Reawakened: Inside the Triumphant Return of Von Groove

Reawakened: Inside the Triumphant Return of Von Groove

More than three decades after their self‑titled debut lit up the melodic rock world, Von Groove has returned with a fire that feels anything but nostalgic. With their new album Born to Rock on Frontiers Music Srl, the original trio — Michael Shotton, Matthew Gerrard, and Mladen — sound revitalized, reconnected, and ready to reclaim the spark that defined their earliest days.

In this candid and wide‑ranging conversation, vocalist Michael Shotton reflects on the unexpected path that led to the band’s reunion, the emotional weight behind key tracks, and the rediscovery of a creative chemistry that feels as natural now as it did in 1992. From the heartfelt “Waiting for the Sky to Fall” to the soaring ballad “Always Endlessly,” Shotton pulls back the curtain on the writing process, the personal stories woven into the music, and the renewed sense of purpose that fueled the album’s creation.

What emerges is not a band revisiting its past — but one reigniting its core, proving that the fire never truly went out. It was simply waiting to be turned back up.

We’re here with Michael Shotton of Von Groove. What made you all decide that 2026 was the right time to release a brand‑new Von Groove album?
It was really kind of by accident, Ken. I had been doing some recording work with Frontiers, and Mladen, Matthew, and I are always in touch. But everybody’s got lives now — kids, families, aging parents — all the things that come with being older guys.

Frontiers floated the idea: “What about a reunion record with the original three?” We started talking about it, and the more we talked, the more excited we got. Before we knew it, we were sending ideas back and forth, and it turned into a great record.

The new record is called Born to Rock. Is there a story or concept behind the title and that song?
We figured if we were going to come back, that title said it all. No matter how old you are, if music is in you, it never leaves. As musicians and artists, it doesn’t go away. It’s not like, “I did this in my 20s and 30s, and now I’m going to be a massage therapist.” It doesn’t work like that.

I write every day. I write with so many different artists. Matthew does the same. Mladen does the same. This is something that has never left us. All we’ve done is take all that experience and bring it back home — and Von Groove is home for all of us. We’ve all gone off and done things, but this band is the core.

People keep asking what it was like getting back together — was it natural? And honestly, it was like riding a bike. The three of us work together in a way that’s just impeccable. We work fast, we’re discerning, and we have a strict no‑crap quality control. If I send an idea and one of the guys says, “Nah, it’s not working,” we just discard it. No ego. If it works, great — we dig deeper. We mine out the good ideas, and it happens quickly with us.

Everyone’s going to ask about the singles, so I’m going straight to the end of the album. Track 10: “Waiting for the Sky to Fall.” Tell me about the inspiration behind that one.
That’s a tune I wrote years ago. It was inspired by my Uncle John, who I lost in 2004. The lyric was there, the idea was there. I threw it to the guys, they liked it, and we Von Grooved it — added a midsection, honed it, crafted it.

And I’ve got to say, Ken, I’m impressed you pointed that one out. That’s someone digging into the record instead of just talking about the singles.

Let’s go to the very end: “Always Endlessly.” Tell me about that one.
That was the last song we did for the record — a total last‑minute addition. We figured the album needed a mainstream ballad, something in that Aerosmith vein. I can’t remember which Aerosmith song sparked it, but there were some chord changes that inspired the vibe.

I came up with the verse and melody, and I think I had the title “Always Endlessly.” Mladen liked it. He started building a chorus. Then it was the usual process — passing ideas around, everyone adding their piece. I might have three or four chords and a melody; I send it to Matt, and he calls back saying, “Dude, I’ve got a great chorus.” Then Mladen adds a lyric. Step by step, we nudge it along.

Honestly, Ken, it’s a joyous process. Matthew and I called each other a couple of times saying, “I feel like I’m 30 again.” And I’m not just saying this because it’s our record, but nobody is going to listen to it and think, “These are a bunch of 60‑year‑old men.” It sounds youthful, energetic, positive, uplifting — the band is on fire.

One more song — because every band has a track with a woman’s name. Let’s talk about “Angela.” Who is Angela?
Well, first of all, I have a great friend named Angela, and her name just came to me. The song originally started on keyboards. I sent it to Matthew and said, “I think this has something — there are bones here.” He agreed. I sent him the MIDI files and piano part. I was singing placeholder melodies — no real lyrics yet — but the one thing that was already there was the “Angela” chorus melody.

Matt took it and electrified it with guitars. He came up with the bridge, which works so well. Then Mladen got involved, and again, it was the same process: everyone adds a stroke of paint to the canvas until you’ve got a beautiful picture.

As for the lyric, the name came from my friend Angela because it just sings well. And the subject matter… I think that’s pretty obvious.

Have you done any live shows yet, or do you plan to, in support of the new record?
We’re planning. We’re trying to sync with the record company as the release approaches. Once the album is out, I think they want to get some shows lined up. We’d love to get out there, see the fans, and perform these songs. It’s what we do.

When was the last time Von Groove played in the Los Angeles area?
A long time ago. It’s been a while. The problem with our past records is that they were often licensing deals, and getting shows to follow them up was difficult. That’s partly our fault — we should have pursued the live thing more instead of relying on agents and labels.

There have been shows, but not enough. And while I don’t think this is the closing chapter of Von Groove, we’re definitely in the last couple of chapters, being in our 60s. But we’re already talking about a follow‑up record. We’re going to keep going until the great God above takes us out of the game.

I’m glad to hear there might be another Von Groove record.
Yeah — there are already a few new songs in the works.

Let’s go back to 2001 and The Seventh Day, which I believe was the last Von Groove record before this new one. When you look back on that album, did you have any idea it would be the final release for a while? And what do you think of it in retrospect?

I think it’s an amazing record — a very, very strong record. The songs, as always, are strong. It’s another important page in the Von Groove history. Tracks like “Lily” and “The Seventh Day”… I can’t say enough. There’s fantastic material on that album.

Let’s go back even further — 1992, the self‑titled debut, and of course the amazing “Once Is Not Enough.” When you look back on that album and being on a major label, what comes to mind now?
It was an amazing time. The record company was amazing. It was incredible to have people at that level who believed in us and had real faith in what we were doing. EMI was just incredible with us.

We’re told all the time that it was one of the best debut records ever. And honestly, if it had come out two or three years earlier, things might have been different. But we released it right when the musical landscape shifted, and mainstream melodic rock suddenly took a back seat.

Let’s talk about some of your other projects. The Raintimes album from 2017 — what do you think of that project now, and do you think there will ever be another Raintimes record?
That I don’t know. That project was brought to me — I wasn’t really a director on it, more of a participant. But it was a lot of fun.

Overall, I’ve been very blessed to work with so many great people. Rik Emmett and I have done multiple records together. In 2007 we did the Airtime record, which was a really good rock album. I’m proud of it, and I know Rik is too. I’ve worked with so many different artists over the years — singing on people’s records, contributing where I can. Being able to participate in music my whole life… believe me, no complaints.

Let’s talk about the L.R.S. record from 2014. How did that come about, and would you like to do another L.R.S. album?
I would love to do another one. Tommy’s great, Josh is great — everyone’s off doing their own thing now, but if the opportunity came back, I’d jump on it. I got to write a couple of songs for that record and contribute creatively, and we even did a show together in Italy. It was a blast. Those guys are fantastic, and I’d welcome a follow‑up anytime.

Are you currently involved with any other bands or projects outside of Von Groove?
Outside of Von Groove, I’m doing a lot of producing with various singer‑songwriters. My kids are grown and out the door now, so that’s where my life is these days.

For about 25 years, I sang with a group called Jeans N’ Classics — performing with orchestras, singing Queen, Zeppelin, all that stuff. That was always fun. But now it’s mostly production work and helping singer‑songwriters shape their material.

Tell me about Fatal Vision and how you became involved with that project.
Simon and I are friends — he’s a great singer and a big Von Groove fan. He asked me to produce his vocals, so we got together and started working. It’s cool having two singers in the room. My creative brain works a million miles a minute, so I’d help him with melodic development, tone, phrasing — just flourishing the vocal a bit more.

He had me sing a bunch of background vocals too. Working with Simon and Miguel has been a lot of fun. They’re amazing people, and we’ve had a great time together.

The last Carl Dixon record, Unbroken, was pretty amazing. You were on that one — what was the experience like working with Carl at that time?
Carl’s a Toronto boy — I’ve known him for years. Great singer, great artist, great person. And after everything he’s been through… God bless him. He’s a true inspiration. Completely resilient, grateful for every day he gets to do what he does. I have nothing but admiration for that man.

Back to Von Groove — a new album is about to come out. What do you hope the rest of the year brings for you and for the band?
Honestly, Ken, with all my heart, I just hope the fans who love Von Groove listen to this record and embrace it. I hope they say, “These guys didn’t cop out. They didn’t just put out a record for the sake of it.”

There is fire in this record. We wrote great songs. The performances are full of energy. This album burns. It reawakened the fire in all of us.

Life happens — you go through your 40s and 50s, you raise your kids, you deal with aging parents, and sometimes you lose sight of the fire inside you. But when we got back together, we realized the pilot light was still on — we just needed to turn it up.

Once the recordings started — drums, bass, guitars, vocals, arrangements — we were reminded why this band is so good. Sitting in the studio hearing the finished record… we knew we hadn’t phoned it in. There are no phone‑ins. This is a rock record, and we mean it.

In Conclusion

As Born to Rock prepares to make its way into the world, Von Groove stands not as a band revisiting its past, but as a trio rediscovering the spark that first brought them together. Michael Shotton’s passion is unmistakable — the fire he describes isn’t metaphorical; it’s the sound of three musicians reconnecting with the part of themselves that never dimmed, even as life pulled them in different directions.

If this album proves anything, it’s that Von Groove still has something vital to say. The chemistry is intact, the songwriting is sharp, and the performances burn with the kind of conviction that can’t be faked. Whether this marks a new chapter or the beginning of the band’s final act, Born to Rock is a reminder of why Von Groove mattered then — and why they still matter now.

For longtime fans and new listeners alike, the message is clear: the pilot light never went out — it’s been turned all the way up.

(Interview by Ken Morton)

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