Interview with Guitarist and Songwriter Duane Morano

By Mick Michaels

COSMICK VIEW: Hello, Duane! Welcome to The Cosmick View. Thank you for taking some time out of your day to chat with me, it’s greatly appreciated.
Duane Morano: Thank you for having me.

CV: "Incognito" is both the album's title and band name depicting the collaborative collection of artists who appeared on the record.  Did having such an array of artists gathered to work on the album bring the overall creative output to a level beyond your initial expectations?
DM: The band name is actually Morano.I really didn’t have many expectations other than people giving me 100%. I didn’t preconceive what anyone would play with the exception of a rough sketch of the vocal melodies. It was a jam for the sake of jamming type thing with everyone able to take liberties to add what they felt. As the tracks started coming back, it gave a different energy that I couldn’t get if I did all of the instruments myself, so in that regard, it exceeds my expectations. There are little signature pieces of everyone all over the CD which we all worked from.

CV: Besides having an all-star cast of players, what do you feel separates this album from others that have released? What gives it its special edge?
DM: Despite having many different singers and players, it comes together like you’re listening to a band and it feels like a band. It has its own sound. It’s a fun album to listen to really loud too.

CV: The album sat in limbo for quite sometime, however.  It was only after some prodding from Bill Leverty of Firehouse that it was revived.  What kept you from completing the record?
DM: When I started to record Incognito the first time my world got turned upside down by the great recession. My wife is a type 1 diabetic so it was financially devastating when they moved her to part time and she lost her health insurance. At the time, preexisting conditions didn’t have to be covered by new insurance so we had to pay for everything out of pocket for 2 years. Bill is a family friend, so he completely understood. I figured at this point in my life I was too old, but one night at dinner and watching Firehouse jam changed my mind.

CV: Not to pick favorites, but which artist did you most enjoy working with for the album?
DM: Are you sure that isn’t a trick question? I would actually say Dan Michaels from Teer. We wrote much of the album together and have been best of friends for over 30 years. We can read each other minds and complete each other’s musical sentences so to speak. We’ve worked on at least 50 songs together over the years. Playing and recording the music is the easier part, writing the music is a completely different ball of wax.

CV: Duane, any chance anyone from the album will accompany you on some live dates to support its release?
DM: I’m sure if people aren’t busy, they would come and jam a tune or two if we were close by, but Bryan Cole is going on the road with me for some dates I just announced supporting Tesla. We’ll be playing September 18^th at the Warner Theatre in DC, Sept 20^th at The Ritz in Raleigh, NC, and Sept 21^st at The White Oak Event Space in Greensboro, NC.

CV: Though much of the music was already written, how did you see the material change as other artists were brought in to work? How much creative input did they have with the final production?
DM: I didn’t do any steering and let them create what they felt. Terry Ilous changed the words to Hearts…Danny Vaughn added his personal nuances and changed up Kid Gloves…The bass guitar intro on Manhattan was all Pat Badger. I didn’t know he did it until he sent me the track and said check this out. Mikey shifted the feel for the pre-chorus sections of Love is a Lie. There’s even a copy of Bill Leverty singing Giovanna floating around somewhere and K-Figg playing drums on Why.

CV: Has this experience changed the way you look at and approach songwriting now?
DM: It has. It pushed me to take more chances and think outside the box, but also made me get back to basics due to the recording process. Since nobody was ever in the same room at the same time and it was recorded in 18 different studios, the back to basics approach was needed until I was comfortable with what the technology could do.

CV: If you had to choose your favorite song on the album, which would it be and why?
DM: Sincerely Yours…it’s got this groove thing going on that just pumps all the way to the end. It’s a good balance of guitar riffs to vocals. Neither one steps on each other and plays on the spaces in between.

CV: Incognito definitely has a throwback sound, and this was by design. Duane, do you feel there is a need for music today to recapture some of its former glory?
DM: I think music is a cycle just like everything else. There are some good bands out there now, like The Struts, that are quite melodic, but in a modern way. It’s important to remember where you came from, but music evolves just like people and it’s okay to let that Hendrix or whatever you’re into come through. People spend too much time putting sub labels on top of sub labels instead of just saying, this is a rock song. Do I like it? Music is really that simple.

CV: Many critics believe that physical albums, regardless of format (vinyl, disc, cassette), are dead...digital is the medium of choice for today's music fans…and unfortunately, that seems to be the case.  However, you had initially set up a Pledge Music campaign prior to the album’s official release. Do you find the campaign to be a success? Is there still hope for physical releases?
DM: There is plenty of hope for physical releases and it’s far from dead. Many people enjoy reading the album credits, looking at the art, and seeing who did what. You also have a lossless format so there’s nothing lost from conversion. There are also many ways to measure success when it comes to Pledge. About 1 ½ months before Danny Vaughn went public with his story, I pulled many items from my Pledge Music store based on my conversations with him. I’d say limiting damages for both me and my fans made it a success since all of us were getting ripped off.

CV: Many critics would also contest that music just doesn't have the same substance as it once did; that it has become too manufactured. Would you agree? Has something been lost in translation, so to speak, with today's music?
DM: A band has like a .009% chance of scoring a pop/rock hit if the chorus doesn’t come within 30 seconds and it also needs to keep repeating itself. Our attention spans have become so short that mass consumers aren’t interested in hearing a song develop. This goes back to that gotta have it now, instant gratification thing that’s killing the CD world.

CV: Would you consider doing more albums in this fashion...bringing in a host of guest artists to work with?
DM: I’ll definitely be doing another album similar to the way I did this one. It was really a lot of fun and a great way for everyone to blow off some steam because you aren’t watching a clock. It’s quite casual which is what makes projects like this so fun.

CV: What's next for you?
DM: Right now I’m booking live shows and getting ready to hit the road supporting Tesla. Hopefully we’ll be able to come to a city near you.

CV: Thank you again Duane for spending some time talking and sharing with our readers.I wish you all the best and continued success.

DM: Thank you for having me.

Check out Duane at:
Official: https://www.duanemorano.com/product-page/incognito
Twitter: https://twitter.com/duanemorano?lang=en

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My name is Mick Michaels...I'm an artist, music fan, songwriter, producer, dreamer and guitarist for the traditional Heavy Metal band Corners of Sanctuary. Writing has always been a creative outlet for me; what I couldn't say in speech, I was able to do with the written word.  Writing has given me a voice and a way for me to create on a multitude of platforms including music and song, articles, independent screenplays, books and now, artist interviews. The Cosmick View is an opportunity to raise the bar and showcase artists in a positive and inspirational light. For me, it's another out-of-this-world adventure.

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