LI Sound: A Lion roars again

Mike Del Rio wanted to put out his upcoming EP for himself.

The Franklin Square native is in the midst of fielding offers from record labels and getting placements in TV shows and commercials for some of his new songs. But the EP comes first.

"It's been my baby from Day One," says Del Rio, adding that some of the songs are three years old, around the time he left Lion of Ido to do his own thing, and some are about a month old. "If somebody wants to help out with it down the line, I'm totally down with that. But I wanted this to be my vision - no third party involvement. That way, whether people love it or hate it, I can at least say, 'I did it.' It's my own personal journey and I can move on to the next thing."

It's a pretty good bet that a lot of people will love it. Whether it's the catchy pop of "The New Year" or the stomping "Mad World," Del Rio knows how to build a memorable song. (He knows how to sing one, as well, with The History Channel's decision to use his version of Buddy Holly's "Everyday" for a campaign earlier this year.)

"I start with the song because it's the song that's gonna transcend time, then you can add all the production and all the bells and whistles," Del Rio says.

"And I like to use as much color as possible. Everyone's musical taste is so eclectic these days. I try to combine everything I like in one place."

Mike Del Rio plays The Studio at Webster Hall, 125 E. 11th St., Manhattan, at 8 p.m. Tuesday. Tickets are $10 through websterhall.com.

Contact The Long Island Sound at glenn.gamboa@newsday.com or follow @ndmusic on Twitter.