Rooftop Screamers is an eclectic rock and power-pop studio project founded by drummer and songwriter Mike Collins. Blending melodic rock, synth-driven textures, and cinematic songwriting, the project has featured collaborations with acclaimed musicians and vocalists including Randy McStine, Tim Smith, and Royston Langdon. Influenced by artists such as The Beatles, Jeff Lynne, David Bowie, Muse, and classic power-pop bands, Rooftop Screamers has gained recognition for its emotionally resonant music. Mike Collins recently spoke with us about the project’s journey and the road so far.
MBTM: Can you tell me a bit about your childhood? Where did you grow up, and what was your hometown like?
MC: I grew up in Beaverton Oregon, a suburb of Portland. I had a typical ‘70s/’80s upbringing there. Riding bikes, playing sports, Cub Scouts and hanging out with friends. I was a latchkey kid who would get home before my mom got off work. Luckily, my grade school and high school were within walking distance.
MBTM: When did you fall in love with music, and why?
MC: Some of my earliest memories are of listening to the radio and 8 Tracks in my mom's 1966 Mustang. The Carpenters, Bread, Simon and Garfunkel, Neil Diamond, Elton John, The Beatles and all the AM Gold hits of the day. My mom had Abbey Road and the Bee Gees’ 1st on vinyl. I remember playing those albums all the time. They eventually wound up in my collection after I got my first turntable when I was five or six years old.
MBTM: Were you always a songwriter as well as a drummer?
MC: I caught the drummer’s bug at a very early age. I have a photo of me sitting at a drum-kit when I was about eighteen months old and I have a grin from ear to ear in the photo! The drum-kit belonged to a neighbor of my Grandparents when they lived in Altadena, California. A few years later they moved to the Sacramento area and as luck would have it, there was a neighbor across the street that had a drum-kit. I guess you could say it was fate that led me to the drums.
As a youngster I would play on the seat of a kitchen chair with wooden spoons. My mom got sick of me destroying the furniture and bought me a practice pad and actual drum sticks when I was around ten years old. At the age of fourteen I bought my first kit with the money I earned from my paper-route.
The songwriter in me emerged when I was around eleven years old. That's when I came up with my first melody and lyrics. From that moment on I would hear melodies in my head, but it wasn't until I was in my late teens/early twenties that I started to compose songs on the guitar.
MBTM: Do you remember your first song?
MC: Yes, it was the aforementioned one I wrote when I was eleven. The song was called "1977", as that was when I "wrote" it. Ha! It was kind of disturbing. The lyrics were about a boy who lost his feet after they were run over by a sleigh. Pretty dark stuff for an eleven-year-old!
The lyrics were: "One day I was walking down the street. I saw a young boy who had no feet. I asked that young boy how they got that way. He said they were cut off by a sleigh, going down a hill in 1977." Maybe I should record it? Or not....
MBTM: Can you tell us a bit about Throwback Suburbia?
MC: Throwback Suburbia was a band I started with my pal Jimi Evans around 2005. We were previously in a band called Red Sector. That band fizzled and we started a songwriting partnership and wrote and recorded several songs together. Our emphasis was on strongly crafted, melodic songs that had more of a Power Pop vibe to them than the previous band. Once we had a handful of songs, we began the search for a lead guitarist and bass player.
Eric French (bass) and Paul Bond (guitar) rounded out the band and we were off and running. We released a four song EP in 2006 that was produced by Mark Plati (David Bowie) and Tom McKay (Joydrop). We followed that up with a full-length, self tilted album in 2010. We sort of produced it ourselves, but had several engineers mix the songs. Mark Plati mixed the bulk of the songs, but we also had Chris Manning from Jellyfish, Marc Desisto (Pink Floyd, U2) and the legendary Jack Douglas mix the rest of the songs.
After we recorded the self-titled album, we realized that our sound could really benefit from having a keyboardist in the band. A few songs that we recorded had piano, organ and synthesizers on them, but we weren't able to fully replicate those songs live. That's when we found Mark Ricker. Once Mark was in the band, our sound was full, and the live shows became much stronger. Our third and last album, titled Shot Glass Souvenir was produced and engineered by Jeff Stuart Saltzman. Jeff is a big fan of Jeff Lynne's style of songwriting and production and that was right up our alley. The album features some of our best material. The band disbanded in 2013. We had a great run and gained a lot of acceptance and respect in the global Power Pop community.
MBTM: You’ve worked with quite a few well-known artists. How did your collaboration with Jack Douglas, for example, come about?
MC: Throwback Suburbia had a relationship with Phil Jaurigui. Phil was the owner of a rehearsal facility and recording studio in Los Angeles called Swinghouse. While we were looking for engineers to mix songs from our 2010 self titled release, Jack was working with Aerosmith at Swinghouse. From what I recall, Jack asked Phil if he knew of any artists he should listen to to potentially produce. Phil played Throwback Suburbia for Jack and Jack like what he heard. Once we got that news, we were over the moon with excitement! Jack has always been one of my favorite producers and the opportunity to work with him was a dream come true. We flew down to LA and sat in the studio and watched Jack mix two of our songs.
I do need to say that as I'm writing down the answers to these questions, Jack passed away a few days ago. It's a huge loss to the world of music and the world in general. Jack was a super nice guy with no trace of ego. He was gracious and he had the BEST stories. He shared many stories with us about his days with John Lennon, Cheap Trick and of course, Aerosmith. He is a legend, a true mensch and I'm sad and heartbroken over his passing.
MBTM: We reviewed one of your releases, the fantastic “Our Story.” What is that song about?
MC: “Our Story" is a song about recognizing true love the moment it appears. The song is about knowing when resistance fades and a genuine connection begins. Moving away from loud, overly dramatic tropes, it focuses on honesty, vulnerability, and the emotional peace that comes when two people are finally seen for who they truly are. When your missing piece is also your missing peace.
MBTM: The featured artist on “Our Story” is Roy Langdon. How did that collaboration come together?
MC: "Our Story" is the second song I've done with Royston. The first one is called "Blink of an Eye". On both songs he absolutely blew me away!
What's extra special about "Our Story" is he also played bass on the track. He used the same Rickenbacker bass he played on the Spacehog hit "In The Meantime". It has a nice warm growl to it. And his voice is always amazing. My longtime collaborator/producer Mark Plati reached out to Royston on my behalf. I knew Mark knew him from working on an Earl Slick solo album. In fact, Earl Slick's album Zig Zag is a big influence on the concept of Rooftop Screamers. On Zig Zag, Slick had several guest singers featured on the album. I sort of borrowed the concept as well as the Santana album Supernatural that also features different singers on each track. I was the drummer in the Earl Slick band back in the early 90's and through Slick I met Mark Plati. Slick has been featured on a couple of Rooftop Screamers songs as well. It's been a very full circle kind of experience.
MBTM: Your production style seems influenced by producers like Jeff Lynne and George Martin. Has that always been the case?
MC: Well, I'm a HUGE fan of both Jeff Lynne and George Martin, so the influence is hard to escape. And yes, I'd say it's always been the case.
I've always been a fan of lush, layered production. Being that Rooftop Screamers is a studio project, I feel I can get away with having a bigger production quality and experiment in the studio as opposed to something more minimal. And I do love a minimalist approach as well. It all depends on what serves the song.
MBTM: What’s your least favorite aspect of the music industry?
MC: Probably the aspect of the hustle and the constant need to feed the algorithm.
It'd be great if I could just write and record songs and release the music without the anxiety and worry that it's going to reach the right demographic and be successful or go viral as they say these days. Then again, I guess it depends on your definition of success. I think having the ability to express yourself and put your best foot forward by creating art/music and sharing it with the world is an element of success in its own right. I'm happy just knowing I have my own little corner of the music world and have people out there that appreciate the music I'm creating.
MBTM: How did you come up with the band name The Rooftop Screamers?
MC: Being that the term is defined by being excited about something so much that you want to scream it from the rooftops, I felt that it was fitting for this new project that I had invested a significant amount of time and energy into. I started the project after my former band Throwback Suburbia split up and I suppose I felt I had something to prove and was genuinely excited to announce the arrival of the project. And some of the songs lean into socio-political statements, so there's that as well.
MBTM: What’s next for The Rooftop Screamers?
MC: I currently have three new songs in production and about ten more written and demoed. I'll be releasing a new single every sixty days or so from the current batch. In the meantime, I'll be reaching out to potential singers and musicians to hopefully collaborate on the newest songs I've written. One of the songs I have in production features Denny Fongheiser on drums. Denny is a session legend and has played with Heart, Tracy Chapman, Roger Waters, Counting Crows, John Paul Jones, etc, etc. His feel is impeccable and he's such a tasty player. One of my favorites! I've always played drums on all my previous songs but wanted to invite someone new into the fold. I already know how I will approach a song. I wanted to get a different perspective and Denny did a tremendous job!
MBTM: What’s your philosophy on life?
MC: I suppose it's the Golden Rule with a little bit of "Follow Your Bliss" in there. Life is a gift, and it's very short. So, make the most out of it. Find what makes you happy and inspires you. Use your gifts to better the world and try to leave behind a positive legacy.
MBTM: Do you have a favorite quote?
MC: "Follow Your Bliss"- Joseph Campbell
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Interview by staff at MBTM
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