Mike McCarthy is an Australian singer/songwriter and music producer. Threading together the elements of dirt box blues with open-sea folk, McCarthy’s music is a wild, yet ever soulful, meditation on life. It is ceaselessly instilled with sincerity whilst always taking a vividly contemporary form.
His musical path has taken him around Australia, Japan, The UK and USA. McCarthy’s music has featured on films such as "Stoked & Broke", "Seaworthy", "Lines from a Poem" and "Alaska Sessions." Now with five albums, an EP, and a new album, THE LION’S SHARE due for release in May 2012, he continues to tour in support of his music.
“I feel that THE LION’S SHARE is a big step forward for me creatively. There was a freedom that came with taking more time to produce this album and I’m glad to have had help in wrestling it out”, says Mike of his new album.
This “help” came from drummer/engineer Miles Thomas. His playing and recording style is a feature on the album.
“Miles has a great ear for a song. His approach, although unorthodox, is simple and wild at the same time. I feel that this approach is evident across the album. A focus on the song but a freedom to express as well.”
Over the last ten years, Mike has also supported many influential musician/songwriters such as Eric Bibb, Mia Dyson, Glen Shorrock, Tex Perkins, Sarah Blasko and Diesel. Eric Bibb was quoted as saying that “Mike and I are one in the same tribe”.
When not on tour, Mike can be found on the NSW Central Coast surfing, fishing or messing about in his home studio by the sea.
- 2001 - Release of Mike's first album 'Wisdom is Delight'
- 2002 - Packs a bag full of CD's, some clothes and 2 guitars and goes looking for gigs across 3 states of Australia.
- 2004 - Release of second album 'Fire Flood Freedom'. Songs from the album feature on Nathan Oldfield's film LINES FROM A POEM.
- 2006 - Mike successfully tours Japan and UK for the first time and releases a new EP 'Shelter and the Sea'.
- 2007 - Release of third album 'Calm Wind' and subsequent tour of USA and Japan for The Greenroom Festival.
- 2008 - Release of fourth album 'The harrowing account of John William Tate'. Mike tours Australia in support of this epic open-sea folk album. Contributes music to Nathan Oldfield's second film SEAWORTHY.
- 2009 - Touring England, US, New Zealand and Australia with Sons of Korah. Also meets Cyrus Sutton on his travels through California. Mike starts Hatch Music with Sharon McKay. Hatch releases a digital learning package based off Mike’s upcoming album ‘Colours’.
- 2010 - Releases his fifth album Colours, an instrumental dive into a world of emotional response to Colours. Music from the album features on Cyrus Sutton's STOKED AND BROKE and several independent short films online. The Australia Council, Department of Education and Arts NSW present Mike with a grant to mentor students in songwriting and recording an album. The album, Sounds of momentum, is completed with Kincumber High school students.
- 2011 - Mike tours High Schools across NSW presenting Hatch music workshops. Produces and engineers releases for Redhanwen, Dan Hannaford, Katie Harder and his own solo project THE LION’S SHARE.
- 2012 - Mike is currently preparing the soil for the brand new album, THE LION’S SHARE to be released in MAY 2012.