bass

Mike: bass

Mike Polito was born and raised in Poughkeepsie NY. He has been performing as a bassist with rock and fusion bands for 30 years.

First inspired by Black Sabbath and Deep Purple of the early 70’s, he also began digging the Jazz Rock Fusion of Chick Corea’s Return to Forever and the Mahavishnu Orchestra.  He also owes a lot to bass players such as Jaco Pastorius, Stanley Clarke, Jack  Bruce, Geezer Butler , Glenn Hughes and among others who have inspired him to play.

He has always been a hard rock metal lover but enjoyed all other styles of music as well. It was the very broad spectrum of musical styles that made him the bassist he is today.  As far as performing with a live band, Hard Rock and Metal is where it’s at for him. He has been in a number of rock bands over the years and believes that performing live and connecting with an audience  is the ultimate experience and high you can achieve as a musician.  “It is all about making people feel good”.

Mike likes keeping things quite simple when it comes to his playing.  Keeping that low end is very important in Freakswitch’s music. “ We are more interested in the total band’s sound,  then the individual performance.  Each of us place ourselves into the writing process of our music, giving it a very unique and original feel. There is a very special chemistry between us when we are writing.  A lot of experimentation until we reach a sound we all agree on.”

Michael is loyal to Ampeg amplification and Fender, MusicMan, and Alembic basses, and his custom clear body bass equipped with a BaddAss Bridge, Bass Lines Pickups and some other custom  goodies.. He also uses Rotosound Strings, and Volume & Effect pedals.