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Nov 23, 2020 By Caleb Campbell Mike Viola

Even if you don’t know of producer, songwriter, and musician Mike Viola, you’ve probably heard his work. As a producer, he worked behind the scenes on records for Jenny Lewis, Mandy Moore, and Fall Out Boy, and he’s the writer behind many of the original songs from Get Him To The Greek and Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story. Notably, he also performed the vocals on “That Thing You Do!,” written by his close friend, the late Adam Schlesinger of Fountains of Wayne. Viola is returning to solo music with his newest record, Godmuffin, releasing December 11 via Good Morning Monkey / Grand Phony.

“Ordinary Girl” is the second released single from Viola’s Godmuffin and a return to the bright pop rock of his late-90s act Candy Butchers. The song recalls the sweet choruses of the best of Big Star, filled with heartfelt instrumentation and emotive vocals that bring to mind the Laurel Canyon pop rock of the 1970s. With “Ordinary Girl” Viola also pens a lovely tribute to his daughters, who provide backing vocals on the song. Viola extols the fantastic potential of an “ordinary girl,” destined to change the world as soon as she leaves her town.

Keeping with that theme, for the video Viola partnered with a team of woman creatives, including sisters and co-directors Kelsey and Rémy Bennett and cinematographer Silvia Grav. The video continues in the vein of Viola’s previous video for “Drug Rug,” recreating the feel of classic monster movies of which Viola is a longtime fan. The video follows a suburban teen horror fan as she awakens to the horror and wonder of a mysterious new power.

The death of Schlesinger loomed large over Viola when writing the song. “I was reaching back to move forward,” Viola explains, “Meanwhile, my young daughters are going through their own changes and showing the slow reveal of their powers. This led me to the idea of making the song about a girl who could very well stay stuck in a normal life that she doesn’t feel normal in because she’s a beautiful freak, and no matter what school or her parents have planned for her, the power to transcend it all sleeps within. With all of that in mind, Kelsey and Remy were my first call to make this video, and they nailed it!” Watch the video below and look out for Godmuffin, out December 11 on Good Morning Monkey / Grand Phony.