Mike Castonguay
Encyclopedia
Mike Castonguay is a music producer, musician and songwriter based in Los Angeles, CA
.
In the early 2000’s Mike worked as a producer, songwriter and the musical director
for the band Natural
(Sony BMG), a Lou Pearlman
group based in Orlando, FL. Mike produced numerous
songs for the bands two albums Keep It Natural
and It's Only Natural. He also produced and co-wrote two singles for the band, "Paradise" and "Let Me Just Fly".
The song "Paradise" was featured in the German trailer for the Academy Award Winning film
Spirited Away
(Disney). He also produced Natural’s version of the song Cherish
for the Kool & The Gang
tribute album The Hits: Reloaded
.
In 2005, Mike and former Natural member Michael Johnson
formed the band Lukewarm Freeda. The duo had songs featured in the television series Veronica Mars
(UPN/CW network) and in the film I’m Through With White Girls
.
In 2006, Mike played bass in the band In For The Kill featuring Bill Gaal from the band Nothingface
.
From 2006 to 2009 Mike played bass for Evan Taubenfeld
as a member of his band "The Blacklist Club". The band also featured Devin Bronson
and Isaac Carpenter
. Mike played bass on Evan’s debut album Welcome to the Blacklist Club
(Sire/Warner Bros.) which also featured Avril Lavigne
. Songs from the album appeared on MTV's The Hills
and the The Sims 3
video game.
Separate from the band, Mike and Evan wrote and produced the theme song for the MTV show Pageant Place
which was executive produced by Donald Trump
. They also worked together on the MTV show Kaya
, the film Lock and Roll Forever (Sony Pictures), the Tyga
album No Introduction
(Universal), and the Cartoon Network show “Props”.
Mike has produced and composed music in commercials for Apple, Sprint
, VISA and Hidden Valley Ranch
while working for the music house Mophonics, in Venice, CA. While at Mophonics, he was also an engineer and musician for the film Bella
(Lion’s Gate)
Mike has also produced songs featured on MTV’s The Real World
and the NBC show Friday Night Lights
.
Mike has also worked with Fastball
, Sarah Connor, Kay Hanley
, Liberty DeVitto
, W. G. Snuffy Walden, Barry Goudreau
, Rich Cronin
, Robert Carranza
, Phil X
, Marc Terenzi
, Capra
, Kelly Blatz
, Sacha Sacket
, Aiden Moore, Chrys Ryan, Brandon Seabrook and others.
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
.
In the early 2000’s Mike worked as a producer, songwriter and the musical director
for the band Natural
Natural (band)
Natural was an American boy band who were best known for their debut single and signature song "Put Your Arms Around Me". They were very successful in Germany and the Philippines, releasing two albums and nine singles.-Formation:...
(Sony BMG), a Lou Pearlman
Lou Pearlman
Louis Jay "Lou" Pearlman is a former impresario of the successful 1990s boy bands such as The Backstreet Boys, *NSYNC, Take 5, O-Town and US5. In 2006, it was discovered that Pearlman had perpetrated one of the largest and longest-running Ponzi schemes in American history, leaving more than $300...
group based in Orlando, FL. Mike produced numerous
songs for the bands two albums Keep It Natural
Keep It Natural
Keep It Natural is the debut album by American pop boyband Natural, released on September 23, 2002 on Sony BMG and Transcontinental Records in Germany. The album followed Lou Pearlman's boyband formula of bubblegum pop. Three of the thirteen songs on the album were cover versions, however,...
and It's Only Natural. He also produced and co-wrote two singles for the band, "Paradise" and "Let Me Just Fly".
The song "Paradise" was featured in the German trailer for the Academy Award Winning film
Spirited Away
Spirited Away
is a 2001 Japanese animated fantasy-adventure film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki and produced by Studio Ghibli. The film tells the story of Chihiro Ogino, a sullen ten-year-old girl who, while moving to a new neighborhood and after her parents are transformed into pigs by the witch Yubaba,...
(Disney). He also produced Natural’s version of the song Cherish
Cherish (Kool & the Gang song)
"Cherish" is the title of a 1985 single by American R&B band Kool & the Gang. The song was the third single released from the band's multi-platinum album, Emergency, which came out earlier in the year. The song is a romantic ballad that proved to be extremely popular when it was released and has...
for the Kool & The Gang
Kool & the Gang
Kool & the Gang are an American jazz, R&B, soul, and funk group, originally formed as the Jazziacs in Jersey City, New Jersey in 1964.They went through several musical phases during the course of their recording career, starting out with a purist jazz sound, then becoming practitioners of R&B and...
tribute album The Hits: Reloaded
The Hits: Reloaded
The Hits: Reloaded is a remix/covers album by Kool and the Gang. It features their Greatest Hits as performed by various artists.-Tracklisting:# Ladies Night - featuring Atomic Kitten# Get Down on It - featuring Blue and Lil' Kim...
.
In 2005, Mike and former Natural member Michael Johnson
Michael Johnson (drummer)
Michael Wayne Johnson is an American pop singer and drummer, formerly of the boyband "Natural". He performed with various projects until joining Marc Terenzi in a new band Terenzi in 2008.-Early life:...
formed the band Lukewarm Freeda. The duo had songs featured in the television series Veronica Mars
Veronica Mars
Veronica Mars is an American television series created by Rob Thomas. The series premiered on September 22, 2004, during television network UPN's final two years, and ended on May 22, 2007, after a season on UPN's successor, The CW Television Network. Veronica Mars was produced by Warner Bros...
(UPN/CW network) and in the film I’m Through With White Girls
I'm Through with White Girls (The Inevitable Undoing of Jay Brooks)
I'm Through with White Girls is a 2007 independent romantic comedy film starring Anthony Montgomery. Directed by Jennifer Sharp, the film was shot in Los Angeles over the course of twenty-four days using hand held cameras.- Plot :The movie centers around a Jay Brooks , a black man who vows to give...
.
In 2006, Mike played bass in the band In For The Kill featuring Bill Gaal from the band Nothingface
Nothingface
Nothingface was a four-piece metal band from Washington, D.C. noted for having graphic lyrics and occasionally using political themes in their later works, as well as polyrhythmic songs.-First Run:...
.
From 2006 to 2009 Mike played bass for Evan Taubenfeld
Evan Taubenfeld
Evan David Taubenfeld is an American singer-songwriter, best known for being Avril Lavigne's lead guitarist. Taubenfeld's debut album, Welcome to the Blacklist Club, was released on May 18, 2010.-Early life:...
as a member of his band "The Blacklist Club". The band also featured Devin Bronson
Devin Bronson
Devin Bronson used to be Avril Lavigne's lead guitarist and previously held positions with Kelly Osbourne's backing band and the Canadian rock band Treble Charger. He is also playing and touring with Ashley Parker Angel. Currently Devin is playing a series of Acoustic shows with Ashley...
and Isaac Carpenter
Isaac Carpenter
Isaac Carpenter is an American drummer, percussionist, producer, audio engineer and session musician. Carpenter is best known as the former drummer for the alternative rock group Gosling as well as its previous incarnation Loudermilk...
. Mike played bass on Evan’s debut album Welcome to the Blacklist Club
Welcome to the Blacklist Club
Welcome to the Blacklist Club is the upcoming debut album by American singer/songwriter Evan Taubenfeld, ex-guitarist of Avril Lavigne. The album was expected to be released on September 15, 2009, but was recently rescheduled to a later date...
(Sire/Warner Bros.) which also featured Avril Lavigne
Avril Lavigne
Avril Ramona Lavigne is a Canadian singer-songwriter. She was born in Belleville, Ontario, but spent most of her youth in the small town of Napanee. By the age of 15, she had appeared on stage with Shania Twain; by 16, she had signed a two-album recording contract with Arista Records worth more...
. Songs from the album appeared on MTV's The Hills
The Hills
The Hills is a reality television series which originally aired on MTV from May 31, 2006 until July 13, 2010. The show uses a reality television format, following the personal lives of several young adults living in Los Angeles, California, but tends towards a narrative format more commonly found...
and the The Sims 3
The Sims 3
The Sims 3 is a 2009 strategic life simulation computer game developed by The Sims Studio and published by Electronic Arts. It is the sequel to the best-selling computer game, The Sims 2. It was first released on June 2, 2009 simultaneously for Mac OS X and Microsoft Windows...
video game.
Separate from the band, Mike and Evan wrote and produced the theme song for the MTV show Pageant Place
Pageant Place
Pageant Place is an American reality show that follows Miss Universe Organization pageant winners Miss Universe Riyo Mori, Miss USA Rachel Smith and Miss Teen USA 2006 Katie Blair, as they live together in an apartment in New York. They are guided by Miss USA 2006 Tara Conner, in a chaperonal role...
which was executive produced by Donald Trump
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump, Sr. is an American business magnate, television personality and author. He is the chairman and president of The Trump Organization and the founder of Trump Entertainment Resorts. Trump's extravagant lifestyle, outspoken manner and role on the NBC reality show The Apprentice have...
. They also worked together on the MTV show Kaya
Kaya (TV series)
Kaya is a Canadian and American co-production scripted television series that first aired on MTV on October 22, 2007.-Premise:It follows the life of the lead singer, Kaya and her struggle to not "sell out" in the music business.-Principal characters:...
, the film Lock and Roll Forever (Sony Pictures), the Tyga
Tyga
Michael Stevenson , better known by his stage name Tyga , is an American rapper signed to Young Money Entertainment, Cash Money Records and Universal Republic Records. He is of Vietnamese and Jamaican descent...
album No Introduction
No Introduction
- Charts :...
(Universal), and the Cartoon Network show “Props”.
Mike has produced and composed music in commercials for Apple, Sprint
Sprint Nextel
Sprint Nextel Corporation is an American telecommunications company based in Overland Park, Kansas. The company owns and operates Sprint, the third largest wireless telecommunications network in the United States, with 53.4 million customers, behind Verizon Wireless and AT&T Mobility...
, VISA and Hidden Valley Ranch
Ranch dressing
Ranch dressing is a condiment made of some combination of buttermilk, sour cream, yogurt, mayonnaise, minced green onion, garlic powder, and other seasonings mixed into a sauce. Ranch dressing has been the best-selling salad dressing in the United States since 1992, when it overtook Italian dressing...
while working for the music house Mophonics, in Venice, CA. While at Mophonics, he was also an engineer and musician for the film Bella
Bella (film)
Bella is a 2006 film directed by Alejandro Gomez Monteverde starring Eduardo Verastegui and Tammy Blanchard. Set in New York City, the film is about the events of one day and the impact on the characters' lives.-Plot:...
(Lion’s Gate)
Mike has also produced songs featured on MTV’s The Real World
The Real World
The Real World is a reality television program on MTV originally produced by Mary-Ellis Bunim and Jonathan Murray. First broadcast in 1992, the show, which was inspired by the 1973 PBS documentary series An American Family, is the longest-running program in MTV history and one of the...
and the NBC show Friday Night Lights
Friday Night Lights (TV series)
Friday Night Lights is an American sports drama television series adapted by Peter Berg, Brian Grazer and David Nevins from a book and film of the same name. The series details events surrounding a high school football team based in fictional Dillon, Texas, with particular focus given to team...
.
Mike has also worked with Fastball
Fastball (band)
Fastball is an American rock band that formed in Austin, Texas in the 1990s. The band originally called themselves "Magneto U.S.A." but changed their name after signing with Hollywood Records....
, Sarah Connor, Kay Hanley
Kay Hanley
Kathleen Marie Hanley is an American alternative rock musician. She is best known as the vocalist for the band Letters to Cleo.-Life and career:...
, Liberty DeVitto
Liberty DeVitto
Liberty DeVitto is an American rock drummer. He is best known as the drummer for Billy Joel, but has also played with the NYC Hit Squad and has been a session drummer on recordings of other artists.-Career:...
, W. G. Snuffy Walden, Barry Goudreau
Barry Goudreau
Barry Goudreau is a musician, best known as one of the original guitarists for the rock band Boston.- Before Boston :Goudreau had developed a musical interest at an early age and got his first guitar, an acoustic which he borrowed from a friend, at age 11. He began taking lessons and by age 13,...
, Rich Cronin
Rich Cronin
Richard Burton "Rich" Cronin was an American singer and songwriter. He was the lead singer and primary songwriter for the pop group Lyte Funkie Ones or LFO.-Early life:...
, Robert Carranza
Robert Carranza (producer)
Robert Carranza is a 4 Time Grammy winner Recording Engineer and Mixer represented by Tsunami Producer Management .-Selected discography:*2010 - Keyboard City - Salvador Santana*2009 - Zee Avi - Zee Avi*2009 - Jack Johnson En Concert - Jack Johnson...
, Phil X
Phil X
Philip Xenidis, better known as Phil X , is a Greek-born guitarist and co-founder of the Los Angeles-based turbo pop band Powder. He also has a second band, the Drills. He is best known as the guitarist who replaced Rik Emmett in the Canadian rock band Triumph, for the Edge of Excess album and tour...
, Marc Terenzi
Marc Terenzi
Marc Eric Terenzi is an American pop singer formerly of the boy band Natural. He was married to German pop/soul singer Sarah Connor from 2005-2008. They have a son named Tyler and a daughter named Summer.-Early life:...
, Capra
Capra (band)
Capra is an American musical group composed by Michael Johnson, Jeff Laliberte, Kelly Blatz , Paul Laliberte, Shelby Archer...
, Kelly Blatz
Kelly Blatz
Kelly Steven Blatz is an American actor and singer.Blatz made his acting debut in The Oakley Seven . He had a brief role in the horror film Simon Says and appears in the 2008 remake of Prom Night. Blatz played a role in the independent feature film April Showers...
, Sacha Sacket
Sacha Sacket
Sacha Sacket is an American pop singer-songwriter who resides in Los Angeles, California. Sacket has produced four albums, Alabaster Flesh , Shadowed , Lovers and Leaders , and Hermitage...
, Aiden Moore, Chrys Ryan, Brandon Seabrook and others.