Billy Mohler
Billy Mohler is a Grammy-nominated producer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. He was raised in South Orange County and is Bill Medley's godson. He attended and graduated from Berklee College of Music where he studied electric, bass and acoustic bass. Mohler then received a full scholarship to the prestigious Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz at UCLA. He was a member of the rock band The Calling until 2002. The band's debut record Camino Palmero has sold more than 5 million copies worldwide.
He is currently a member of the Jimmy Chamberlin Complex, and is a good friend of Chamberlin. The two first met when Mohler auditioned for Zwan, Chamberlin's former band. Mohler and Chamberlin became quick friends. It was Mohler who Chamberlin called first after securing a record deal with Sanctuary Records. Mohler contributed greatly to the band's first album, co-writing and co-producing it with Chamberlin, playing bass guitar, bass, electric guitar and keyboards throughout, and singing in "Streetcrawler" and "Newerwaves".
Mohler's recording/songwriting/production credits are diverse. He has recorded with Lady Gaga, Pom Pom's, Aimee Osbourne, The Airborne Toxic Event, Conway, Liz Phair, Kelly Clarkson, Macy Gray, The Calling, Lifehouse, and Debi Nova. Mohler has produced/written with Awolnation, Gustavo Galindo, War Tapes, The Drowning Men, Last American Buffalo, Carina Round, Katy Rose, Lenka, The Bellrays, Bill Madden, Shane Alexander, Trevor Menear and many others. Mohler performed with Jon Brion on the Charlie Kaufman film Synecdoche, New York. Mohler recently co-wrote music for John Krasinski's directorial debut film, Brief Interviews with Hideous Men.
For a brief period in 2006, Mohler worked with The Smashing Pumpkins in Los Angeles, CA.
Mohler also plays drums in a band called War Tapes who have opened for the Smashing Pumpkins, Tiger Army, VNV Nation, Shiny Toy Guns, Moving Units and toured in the UK and the West Coast with The Bravery. War Tapes are signed to Sarathan Records in Seattle, WA and recently completed a US tour with VNV Nation as well as releasing their first full length, The Continental Divide.
Mohler's performance credits are equally diverse including Macy Gray, Lee "Scratch" Perry, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Jimmy Heath, Clark Terry, Terence Blanchard, Lenka, Billy Childs, Awolnation, Steven Tyler, Meiko, and he was a member of the band Anarchy Orchestra, formed in part by legendary skater Tony Hawk. While at Berklee, Mohler was a member of The Jay Hodgson Group, which also included violinist Ludvig Girdland, drummer Rohin Khemani and lead-singer and songwriter Jay Hodgson; Girdland would go on to become an important session violinist in Los Angeles, working with the likes of Electric Light Orchestra and Eels, among others. He recorded on their debut album, which topped collegeweb.com's national 'indie' chart for more than three months in 1998.
Mohler is currently the CEO of Trailblaze Music Group and President of SQFT Records, which is the Indie subdivision of Trailblaze.
