Mi Ami is now a duo, made up of Damon Palemo and Daniel Martin-McCormick. Fresh off a performance at UCI's Acrobatics Everyday on Saturday, Martin-McCormick talked about how Mi Ami came to be.
The collaboration between McCormick and then-drummer Damon Palemo began at an art opening, natch. “I saw him doing a show with a bunch of homemade instruments. We started talking after the show. We were both trying to do a disco band,” McCormick said.
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McCormick and Palemo then placed an ad on
Craigslist to look for a bassist. “Jacob [Long] had been living with me
previously, and he had just moved out. He saw that we were looking for a
bassist on Craigslist and replied saying that he could do it,” McCormick said.
Craigslist to look for a bassist. “Jacob [Long] had been living with me
previously, and he had just moved out. He saw that we were looking for a
bassist on Craigslist and replied saying that he could do it,” McCormick said.
Long and McCormick had both played in punk group Black
Eyes (and about five other bands previously). Both had also relocated to the West
Coast. “I left the East Coast because of
the comfort in DC. There's a small pool of music there, but if you tried to
make anything new you were stuck. I moved to the West Coast to try to broaden
my range,” McCormick said.
Eyes (and about five other bands previously). Both had also relocated to the West
Coast. “I left the East Coast because of
the comfort in DC. There's a small pool of music there, but if you tried to
make anything new you were stuck. I moved to the West Coast to try to broaden
my range,” McCormick said.
With Long leaving Mi Ami, Palemo began branched out from drums to sampling and playing with the drum machine. McCormick is exploring the keyboard. “We've always written
songs not super structured as far as how one part leads to another,” he
said. “I don't find super structured songs interesting.”
songs not super structured as far as how one part leads to another,” he
said. “I don't find super structured songs interesting.”
This practice of loose songwriting leads to creative song performing when they play live. “You want it to be a real thing
happening in right there in the room. It's like alchemy. It casts a spell,” he said. “Shows are important. I mean, if I
didn't have them as a kid, I would have freaked out.”
happening in right there in the room. It's like alchemy. It casts a spell,” he said. “Shows are important. I mean, if I
didn't have them as a kid, I would have freaked out.”
Earlier this year, Mi Ami released a new album, Steal Your Face. “It's the most
cohesive and confident of our releases,” McCormick said.
cohesive and confident of our releases,” McCormick said.
And then there's that genre-defying bit. “It doesn't bother me when people put us in a genre. I am confused by how people are so off the mark sometimes,” McCormick said–except when people get creative. One review likened them to running through the jungle on acid. “I'd rather be classified as something hyperbolic than something run of the mill.”
McCormick will return to Southern California as Sex Worker to play with Psychic Reality (formerly called Pocahaunted) at a venue TBA in Los Angles on Nov. 14.
When not running the OCWeekly.com and OC Weekly’s social media sites, Taylor “Hellcat” Hamby can be found partying like it’s 1899.