Mother Mae I

APPEARING FROM THE UNDERGROUND OF THE SAN DIEGO METAL SCENE, MOTHER MAE I STARTED AS A VISION WHEN GUITARIST/VOCALIST MICHAEL "VADO" RUSSO MET DRUMMER PAUL "HIGGINS" COURTOIS AND QUICKLY FOUND THEY HAD A MUSICAL CONNECTION TOGETHER. THE TWO ASPIRED TO DEVELOP A BAND TAKING METAL MUSIC FROM ITS SOURCE, WITH FAST CRUSHING RHYTHMS AND MATHEMATICAL COMPLEXITIES. BUT LEAVING NO BOUNDARIES, ADDING CREATIVE SAMPLES AND MEMORABLE MELODIES ALONG THE WAY. THEY QUICKLY FOUND THROUGH A FRIEND A YOUNG TALENTED BASSIST, GEOFF BURROUGHS. THEY IMMEDIATELY GELLED THIER TALENTS AND STARTED THE WRITING PROCESS. THUS MOTHER MAE I WAS BORN.

WASTING NO TIME THE POWER TRIO HIT THE S.D. SCENE WITH MICHAEL SINGING AND PLAYING GUITAR, GEOFF ON BASS, AND HIGGINS ON DRUMS/SAMPLES. THE TRIO QUICKLY LEARNED THEY HAD THE BASIS OF MMI'S SOUND, BUT SOMETHING WAS MISSING TO PUSH THEM OVER THE EDGE. MICHAEL HAD THE IDEA OF BRINGING IN AN OFFICIAL FRONTMAN WHO HAD THE PASSION AND BRUTALITY NEEDED FOR METAL, BUT WHO ALSO COULD RETAIN MELODY, AND MIXING IT WITH MICHAEL'S MORE UNORTHODOX SINGING STYLE. STEPPING OUT ON A LIMB THE THREE AGREED THIS WAS THE MOVE TO MAKE. HAVING ONLY ONE PERSON IN MIND THEY INVITED AN OLD AQUAINTENCE AND FRIEND TRAVIS NEAL, (EX-PUSHED, EX-PER SQUARE INCH) VOCALIST ON BOARD, THE CHEMISTRY WAS IMMDEIATE. NOW WITH A FRONTMAN HAVING BRUTALITY IN HIS VOICE AND A UNDENIABLE RANGE LEADING THE WAY, THE CONCEPTION WAS NOW BECOMING A REALITY. AND PEOPLE WERE SOON TO TAKE NOTICE.

HITTING THE SCENE AS A FOUR PIECE SHOWED TO BE A BIG STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. QUICKLY EARNING LOYAL FANS, MMI SHOWED THE PROFESSIONALISM OF A BAND THAT HAD BEEN TOGETHER FOR YEARS, BUT THEY HAD ONLY BEEN TOGETHER FOR MONTHS AT THAT. FUELING EACH AND EVERY LIVE SHOW, MMI'S SOUND WAS BEGINNING TO TAKE ON A LIFE OF ITS OWN. THEIR DIVERSITY MIXED WITH TWO DISTINCT VOCAL STYLES AND OUTRAGEOUS STAGE ANTICS WERE NOT ONLY BRINGING IN NEW FANS, BUT LED TO WINNING A BATLLE OF THE BANDS AND WE'RE INVITED TO PLAY THE SAN DIEGO DATE OF THE VANS "WARPED TOUR". GAINING RECOGNITION AND LOCAL RESPECT FAST, THE FOUR PIECE NEW THEY COULD ONLY HEIGHTEN THE MMI EXERIENCE BY ADDING A SECOND GUITARIST TO BRING THEM FULL CIRCLE.

AS FATE WOULD HAVE IT ONE OF MMI'S NEW FANS INTRODUCED HIMSELF TO MICHAEL AFTER ONE OF THE BANDS SHOWS. ADMITTING THAT HE WAS VERY IMPRESSED, JUSTIN STATED THAT HE PLAYED GUITAR IN A LOCAL METAL BAND. ACCEPTING THE COMPLIMENT MICHAEL AND JUSTINS PARTED WAYS ONLY TO BE TALKING TWO WEEKS LATER WHEN JUSTIN KASE RESPONDED TO A LOCAL AD THAT MMI HAD JUST PLACED FOR A SECOND GUITARIST. JUSTIN ASSURED US THAT HE WAS WHAT THEY WERE LOOKING FOR. HE WAS RIGHT. WEEKS LATER MMI DEBUTED HIM IN FRONT OF A SOLD OUT CROWD. THE CHEMISTRY WAS UNDENIABLE AND NOW COMPLETE.

NOW HEADING UP THEIR SHOWS WITH SHEER BRUTALITY, BEAUTY, HARMONY, AND COMPLEXITY, MOTHER MAE I HAS ONLY ONE GOAL, TO LEAVE THEIR FANS WANTING MORE.