INTERVIEW
“We Were Golden,” is a time capsule project introduced by Mike Mahoney, created in collaboration with a group, all serendipitously from Fallbrook, San Diego County.
It’s 1967. Windows down, “Mikey’s in the Mustang,” with his care-free gang cruisin’ down Sunset Strip. White levis, sunkissed girls, perfect waves, toes in the sand, and a who-knows-what-could-happen energy. “We Were Golden,” is a time capsule project introduced by Mike Mahoney, created in collaboration with a group, all serendipitously from Fallbrook, San Diego County.
Mike shares that he’s always loved music, specifically for its ability to instantly transport you anywhere. To a specific time, place, or feeling, and when reminiscing on what it was like being a young man in the 60’s, he lyricizes its wide array of emotions. In the escalation of the Vietnam war, many of his friends didn’t know whether they’d be drafted, couldn’t know if they could pursue a future in a career or with a family, or what life (or no life) would bring. So why not live for now? In the wake of uncertainty, mixed with being young and naive, Mike paints the story in the chorus lyrics,
“We were golden, in endless summer sand
We were golden, we thought we had it planned
Riding on a buck of gas, we’ll cruise all afternoon
Let’s turn up the radio, they’re playing the latest tune.”
With symbolic references to songs, “Surfer Girl,” and “Wouldn’t It Be Nice,” Mike shares that the track also serves as a stylistic tribute to Brian Wilson (Beach Boys), whose music was both influential to him, and iconic for the time period. Mike, alongside his co-writer and producer Dave Blackburn, aimed to recapture this feeling with quasi-surf rock, intricate harmonies, and lyrical messages of love, nostalgia, and positivity. The bridge section of “We Were Golden” especially touches on the tenderness and romance of falling in love and longing. Additionally, Mike, who shares that he wanted to orchestrate this project both for fun and for quality, brings in Croome brothers, Patrick and Liam, part of the band “Daring Greatly,” to embody the harmonic synergy like that of the Beach Boys, but in their own unique way. Mike notes that siblings who play together have an unparalleled ability to harmonize and sync up, and he wanted to emphasize this connection, especially since the song is lyrically forward.
Speaking of which, the lyrics were actually what inspired the name, “Mikey’s in the Mustang,” which Mike clarifies is not a band name, nor is it based on him. Because this creative journey has been project centric, fluid with the intention and musicians behind it, he picked the phrase from the lyrics as it collectively encompasses their energy and experiences from the ’60s era.
Fast forward to the 2020’s, Mike visits with his family in the High Sierras. With a bottle of wine and a guitar, Mike plays some of his old songs written in his 20’s. This spurred his son’s advice that it’s not too late to write and record, as it’d be something fun and honorary to leave behind for his grandkids. So by a not so wild hair, Mike embarked on this musical blast to the past.
It started out by recording his legacy tracks (EP “On the Road” released in 2023), which evolved into creating and releasing “We Were Golden,” late last year. Since then, the project has led to the revival of old tracks and the creation of new, collectively titled the "Soundtrack Album," which is scheduled for release in 2025. Mike explains the title “Soundtrack,” is his creative intention to reverse-engineer the music for a movie. Instead of composing songs to fit an existing film, he envisions a movie being made based on the album’s plotline, era, emotions, and symbolic characters portrayed in the music. He describes the emotional and cultural landscape of the 1960s, in Southern California in three “movements.” Innocence, the shift, and the Golden Era. The album opens with "A Moment in Time," an instrumental capturing the youthful innocence in the early 60’s. You get the sentimental dreamy track set at a high school formal dance. You’re in love, you’re living the highs. Another track, "Joe College," the ’60s rock inspired song, highlights the next stage in life, with a rebellious energy and an undertone of uncertainty. College was often a way to defer the draft. However, not everyone got in, and in Mike’s experience, if you didn’t declare a major or switched majors, you were no longer eligible for the deferment. You were living for the moment, because it became clear that might be all you have.
Next we have the second movement, where there's a shift, heartbreak, and reality sets in. For example in the track, “Blue Wave,” a quasi- surf instrumental, the protagonist loses his girlfriend both literally and metaphorically. He experiences not only heartbreak but it foreshadows a lost innocence incited by war. As the social and political climate became more turbulent, the music parallels a Jimi Hendrix-style moment – Woodstock ’69, when Jimi performed “The Star-Spangled Banner,” delivering a cathartic message: LOVE, not war. In the “Soundtrack,” the music transitions from its playful beachy nature to more distorted and bluesy expression. As if the song’s character has a moment of clarity where he can no longer ignore what’s happening around him, but desperately wants to hold on to that tenderness of love. "You never forget your first love. Your first love you can never repeat, but you never lose it," Mike quotes.
Finally, the third movement of the “Soundtrack” leaves us with "We Were Golden," the final high note, albeit bittersweet. This part reflects back on the golden era of growing up in California, free spirited, looking golden and feeling golden, before the weight of adulthood and war changes everything. The energy lifts at the end, leaving listeners with both a sense of introspection and longing for a time that felt untouchable.
But what better way to honor your past than by using your present moment to create a work that preserves it? Mike shares that he was in his mid 70s when he started this project, proving that it’s never too late to go for something you love. He emphasizes for others, “Don’t quit. Keep going, keep pushing. You can accomplish what you set out to do, but you have to love it. It’s about naturally operating in your own style, but passion is essential to sustain it. Do what you love, do a good job of it, and don’t take shortcuts. You can’t please everyone, so just please yourself. And lastly, be generous. Remember, it’s all about what we can do together.”
Watch the music video “We Were Golden,” for a full taste of the 60’s in SoCal.
Listen to “We Were Golden”
Stay tuned on Youtube and Spotify for the upcoming “Soundtrack” album.
