Mighty Tortuga - Sound In The Signals Interview
I recently had the opportunity to interview Jacob Berberich of Mighty Tortuga. We discussed collaborating with Fred Mascherino, songwriting and lyrical inspiration, working on upcoming EP, ‘The Plague Inside Your Head’, tour dates, releasing the EP on vinyl, and more. Check it out below.
First, thanks for the interview.
Thanks for having us!
You released your EP ‘Eternal Sunshine’ last year on Fred Mascherino's Heading East Records. What are your thoughts looking back on it now?
Super proud of what we made, and loved seeing people get to enjoy it. We self produced and recorded that record during the pandemic before we signed on with Fred and really poured all of our efforts into. Still very happy to see where it took us, and all it has accomplished.
What is it like working with Mascherino? What does he bring to your music and the process?
Working with Fred has been a really giant blessing. To give you an eye into how much of an impact he had on us growing up, I owned a pair of Fred’s custom shoes. Getting to write with him has opened our eyes and exponentially helped us grow as songwriters. His production on the songs during the recording sessions really brought things to a whole new level and was an incredible learning experience for all of us.
You released new song “Twin Graves” earlier this year and you’ve just dropped the new single “Let Me Down”. What can you tell us about your writing process and your lyrical inspiration?
Our writing process this time around was different in the sense that we had Fred’s help in co-writing the songs. Going back and forth with him to really flesh out every fraction of each song and leave no stone unturned. Lyrically, we are always trying to touch on what we love to hear in music. Relatable lyrics that hit close to home.
For ‘The Plague Inside Your Head’ we booked a solid week at Diver Down Studio and just had Fred take the reins on everything. We locked ourselves in for about six days and hammered away. Self producing and recording our last record, “Eternal Sunshine,” came with unlimited time to track and experiment, but with limited resources. It was definitely weird to go from doing it ourselves to trusting someone else’s vision, but it was awesome to not have to worry about the outcome within those 6 days. We also had a plethora of tones to work with and got to use some of Fred’s legendary guitars on the record. Who better to have it in their hands than someone we trust and look up to? Overall, we think we made something really special in doing so.
Are there any themes or concepts that you explored on the EP? Can you tell us more about them?
For the most part we focused on writing about things that reflect the journey we are on as a band. Whether it be a personal experience or a group experience, we try to stay true to themes that are relatable to people our age. Subjects such as people departing and coming into the band as well as our own relationships with friends, and family.
You have some tour dates coming up this summer. What are aspects of performing live that you are currently enjoying?
We love all aspects of playing live. There is an energy that is unmatched and incredible. We never take the opportunity to perform for granted. We love to see people’s reaction to the songs we write and hearing about how they affect people differently. We always feel like anyone who’s taking the time out of their day to spend with us, we want to give them the best experience in exchange.
You’ve released some of your past music on vinyl. Do you have plans to release this EP on vinyl? How important is it to the band to have a physical release and the music pressed on vinyl?
Physical releases are never an afterthought for us. We are always working on the future art and aesthetic of each release as it properly represents the music and the overall vibe of what we are doing. We do, in fact, have a few variants planned for this record!
Thanks for taking the time to answer the questions. Is there anything else that you’d like to add?
Just want to say thanks to anyone who’s taken the time to join us on our journey so far and related to the music we’re making. We hope it makes an impact on you and can make your day a little bit brighter.
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