Mike Licari of Taco Shock Discusses Writing, Tacos, and New EP

Chicago’s Taco Shock only recently launched into the music scene in and around the city four months ago. With two initial stripped down singles, three music videos, and an EP titled Dog Days set to release later this week, they are well on their way to carving out their own space and fueling the demand for quality pop punk.

Led by Mike Licari, it is clear the band is on a mission. After their five song EP comes out, they have a completed full-length ready to go and have their sights on shows in other states. We had the pleasure of catching up with Mike two days before his EP release to discuss the writing process, his favorite taco restaurants, Dog Days, and more.

Your first single “What Is Life?” was released this past April. What was going through your mind as you put out your first song as a solo artist?

When I put out the 2 singles, there were so many things going on in my head. I was confident that they sounded good and came out the way that I wanted, but I was also rushing to get them out before our first show (April 21st) because I wanted to have something for people to recognize and latch onto.

I wrote “What Is Life” in 3 days. One day for rhythm guitar and song structure, one day for lead guitar parts, and another for lyrics. A couple other things I was nervous about were that people would think the whole project was going to be “acoustic” because the singles didn’t have any percussion, and also, that my vocal parts were too mellow or low-pitched sounding. I’ve always been kind of self-conscious that my singing range is so low because I feel like it keeps me separated from the majority of other mainstream bands and singers. But, I guess that’s not always a bad thing.

In hindsight, everything worked out fine and I’m super proud of those first 2 songs, but looking back, I was pretty nervous on a few different levels.

Listen to "What Is Life?" here.

‘Taco Shock’ is such a rad band name. How did you come up with it?

Thanks! I’m glad you find it cool. The origin story is a random but pretty funny one. So last September, I went to my cousin’s wedding in Scottsdale, AZ, and her and her husband had a taco truck there. The truck came from a restaurant named “Taco Shack,” but my fiancé Andrea kept accidentally mis-pronouncing it as 'Taco Shock.' So, me being me, said back to her “It’s called shack, but... I’ll shock your taco!” Then from there, I started thinking about how Taco Shock looked cool spelled out and gave off an aura that I related to heavily. I told myself at that time that if I ever started another band, I’d name it that, and now here we are!

Which bands or artists would you say are some of your biggest influences?

Overall, my biggest musical influences are Blink 182, The Suicide Machines, Four Year Strong, The Rocket Summer, and The Swellers. This is always a tough question to answer because I always feel like I’m forgetting someone really important. But, that list does a good job of spanning the range of music that makes me the musician I am today.

Blink 182 was my first musical love. They showed me that fast, aggressive punk music could have melodic vocals and lead guitar parts, and that’s something that has always been the key to good music in my eyes. The other groups have all served their own purpose in adding different pieces to the puzzle for me. Something I’m super fortunate for is the opportunity that I’ve had to get to know Nick from The Swellers because of the interaction between my other band, Aim At Your Enemies, and his new project The Apology Tour. It’s been so cool to spend time sharing the stage and the studio with someone that has made such an impact on your musical life.

So far you’ve played a good amount of shows since you started Taco Shock a few months ago, including Sub T, Wire, Evolution Music, Tivoli, and Ashbary Coffee House. Which has been your most memorable?

We have been so lucky to get on all the shows that we’ve played already. I’m so thankful to all the venues and promoters that have given us a chance despite how little our footprint in the scene is right now. If I had to pick one as my favorite so far, I’d say it was our show at Evolution Music in May. There are many reasons it was my favorite. First, it was on a Thursday and I have off work on Thursday. So, for the first time in soooo long, I was able to make it to load in on time and not have to rush over to the venue just to make it for my set. I was also able to watch every act and interact with all of the different band members. On top of those things, it was our first show as a full band and it went so much smoother than I expected because the other members dedicated so many hours of practice to making sure we would sound solid. It almost felt like magic to feel that tight at our first performance together.

And then the cherry on top was that we actually had a decent sized crowd out there for us that were all generally impressed with our performance. I was just happy to have a full day of memories as opposed to my usual rushed load-in, quick performance, and then the show being over because Aim At Your Enemies usually plays last. May 17th was a good time!

I’ve heard that you write and record all Taco Shock music yourself, often in your grandma’s living room. Tell me a little bit about your writing process and what that looks like.

The way that I write all the Taco Shock songs is the same way I’ve written any song I’ve ever made in my life. I start with a guitar part - most of the time a rhythm riff. Then I throw a lead part over that and go from there. I write guitar for the whole song and after that, I’ll move on to thinking about specific drum parts to go along with the guitars. Once I have completed rough recordings of the guitars and drums, I’ll move onto thinking of lyrics and vocal melodies. That’s the part that really takes me a while. Not so much the melodies, but fitting the words and the message that I want to say into the amount of space given. For me, the bass lines are an after-thought. I don’t come up with something to play on bass until I’m actually recording the final version of the song.

As for where I actually write and record, it’s split about 50/50 between my grandma’s living room and my own dining room table. The guitar writing usually starts while I’m at home chillin’, but then when it comes time for the loud stuff, like drums or vocals, I head over to my grandma’s where I can make more noise. What’s unique about Taco Shock is that no one really hears the songs until they are complete and basically ready to come out! So, it’s weird to not co-write with anyone else and not have anyone else producing with me. It’s fun. I really enjoy having full control. But on the flip side, if people hate the songs, there’s no one to blame but myself.

You’ll be releasing an EP, titled Dog Days, later this week. What should we expect from this upcoming release?

I mean, in general, you should expect 5 straight up pop punk tracks that will blow your mind so hard that you’ll need to sleep for 36 straight hours to recover from the shock it will put your brain in! I think it’s a pretty cool release though because I believe it has more diversity in 5 songs than most EPs do. I feel like many EPs are just a small snapshot of a full-length album, but this one is more of a little, mini full-length in itself. I’m hoping that people find that Dog Days has individual tracks that can scratch any pop punk itch.

There are songs that are closer to being straight up punk rock and then songs that are pretty tame and easy going. It’s a really unique EP too because you’d most likely assume that those are the first songs that I wrote for the project since it’s the first full release, but they’re not. I actually wrote and recorded a full-length album before Dog Days that I’m sitting on for logistical purposes, so Dog Days is actually made up of the 4 most recent songs I wrote (and “Classy”). And I love them because as I keep writing, I’m getting better at knowing myself vocally and also knowing what I’m capable of playing on guitar while singing live. So, I’d say listeners can expect a pretty easily digestible, authentic, fun record.

When you’re not recording, practicing, or playing shows, what do you do in your free time?

Well, I do spend a shit-ton of time writing, practicing and recording. But, when I’m not actively working on music, I’m cutting hair, traveling with my fiancé Andrea, bowling, walking my dog Bentley around town, eating lots of different stuff, drinking La Croix, or watching horror movies. You can ask anyone that knows me well, I’m the man of way too many hobbies. I love staying busy and trying out different things. I can spend about one day a week just hanging out, but with the rest of my time, I’m on the move doing something that I believe will most likely positively affect my music career. 

What are some bands you are listening to right now?

This is another tough one because it changes so frequently. But at this very moment, I’m listening to the 2 new singles by Living With Lions - “Second Narrows” is my fuckin’ jam! I’ve also been going back to “Rented World” by The Menzingers, and frequently, “Is A Real Boy” by Say Anything. Another new one that I love turning people onto is the new Like Pacific album “In Spite Of Me”. Those dudes are the best in the game right now. I hope that that record continues to boost their popularity. Also, another one that’s always in the rotation is “Fail You Again” by Can’t Swim. I literally can’t wait to hear what they have coming next.

Do you enjoy eating tacos, and if so, what are some of your favorite taco places to eat?

OF COURSE I LOVE TACOS. If someone tells you that they don’t like tacos, they’re lying or they’re crazy or something. Don’t trust them. My favorite places to get tacos are Mission Taco Joint in St. Louis, the Shrimp Taco is amazing! El Mason in Berwyn, you have to get the “El Corporal” style taco. El Solazo on the South Side of Chicago, get the Queso Panela Taco. And honorable mentions for amazing Mexican restaurants where I don’t order tacos are: Café Corazón in the Riverwest neighborhood of Milwaukee, I get the Seafood Trio Burrito and it’s one of my favorite dishes ever. And last but not least, Los Burritos Tapatios in Downers Grove, I get a Chicken Burrito Suizo and it never disappoints. If we ever play in the west suburbs and you want to catch us after the show, this is a good place to check.

What is currently on the horizon for Taco Shock?

There is so much on the horizon for Taco Shock. I have a bunch of short and long-term goals for the project. Some of the short-term goals are to start playing a bit out of state, to also keep growing our hometown fan base by playing frequent shows with a good variety of bands in all different venues, and to hopefully get my upcoming full-length album picked up by a record label.

Long-term goals are to do some lengthier tours with potential label-mates and to hopefully work with a cool producer on my next album. I’ve always thought it would be such an honor to work with Alan Day, Paul Leavitt, Chad Gilbert, Ace Enders, Tim Pagnotta, or Nick Diener. I’m trying to show that I am capable of creating consistent and high-quality content on my own, but it would be pretty amazing to have some sort of representation to work with to help broaden the outreach of Taco Shock.