Singer/Songwriter Mike Maimone to release pair of albums produced during quarantine!
When describing the front man of garage rock trio Mutts, Mike Maimone, back in 2013, Sean Moeller of Daytrotter said that he “goes from zero to a hundred quicker than most”.
Now, as a solo artist who recently moved to Nashville in January 2020, Maimone hasn’t lost a step! Performing nightly at writers rounds, open mics, and local showcases, Maimone was named a Lightning 100 FM Local Artist of the Week by the end of February.
While COVID-19 quickly put an end to his auspicious start as a Nashville performer, the quarantine forced Maimone to refocus on producing new music. He has recorded a pair of albums, which will both be released this Fall.
Borrowed Tunes, Vol. 1 – out September 25th – is an album of covers many years in the making. Frequently playing up to 3 hour-long bar gigs, Maimone spends a lot of time covering other artists, so this is a collection of some of his favorites. Highlights include “Call Your Girlfriend,” “How Will I Know,” and “Samson,” which take on a new and deeply personal meaning when sung by a gay man such as Maimone.
An album of new original music called isolation:001 will follow on October 23rd. Maimone wrote, recorded, and mixed these 9 tracks in his bedroom studio. The collection begins enthusiastically, complete with shout-along group vocals on “notalot” and “Dirty”. But, by the end, we’ve descended into a “COVID Coaster,” hitting bottom with the bleak “Get Off My Mind” and “Leave Me Alone”.
The album closer, “We All Gotta Die”, was written and recorded after the rest of the album had been mixed. Its grim lyrics are delivered though cheerful melodies, borrowing intentionally from well-known songs about love and friendship.
These are the 9th and 10th albums that the singer/songwriter and producer has released on his label 8eat8 Records since 2008, along with 8 EPs and a dozen singles. As a session keyboardist, he has also contributed to dozens of other recordings.
On top of being prolific in the studio in that time, Maimone also averaged over 100 tour dates each year. As both a solo artist and a member of his band, Mutts, as well as a keyboardist for Company of Thieves, Los Colognes, and others, he has performed at legendary venues from The Fillmore in San Francisco to the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City, and at festivals such as Lollapalooza and Riot Fest.
In his own words, Maimone says, “My songs are born from a life of contradictions.” After growing up in conservative rural Ohio, he did not come out of the closet to his Catholic family and friends until age 30 – three years into living with his partner at the time.
He was a three-sport varsity athlete in high school while studying classical piano and performing at school recitals. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame Business School, but quickly walked away from corporate America to focus on music.
From these experiences, the prolific writer has published over 100 songs that are as diverse as his life has been. For example, his song “God, Country, Grave” has appeared in a sex scene of the adult show Banshee on Cinemax, while “Let’s Go” has been played in the “Friendly Confines” of Wrigley Field during the Cubs’ historic World Series run.
Maimone endorses Nord keyboards, and has showcased for them at NAMM. He performs live streams on his YouTube channel about once a month.
Until touring is possible again, you can also find him on Instagram and Facebook!
Check out the premiere of Mike Maimone’s cover of Robyn’s “Call Your Girlfriend” from Borrowed Tunes, Vol. 1 below!
