http://laist.com/2009/03/10/mike_viola_makes_pop_music_cool_aga.php

The new project you have coming out is an album with Mandy Moore. How did the
collaboration with Mandy come about?

From my friend Inara George of The Bird and the Bee. Mandy is a fan of Inara's.
She called Inara to collaborate and Inara got together with Mandy. Within 20
minutes Inara said,"You know you should meet my friend Mike because he loves all
the same kind of music that you love." A week went by and Mandy came over to my
house and we instantly hit it off. We started listening to records. I have a big
vinyl collection. She was digging into my vinyl and she was blown away that we
loved all the same records. I said. "What kind of record do you want to make?"
and she said, "I want to make a record that is a cross between Wings and Joni
Mitchell." I said, "I'm your guy." We started writing songs. We wrote three or
four songs with Inara. Then Inara went on tour. Mandy and I kept working. We
developed a process, a method. We started writing some really good songs. The
songs just kept getting stronger and stronger. After three or four months of
hanging out with her and writing, I felt like we had a really good record on our
hands. That's how it all came about.