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Sábado, Octubre 24, 2026
"Drift Away se inspiró en unos amigos cuyos hijos se quitaron la vida"
Para algunos músicos, el rock es una etapa; para otros, un destino. En el caso de Mott, el viaje comenzó muy pronto. El cantante, compositor y multiinstrumentista Martin “Mott” Epp empezó a escribir canciones en cuanto aprendió su tercer acorde en la guitarra y no ha parado desde entonces. Desde sus inicios en bandas de instituto hasta su paso por la escena glam metal de Denver en los 80 con Lionize, Mott ha vivido varias épocas de la industria musical. Tras décadas componiendo y grabando música en su estudio, su proyecto ha crecido gracias a colaboraciones con músicos de primer nivel como Jeff Scott Soto, George Lynch, Phil X, Eric Gales, Billy Sheehan, Tony Franklin y Derek Sherinian, entre muchos otros.
Ahora presenta “Best is Yet to Come”, un álbum de 16 canciones que fusiona blues rock, hard rock y espíritu clásico, reuniendo a muchos de esos grandes nombres en una obra que refleja tanto su historia musical como su visión del presente. Hablamos con Mott sobre los orígenes del álbum, su proceso creativo y la experiencia de trabajar junto a algunos de los músicos más respetados del rock. La banda sonora está completa y Johnny Gioeli de Hardline canta en ella. Ha sido uno de mis favoritos durante años, y estoy encantado de tenerlo en una canción. Es muy emocionante y un honor poder incorporar a músicos de su calibre a mi equipo.
MiM: El primer sencillo, “Angéle”, con Jeff Scott Soto como vocalista principal, cuenta una historia de amor y distancia. ¿Cómo surgió esta canción y por qué pensaste que Jeff era la voz ideal para interpretarla?
MT: Llevaba mucho tiempo con la idea de una canción con ese título y temática, o algo similar. Se me ocurrió el riff de guitarra inicial y luego el resto de la canción fluyó con naturalidad. Además, siempre me ha encantado “Sweet Mademoiselle” de Styx, y quizás esa letra me ayudó a crear el tema. Jeff ya había participado en otras cinco de mis canciones con su increíble voz, así que me pareció la elección lógica. Es muy amable, talentoso y profesional. Es un placer trabajar con él. Algunos músicos de gran calibre a los que respeto muchísimo, como John Elefante y Kevin Chalfant, me han dicho que este es mi mejor trabajo hasta la fecha, lo cual es muy gratificante.
MiM: El álbum combina claras influencias del blues rock clásico con elementos más cercanos al hard rock moderno. ¿Qué artistas o álbumes siguen guiando tu música hoy en día?
MT: Como muchos compositores, mis primeras influencias siguen siendo mis favoritas. Los Beatles fueron mi mayor influencia cuando era muy joven y la razón por la que quise dedicarme a la música. Los Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin y Van Halen también fueron muy importantes. Disfruto de muchas bandas de rock nuevas como Feel, Dirty Honey, Rival Sons, Gunshine, Mammoth y otras, pero mis creaciones aún tienden a inspirarse en mis primeras influencias musicales.
MiM: Canciones como «Drift Away» y «Sweet Baby Grace» parecen surgir de experiencias personales muy diferentes. ¿Qué importancia tiene para ti contar historias reales en tus canciones?
MT: “Drift Away” se inspiró en unos amigos cuyos hijos se quitaron la vida. Fue una canción muy emotiva para mí. El riff surgió de un ejercicio de doble cuerda al estilo de Jimi Hendrix que creé para enseñarles ese estilo a mis alumnos de guitarra. El resto de la canción surgió de forma natural. Soy un gran admirador de Eric Gales desde hace décadas y sabía que él era el indicado para tocar la guitarra en esta canción. Tuve la gran suerte de que participara, y lo hizo de maravilla. “Sweet Baby Grace” la escribí para uno de mis gatitos Sphynx que nació con una cardiopatía. Como muchos compositores, soy una persona muy empática, así que poder expresar estas emociones tan intensas en una canción es muy terapéutico y, además, transmite una autenticidad que los temas artificiales no suelen tener.
MiM: El título del álbum, “Best is Yet to Come” (Lo mejor está por venir), sugiere que aún queda mucho por venir. ¿Qué significa esa frase para ti en este momento de tu carrera y cuáles son tus planes para el futuro?
MT: El título, en realidad, es un juego de palabras sutil, al más puro estilo de David Lee Roth, pero sí, siempre estoy componiendo y creando, así que espero que lo mejor de mis canciones y los resultados que traigan estén aún por llegar.
MiM: Muchas de tus canciones nacen en tu estudio casero. ¿Cómo es tu proceso creativo cuando empiezas una nueva canción? ¿Sueles empezar con un riff de guitarra, una melodía vocal o una idea para la letra?
MT: Mi iPhone ha sido una de las mejores herramientas de mi arsenal creativo. Además de capturar partes vocales y letras cuando se me ocurren espontáneamente, siempre lo tengo en mi estudio, y si toco una parte de guitarra interesante, la grabo para retomarla. Tengo muchas ideas y partes de canciones ahí de donde sacar ideas. Aunque no tengo un proceso fijo, diría que la mayoría de mis canciones empiezan con un riff de guitarra y luego puedo adaptar las ideas de la letra que tengo, o me surgen nuevas a partir de la música.
MiM: “Best is Yet to Come” cuenta con nombres de gran influencia como Jeff Scott Soto, Eric Gales, Tony Franklin, Billy Sheehan, Phil X y Derek Sherinian. Más allá del prestigio que aportan, ¿qué buscabas exactamente en cada uno de ellos artísticamente y cómo decidiste quién era el más adecuado para cada canción?
MT: Diría que principalmente contacté a muchos de mis músicos favoritos, a quienes me recomendaron o a quienes escuché en internet y me gustaron. Contacté a Paul Gilbert, Steve Vai y Sammy Hagar, entre otros, pero rara vez colaboran con artistas desconocidos. Dicho esto, todos fueron muy amables al rechazar la propuesta. Como mencioné antes, muchas veces puedo imaginar a un artista en particular para una canción, como Eric y Tony para “Drift Away” o Billy para “Best Is Yet to Come”. Jeff puede cantar cualquier cosa y lo hace de maravilla, y es un placer trabajar con él. Por eso me he esforzado por colaborar con él en muchas canciones. La canción me hace referencia a un artista que conozco y que creo que la complementaría. Gran parte de mi proceso creativo se desarrolla en mi cabeza. Derek es un músico increíble y un tipo genial, pero también cuento con Arlan Oscar Schierbaum y Al Oikari, quienes también han hecho un trabajo de teclado espectacular. Me siento muy afortunado de poder contar con este increíble talento.MiM: Cuando invitas a guitarristas o instrumentistas como músicos tan carismáticos como George Lynch o Phil X, existe el riesgo de que su estilo domine la canción. ¿Buscabas precisamente ese choque de estilos o preferías que se integraran en tu propio universo sonoro?
MT: Todos estos músicos son tan profesionales que instintivamente saben qué aportar a una canción y respetan mi visión original de la misma en las pistas de referencia que les doy. Repito, sobre todo, he intentado contar con mis músicos favoritos en canciones cuyo estilo encaja a la perfección. George y Phil son geniales. Uno de mis amigos cercanos, Todd Marino, guitarrista en algunas de mis grabaciones, siempre ha sido un gran fan de George. Le pregunté a George si lo llamaría por sorpresa para saludarlo, y lo hizo. ¿Quién hace eso? ¡Qué tipo tan genial!
MiM: Una vez que el álbum esté disponible para todos los fans de la banda, ¿cuáles son sus planes para promocionarlo? ¿Alguna gira o concierto en los próximos meses?
MT: Todavía estamos trabajando en ello. Mi promotor, Dave Tedder de Head First Entertainment, quien organizó esta entrevista, ya está haciendo un trabajo excelente. Lo distribuiré a través de mis distribuidores y estoy en contacto con editoriales y abogados especializados en entretenimiento para continuar con la promoción en todo lo posible. Actualmente, no cuento con músicos del nivel necesario en mi ciudad para interpretar mi material de estudio, pero si surge la necesidad, reuniré a algunos de mis músicos de estudio para organizar un concierto.
MiM: Finalmente, quería invitarte a compartir unas palabras con tus fans y nuestros lectores.
MT: Les agradezco enormemente a ustedes, a sus lectores y a mis fans por su interés en mi música y por su apoyo. Si les brinda alegría a una sola persona, entonces habré marcado la diferencia. Espero mantener vivo el estilo rock melódico el mayor tiempo posible. ¡Lo mejor está por venir! ¡Un saludo!
For some musicians, rock is a phase; for others, it's a destination. In Mott's case, the journey began very early. Singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Martin “Mott” Epp started writing songs as soon as he learned his third chord on the guitar and hasn't stopped since.
With over 150 compositions in his catalog and a career that dates back to his teenage years playing in clubs, his name has become a meeting point for numerous musicians and collaborators within the rock scene.From his early days in high school bands to his time in the Denver glam metal scene in the 80s with Lionize, Mott has experienced several eras of the music industry.After decades of writing and recording music in his studio, his project has grown thanks to collaborations with top-tier musicians such as Jeff Scott Soto, George Lynch, Phil X, Eric Gales, Billy Sheehan, Tony Franklin, and Derek Sherinian. And many more.Now he presents “Best is Yet to Come,” a 16-song album that blends blues rock, hard rock, and classic spirit, bringing together countless of those great names in a work that reflects both his musical history and his vision of the present.We spoke with Mott about the album's origins, his creative process, and the experience of working alongside some of rock's most respected musicians.
MiM: You've written more than 150 songs throughout your career. When you look back, what do you think has changed most in your songwriting from those early days to this new album?
MT:I feel my writing is more complex, which is the logical progression of any artistic endeavor and ideally should lead to better songs. Of course, the natural pitfall of that is that I am less easily satisfied with my compositions, and it takes longer and is more stressful, but the finished product is also more rewarding.
MiM: You started playing in clubs very young, even before you turned 17. What memories do you have of that early period, and how did it influence your identity as a musician?
MT: I had a very unusual teenage childhood. At the age of about 15, I was playing weekends in the clubs and making good money. My mom or another band member had to drive me to the gigs. I loved the atmosphere, the neon signs, the smoke, the drinks, people laughing, dancing, and having fun. In some places they even gave me drinks, which was not a good thing, but it was the ‘70’s and things were much different. I already knew my destiny, but I would say I learned a lot from each bandleader I played under, the things they did right and wrong. That was very beneficial to me when I became the leader of my band shortly thereafter. Particularly in the business aspect of booking gigs and negotiating terms and dealing with club owners and talent buyers. Discipline and dependability were paramount, and I learned early on it doesn’t matter what you have going on—illness, etc.—the show must go on, and you have to be present physically and in spirit.
MiM:In the 80s, you were part of the band Lionize within the Denver glam metal scene. What did you learn from that time, and how did you experience the rise and subsequent fall of that movement?
MT: This was the most beneficial and crazy era of my career from a learning and development standpoint. In those days we had an agent that booked the gigs, but apart from that, it was 5 kids in their 20s having to hold our shit together. We had no managers or guidance, no financial backers, it was just us. We were only as strong as our weakest member. We toured, played 5 – 6 nights a week for years, and put out 2 albums that unfortunately never got us a deal. It taught me being a successful musician was like running a business. The ‘80’s were very decadent, and your music, your gear, your look, your talent, was held to the highest level. You had to be careful not to let drugs, alcohol, and women take you down the rabbit hole. We kept ourselves in top physical condition as the music and schedule was grueling. That era focused on top notch musicianship so it was a great training ground on a number of levels. It also served to continue the development of my business acumen. In 1992 with no record deal, MADD and grunge effecting the circuit and nightclubs in general, I saw the writing on the wall and moved on to the next chapter.
MiM:Best is Yet to Come brings together several renowned rock musicians. What was the process like of assembling so many collaborators, and what did each one contribute to the album's final sound?
MT: I live in a small Colorado mountain town, so I am not part of any well known musical circles. I had to figure out how to contact players that were on a higher level than me, get them to take my calls, and then negotiate to get them to play on my songs. Fortunately, the majority of them liked my music and were willing to participate. Some, like Jeff Scott Soto, Phil X, Tony Franklin, Chas West, and Jimmy Burkard, have played on multiple tracks. The great thing about players like them is they know how to treat an original composition, whether they were involved with the writing process or not. That’s a quality that is fairly unique. Their amazing talents have elevated my songs to the next level. I have a great tune almost completed that Johnny Gioeli from Hardline sang on. He has been a favorite of mine for years and I am thrilled to get him on a track. It’s very exciting and humbling to be able to add new players of his caliber to my network.
MiM:The first single, “Angéle,” featuring Jeff Scott Soto on lead vocals, tells a story of love and distance. How did this song come about, and why did you think Jeff was the ideal voice to perform it?
MT: I’ve had the idea for a song with that title and theme or similar for a long time. I came up with the opening guitar riff and then the rest of the song sort of fell into place. I’ve always loved Sweet Mademoiselle by Styx and perhaps that lyric aided in my creation of the theme. Jeff had already graced 5 other of my songs with his amazing voice, so he just seemed the logical choice. He is so kind, talented, and professional. He’s a dream to work with. I’ve had some heavyweight players that I respect immensely like John Elefante and Kevin Chalfant tell me this is my best to date so that is very validating.
MiM:The album blends clear influences of classic blues rock with elements closer to modern hard rock. What artists or albums continue to guide your musical compass today?
MT: Like many writers, my early influences are still my favorites today. The Beatles were my biggest influence at a very young age and the reason I wanted to play music. The Stones, Led Zeppelin, and Van Halen were right up there as well. I enjoy many new rock bands like Feel, Dirty Honey, Rival Sons, Gunshine, Mammoth, and others, but my creations still tend to lend themselves to my early musical influences.
MiM:Tracks like “Drift Away” and “Sweet Baby Grace” seem to stem from very different personal experiences. How important is it for you to tell real stories within your songs?
MT: Drift Away was influenced by some friends whose kids took their own life. It was a very emotional song for me. The riff originated as a sort of Jimi Hendrix double stop exercise I created to teach my guitar students that style of playing. The rest of the song then came to me in typical fashion. I have been a major fan of Eric Gales for decades and knew he was the one for the guitar on this one. I was very fortunate to get him to play on it and he killed it. Sweet Baby Grace was written for one my Sphynx kittens that was born with a heart defect. As with many songwriters, I am a very empathetic person, so to be able to express these strong emotions in a song is very therapeutic and also conveys an authenticity that contrived subject matter may not.
MiM:The album title, Best is Yet to Come, suggests that there's still much to come. What does that phrase mean to you at this point in your career, and what are your plans for the future?
MT: The title is actually is a bit of a coy double entendre in the grand David Lee Roth tradition, but yes, I am always writing and creating so hopefully the best of my songs and the results they bring are yet to come.
MiM:Many of your songs are born in your own home studio. What is your creative process like when you start a new song? Do you usually start with a guitar riff, a vocal melody, or a lyrical idea?
MT: My iPhone has been one of the best tools in my creative arsenal. Besides capturing vocal parts and lyrics when they might randomly occur to me, I always have it in my studio and if I play a cool guitar part, I will record it to revisit. I have many song ideas and parts there to draw from. While I have no set process, I would say a majority of my songs start with a guitar riff and then I can retrofit lyrical ideas I have or new ones will come to me from the music.
MiM:Best is Yet to Come features some hugely influential names like Jeff Scott Soto, Eric Gales, Tony Franklin, Billy Sheehan, Phil X, and Derek Sherinian. Beyond the prestige they bring, what exactly were you looking for from each of them artistically, and how did you decide who was the best fit for each song?
MT: I would have to say I mainly just reached out to a lot of my favorite musicians, ones that were referred to me, or that I heard online and liked. I’ve reached out to Paul Gilbert, Steve Vai, and Sammy Hagar, among others, but they rarely play on unknown artists’ material. That being said, they were all very gracious while declining. As previously mentioned, a lot of times I can hear a particular artist for a song, like Eric and Tony for Drift Away, or Billy for Best is yet to Come. Jeff can sing anything and kill it and he’s so great to work with. That’s why I’ve endeavored to work with him on many tunes. The song refers me to an artist I know that I think would complement it. So much of my process is actually done in my head. Derek is a monster player and a super cool guy, but I also have Arlan Oscar Schierbaum and Al Oikari that have done killer keyboards for me as well. I’m very blessed to be able to draw from this pool of incredible talent.MiM:When you invite guitarists or instrumentalists with such strong personalities as George Lynch or Phil X, the risk is that their style will dominate the song. Were you specifically looking for that clash of identities, or did you prefer them to integrate into your own sonic universe?
MT: All these players are such pros they instinctively know what to bring to a song and respect my original vision for the song in the reference tracks I give them. Again, more than anything I have just tried to employ my favorite musicians into songs that I feel their style fits. George and Phil are super nice guys. One of my close local friends and guitarist on some of my recordings, Todd Marino, has always been a huge George fan. I asked George if he would call him as a surprise and just say “hi” and he did. Who does that? What a cool dude!
MiM:Once the album is available to all the band's fans, what are your plans to promote it? Any tours or concerts in the coming months?
MT: That’s a work in progress. My promoter, Dave Tedder from Head First Entertainment, who set up this interview, has been doing a helluva job already. I’ll get it out through my distributors and am dealing with Publishing Companies and Entertainment Attorney’s to continue the promotion process in any way I can. I don’t currently have the level of players where I am located that can pull off my studio material, but if the necessity comes, I will assemble some of my studio players to put a showcase together.
MiM:Finally, I wanted to invite you to share a few words with your fans and our readers.
MT: I truly appreciate you, your readers, and my fans for having an interest in my music and for their support. If it brings one person enjoyment, then I have made a difference. I hope to keep the Melodic Rock style alive and kicking as long as I can. The Best is Yet to Come!!! Peace out!
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