Rock in Detroit’s
December 2024
Band of the Month:
THE MUGGS
For over 20 years, The Muggs have been stalwarts of the Detroit rock scene. Formed in 2000, they released their first album in 2005 and have six follow-up albums. They have opened for everybody from Mountain, Robin Trower, and Ten Years After to The Verve Pipe and The Detroit Cobras. Their music has been placed in numerous TV shows, commercials and movies. In 2012, they toured Europe. In 2018, they were voted Outstanding Heavy Rock Artist by Detroit Music Awards. In 2020, The Muggs joined the Million Plus Club on Spotify. Rock in Detroit recently spoke to Tony Muggs, founding member, bassist and keyboardist of The Muggs.
ROCK IN DETROIT: Let’s start at the beginning. Your real last name presumably is not Muggs. So how did you come up with the Muggs band name? (Are you a fan of The Fugs? 🙂 )
TONY: Last question first. Who are The Fugs? Not in my wheelhouse although I’m open to listening! First question last. No, my real last name is DeNardo. A nice Italian boy. Wendy Case of the Paybacks inadvertently gave me the name of Tony Muggs while I was adoringly watching the Paybacks playing at an outdoor festival behind the Majestic Theatre in 2003 I think. We shared a glance, her and I, and she blurted out from the stage for all to hear while pointing at me, “Tony Muggs!” If Wendy Case says it, then I’m going with it and have been ever since!
ROCK IN DETROIT: It’s been said we never forget our first love. What single album would you say has had the greatest influence on you? How old were you when you discovered it? Do you still go back and listen to it?
TONY: Rubber Soul by The Beatles around age 5. I have been going back to the Beatles watering well consistently, all my life. And it makes sense now that throughout my songwriting career, I’m most aligned with that style of songwriting.
ROCK IN DETROIT: Your musical career got off to a rocky start. (No pun intended.) In 2001, you suffered a stroke that almost ended your career. You wrote about it in your 2020 book Autobiograffitti (available on Amazon), which has inspired many people. How has that stroke experience influenced your music and your outlook?
TONY: Well, I try to write about my life in my songs. For those who don’t know, my songwriting project/band is called DUDE dude. I thought my career was over until Matt Smith (Outrageous Cherry fame) suggested I could transpose my bass guitar lines to a Fender Rhodes Piano Bass. And because the bass clef (low notes) of a piano are on the left side and the treble clef (high notes) are on the right side, it worked out beautifully having full use and function of the left side of my body. So I am a bassist. Not a keyboardist which would imply playing chords and solos. Danny Muggs saved my life insofar as waiting for me to recover to rejoin The Muggs (not knowing if I’d ever recover!) I can never thank him enough for that kind and loving gesture. He knew how much I loved music! My outlook has always been this: I have wanted and still want to be the best musician and songwriter I can possibly be. So there is no idle time in my world. I’m in 5 bands because I choose to be. I love playing live music, going to see bands that hopefully inspire me to write and imagine better songs and bass lines and I fully support the Detroit music scene in whatever capacity I can. Jarrod Wolny of a band called Grayling said it perfectly in a song he wrote, “The Time Was Now!”
ROCK IN DETROIT: How would you describe the musical style of The Muggs? Could you suggest one (or two) tracks for readers to check out who have never heard The Muggs’ music?
TONY: The Muggs are a power trio who get our inspiration from the British Blues Rock scene of the mid to late 60’s. Slow Curve (On With The Show – 2008 release) and Lightning Cries (Straight Up Boogaloo – 2015 release).
ROCK IN DETROIT: The Muggs have been rocking in Detroit for all a quarter century. To what do you owe your longevity?
TONY: The love for songwriting firstly. 5 studio albums and I wish I could say we have another 5 waiting in the wings. Maybe we do???? Danny Muggs and I have been best friends since we were 13 yrs old. I can’t discount that as a great advantage to our success.
I love an adventure, really I do. No one forced this career upon us. No one booked us 7 times to Europe through a label. We booked ourselves, being an independent band since 2006 after Times Beach Records (Royal Oak, MI) imploded. We did it for the love of it without any carrots dangling in front of our hungry mouths in terms of “making it.” Sure, if success came, we’d take it but what I’m trying to convey, especially to any younger, budding musicians is, we did it for the love of music first. Everything else will take care of itself as it unfolds.
ROCK IN DETROIT: Do you feel The Muggs’ sound has changed over the years, either sonically or thematically? If so, how? If not, do you think it ever will?
TONY: Danny Muggs songwriting and creativity is ever evolving. We have had discussions about this very topic and he would always say in regards to the last album he wrote, that he’s done that already and he wants to challenge himself and write in a way that feels fresh. Some song or songs that he’s never tried to write. I think as our career carries on, although we were initially inspired by all things blues and blues rock, we are more than that. Danny Muggs is more than that. If we started off as Humble Pie, or The Groundhogs, I think now more than ever, we are striving to be Queen, if that analogy makes any sense.
ROCK IN DETROIT: The Muggs appeared on four episodes of The Next Great American Band on Fox TV. What’s the story on that? Do rock and reality-TV mix?
TONY: Ha-ha. You mean The Next Great American Flop?!? Reality TV is something else. Our position was that we could not turn down the gig. To have potentially 30 million viewers watching us and listening to our original songs? Again, we had to do it. Without sounding too much like an ungrateful prick, I’ll just say that there is a lot more than meets the eye regarding “reality TV.” You sign a contract as big as a Josh Malerman horror novel. (The contract came free with a pen and tube of KY jelly, if you pick up what I’m laying down.) All in all, we made the best of it and at the end of our careers, we can say that we are a small part of pop culture history.
ROCK IN DETROIT: What are some of the other projects you have been / are involved in? How do they compare to or compliment The Muggs?
TONY: First off, nothing can compare to The Muggs and the success and longevity we’ve had. That comes but once a lifetime, if yer lucky. My other bands are: DUDE (that’s my songwriting band), The Hourlies (original rock), Rattlesnake Shake (a Peter Green Fleetwood Mac tribute – British Blues circa 1967-1970) and Mega Weedge (a WEEN tribute). Every band has its own flavor. I can never write like Danny Muggs, so in DUDE, I have to be true to myself and my style. In DUDE, anything goes: ballads, country and western, power pop, rock, pop, psychedelic, etc. I want to explore! The Hourlies have been great too. Chris Tomko and Ben Kay do the songwriting. Matt Maniaci (drums) and I hold down the rhythm section nicely and try to arrange or direct the songwriting when needed. But again, The Hourlies communicate differently than how I convey my songs. Same result, just different roads taken. I always say, there’s no wrong way to learn or write music. My tribute bands are just fun as hell. Each of them is different. What can I say, I just love music.
ROCK IN DETROIT: You’ve been around the Detroit music scene for a while. How, if at all, has it changed in terms of music, demographics, economics, venues or otherwise?
TONY: The scene is always ebbing and flowing. Currently, I would say it’s flowing. There are great local Detroit bands who are just killing it right now (in every genre) and all you have to do is find out where and pay for your ticket. Some of my favs right now are ZZVAVA, The Dusty Rose Band, Cherry Drop, Mrkt, Clear Fields, Mod Lang, The Beggars, Duende, Matt Smith, Audra Kubat, Emily Rose, Jackamo, Winds of Neptune, Voxanna, John Holk and the Sequins, Sonic Smut, The Gashounds, Remnose, Eek!, The Going Gones, and on and on down the local rabbit hole we can go. I know I’m missing about 30 more ass kicking bands whom I adore, but let’s meet up at a rock show and see them together! The economics haven’t changed much. For 30-plus years we were charging $5 per and now we finally have the courage to ask for $10-$15 which I think is fair. Venues in Metro Detroit are amazing and have been so ever since I started my musical journey in 1994. In fact, there are way more venues now than back when I started.
ROCK IN DETROIT: One of your songs on Spotify has almost two-million plays. Most people these days get their music from streaming services. Do you think the advent of streaming and the concomitant decline of album sales has been a good, bad or neutral for rock music?
TONY: Rock music will be just fine. I’m hopeful for another popular music revolution, where instead of every girl and boy knowing who Taylor Swift is, they equally know who The Lemon Twigs, Ty Segall, Andy Shauf are, or plug in a great rock band! That great rock band is out there right now, playing in shitty dive bars, blowing peoples’ minds, but it’s not about how good you are these days unfortunately, it’s more about how you market yourself on the socials and how many streams you have on Spotify that gains you access to hidden doors guarded by the wrong people who covet money over creativity. Like I said in this interview, do it for the love of music or yer setting yourself up for a fall.
ROCK IN DETROIT: If you could open for any band–past, present, real or fictitious–whom would it be?
TONY: I would love for The Muggs to open up for The WHO. DUDE to open up for The Lemon Twigs. The Hourlies to open up for King Gizzard and the Wizard Lizard. Mega Weedge to open up for WEEN (different set lists!) and Rattlesnake Shake to open up for The Black Crowes.
ROCK IN DETROIT: Any upcoming shows you’d like people to know about?
TONY: Yes! Rattlesnake Shake is playing at Cadieux Cafe (Detroit) on Saturday, December 21 2024. 2 sets! Music starts around 8pm. DUDE is tracking our 3rd studio album presently. It’s called Destroy It! DUDE acoustic is performing at Canfield Turrets Concert Series on Saturday January 11, 2025 from 7-9 PM. The Hourlies just released our first full length album called Live With Yourself Or Die Trying and are writing our follow up as we speak. The Hourlies are playing at Bowlero Bowling Lanes (Royal Oak) on Friday January 17th 2025. Music at 9 PM. Mega Weedge has a show at Bowlero Bowling Lanes (Royal Oak) on Saturday, February 8t,2025. Music at 9 PM. The Muggs are taking a short break. We just played Cadieux Cafe in mid-November.
ROCK IN DETROIT: And it you want more details, just check out the Rock in Detroit show calendar!
What does the future hold for The Muggs or Tony Muggs?
TONY: Whoa! As much as my one good hand can hold! I have a full plate right now with tracking DUDE’s next full length, and all my live shows and rehearsal commitments. I want to start writing my next book as well. One more trip down Muggs memory lane. I purposefully left my autobiography open ended and incomplete so I could finish what I started and bring balance to the universe! Tonymuggs.com if you are interested in finding out more on my book Autobiograffitti (available on Amazon), my bands (cool poster art, pics, etc) or contact info. I always encourage anyone who wants a book to contact and buy it from me directly. Hey, I’ll sign it for you and mail it to you! Service with a smile. Thanks again for the interview. I wish Rock In Detroit much success.
ROCK IN DETROIT: Rock on!
The Muggs and Dude are the Bomb! Been following Tony for almost 25 years. Awesome dude and awesome inspiration.