Formula Indie Sessions _ Interview with Bill Mandara

What is your earliest memory connected to music?

As a child, when I would stay at my grandparent’s house I would always wake up to music as my grandfather would play one of the records from his massive collection. While it wasn’t the type of music I was interested in, I would stare at all the lights on his sound system and thumb through his record collection for hours. As I got older and had my own turntable and stereo I discovered bands like Kiss, Van Halen, AC/DC and ultimately Rush. I became obsessed with those records and would listen ot hem incessantly, driving my parents crazy.

How did your passion for creating music begin?

In the 5^th grade, I took drum lessons for a few months and while I did not continue with the lessons, my father purchased a drumkit for me and I would spend hours on end learning to play my favorite songs. I spent most of middle school in my parents’ basement learning to play Dio’s Holy Diver and Van Halen 2. In high school I played in a few bands with some other kids from school but started really playing in front of people in my early 20s as the drummer in a cover band.

What’s the story behind your current music project?

I started writing and recording this album in the winter of 2024 as I was getting ready to release the last album. One thing I discovered about myself when it comes to my music is that I am pretty much never at a place where I wouldn’t change, tweak or redo something I’ve recorded. Realizing this, I decided to try a new process where I would write and record a song mix it as best as I could myself and then live with it for a month or more in the car and AirPods. After that I’d go back and keep what I still liked, make some changes and adjustments or completely rewrite and rerecord the song. I did that 13 times and these songs are the result of that process. In some cases, like the first song, it just worked and there wasn’t much need to change. In other cases like “Come and join the party” I ripped the entire song apart, wrote all new words and basically made a different song. Every song has some time of story like that and I won’t bore everyone with all of them but I will say I’m very proud of this one and for the first time since I’ve been doing this I don’t have any more songs running through my head which is a good thing because I put everything into these.

How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard your music before?

I get asked this a lot and I have no idea how to answer it. While I like to think my music has evolved over the years it’s still hard for me to describe it other than to say it’s whatever comes out of me when I pick up a guitar to start writing. I’ve been fortunate enough to grow up in a time with so many great artists and it’s hard to not be affected by all of them so I guess my music is a bit of an amalgamation of the music I love.

What is one thing you’ve learned that completely changed the way you make music?

Spending the early part of my music journey as a drummer it was always frustrating to me that I was not able to get the sounds and music from the others I was playing with because I didn’t play those instruments. Learning how to play the guitar and bass was a game changer for me because I now had the power to do exactly what I wanted without relying on anyone else.

What tools, instruments, or software are essential in your creative process?

While I have far too many guitars, amps, drums and microphones to speak of, at the end of the day Logic Pro is the key to everything I do. I remember going into a studio in the 90’s with a band I was in and seeing the consoles, compressors and tape machines, To think that all of that lives on my MacBook and the fact that I have an infinite amount of tracks and takes to create is unbelievable

Which indie artist or song are you loving right now?

I don’t know if he is truly an indie artist anymore, but I will listen to anything Devin Townsend puts out. The dude is a genius.

How have your personal experiences influenced your music and artistic vision?

Being on this planet for 54 years and raising two sons with my wife has given me a perspective that I never would have gained otherwise. I’ve changed a lot as a human professionally and personally with all of the emotional baggage that goes along with it and it’s fun to try to abstract that stuff out.

What emotions or messages do you hope listeners take from your work?

It’s not just you, everyone goes through good and bad times.

What’s the most important lesson music has taught you so far?

Never doubt yourself, it’s important to stay humble but at the same time it’s good to rewind the tape and see the progress you’ve made.

What is a dream venue or festival you would love to perform at?

Growing up in the shadows of NYC there is only one possible answer…. Madison Square Garden

If you could collaborate with any artist, past or present, who would it be and why?

This is a case of be careful what you wish for but I consider vocals my biggest challenge so I would go with one of my favorites (and fellow Italian American) Ronnie James Dio.

Where can our listeners follow and support your music? (Website,Spotify, IG, links)

https://music.apple.com/us/artist/bill-mandara/1546531350

Looking toward the future, what’s your dream for the next chapter of your musical journey?

I’ve recorded what I think are some really cool cover songs, so now it’s time to start making room for the new material to surface.

What do you hope listeners will discover about you along the way?

If I can do it, anyone can. I hope that people can fine some enjoyment in my music and maybe even, despite where they are in life and what abilities they have, pick up an instrument and make some organic music.