inspired by John Lennon.
What’s one of the proudest moments of your group’s music career so far?
We’re pretty new, so I’d say just getting through making the album is our proudest moment, but hopefully there will be many more to come.
What would you all say are the greatest lessons that you’ve all learned so far?
I can’t speak for the others, but for me, I think the biggest lesson from this project has been not to get too attached to expectations. At first, I was reluctant to record remotely; I didn’t think it would work, but as the album started to take shape, the players started to get more and more used to playing off of each other’s performances without being in the same room, and one of the best compliments I get is when people are surprised that it was recorded remotely.
Now onto Sons of the Mellow Mafia. What inspired this album?
My dad was a big musical influence on me. He played a variety of instruments, including harmonica, mandolin and piano, and I thought that those three instruments, coupled with upright bass and drums, would make an interesting combination. A lot of the stuff that I’ve done before is guitar-heavy, and I play electric bass on a lot of it, so this is a change of pace.
What led to the decision to self-title the album?
I felt like it was in keeping with the overall minimalist aesthetic. Also, while I’ve done six original albums before (two under my own name and four with Outside Pedestrian, which is an eclectic instrumental trio with myself on electric bass, David Oromaner on drums and Anthony Fesmire on guitar) none were self-titled. And, none of the tunes particularly grabbed me as potential title for the record.
What is the overall theme of Sons of the Mellow Mafia?
If I had to pick one, I’d say it’s paying tribute to the great studio musicians of the past without being too imitative. Acoustic instruments are less rooted in time and place than electric or electronic instruments, so even if the album was influenced by 1970s and 80s music, I don’t think it is tied down to that period. The music covers familiar ground, but in a way that hasn’t been done exactly before.
What was the creative process like when making Sons of the Mellow Mafia?
Typically, I’d do a computerized sequence of the songs which provided a crude outline of how they might sound, and then I’d send it to the various musicians with their instrument removed, as well as a click track for reference. (Except for ‘Agent of Change’ and ‘October 9th’ everything was recorded to a click). Then when all of the tracks were finished, I’d make a rough mix of them in my digital audio workstation and send them to Anthony Fesmire, who mixed and mastered them.
How long did it take to complete Sons of the Mellow Mafia?
Depending on how you measure it, between two and four years. The remote recording process started in the spring of 2023, but the original sessions started in June of 2021 and the album was released in July of this year.
What message or messages do you all hope fans take away from Sons of the Mellow Mafia and your group’s music in general?
Most importantly, as long as people enjoy it, I’m happy. That said, one thing that I hope comes across is the idea that these tunes, without words, conjure people, places or things that might otherwise be forgotten. ‘Breonna’ was written for Breonna Taylor, who was shot by police officers while she was sleeping in March 2020. At the time, especially with the uncertainty of the COVID pandemic creating a general sense of unrest, the event inspired strong, emotional feelings on both sides. Some felt that it was unnecessary police brutality; others felt that the police were just doing their job. I think the story spoke to me because of how starkly her death contrasted my father’s death three months earlier. While I grieved loss, I was also grateful to have been able to be with him at the end, and to see his life celebrated by those who knew him. I felt as if many people were dismissive of Breonna Taylor’s death, maybe because it was easier to believe that she had done something wrong than to recognize that sometimes those in power abuse it. There have been a lot of loudly polarizing events since then, of course, but those who knew Breonna Taylor are still grieving her. While ‘Breonna’ won’t bring her back, it was my way of non-combatively responding to the event, and it’s a reminder of this person who lived and died. And for the record, if anyone wants me to write a tune about Lakin Riley for the next album, let me know. I can always use a good writing prompt.
What’s next for you all? Are you all working on any upcoming projects, or do you all have any upcoming shows that we should be on the lookout for?
Since Sons of the Mellow Mafia is a studio project with members scattered across the country, there are no immediate dates for live performances, although I would like to be able to play the tunes live at some point, so if any festival promoters or organizers are reading this… In the mean time, half of the band (myself, David Oromaner and Anthony Fesmire) are working on the fifth Outside Pedestrian album, which we hope to finish sometime next year. But, I’m also writing some new material that I hope will eventually become the second SMM album.
Where can we follow you all on social media?
Sons of the Mellow Mafia doesn’t have much of a social media presence yet, but you can follow the pages for my own music:
And if you’re interested in learning more about what to expect from the new Outside Pedestrian album, you find find us here:
Before you all go, let’s ask you all a somewhat off-topic question. What is your group’s dream music collaboration?
Haven’t thought about it all that much, since we are kind of a self-contained band, but it might be cool to collaborate with one of the actual Mellow Mafia members like Lee Sklar or Danny Korchmar. Maybe the Sons of the Mellow Mafia and Outside Pedestrian will collaborate too some day – ‘Mellow Pedestrian?’
I’ll show myself out.
Thank you all for the great interview; wish you all much continued success!
