I’ll be on Ann Arbor 107.1 FM today to talk about the upcoming Ark show, new record, and the balancing act of parenthood and music life.
Tune into the Acoustic Brunch with John Bommarito at 10 AM (EST) today (my segment at 10:15 AM)
Then later tonight on Tree Town Sound with Matthew Altruda at 6 PM (EST).
Also, big thanks to Martin Bandyke for having me on the 107.1 FM Music and Mocha series the day after my accident!
Indie Feed included “We’re Not Here Anymore” in their “Weekly Update” playlist, a four-song set of acoustic tunes.
Listen to the playlist here, and give Indie Feed a Youtube follow:
https://youtu.be/PrdTuU8jcB4
Featured artists in the playlist include:
Jonny Carroll – “February”
Joel Ansett Music – “Turn to Gold”
Neo & Neo – “Californian Sun”
Mike Vial – “We’re Not Here Anymore”
© Photo used in artwork; Nicolò Di Giovanni – Compaccio, Italy – Download picture here: https://goo.gl/AmUwzL
Whoa, the record received quite a press quote:
“The album is a warm, crisp collage of Americana coiled with lots of contemplative lyrics narrated by an artist who sounds like he’s enjoying the radiant sunrise after a proverbial dark night of the soul.” – Jeff Milo, the Current
Jeff Milo, asked such thoughtful questions, and I appreciate his long-form review of my new record for his blog. I offer some thoughts about the accident and Ann Arbor’s fruitful scene.
Read the blog here:
http://deepcutzmusic.blogspot.com/2016/10/a-world-thats-bigger-interview-with.html
Girl on the Mountain, Boy on the Beach
This folk song in DADGAD is my favorite to play from the new record, a contemplation about the refugee crisis.
Free Download: Click here for a free download of the song.
Full album available on: Apple | Spotify | Amazon | Goo
“Girl on the Mountain, Boy in the Beach”
A girl climbed the tallest mountain,
And the light from the sun in the sky
She found a juvenile traveler
He was watching the moon die, the moon die
The girl ran down the mountain
The boy lay down in the beach
Passion gave in to power
The sun and the moon never reach
Did you need a little hope this morning?
Did you need a little hope, did you cry?
A father readied a journey
A mother made up her mind
Children fleeing their country
Can you give sight to the blind, the blind?
A girl ran down the mountain
A boy lay down in the beach
Children fleeing their country
The sun and the moon never reach
Did you need a little hope this morning?
Did you need a little hope, did you cry?
This song was a 2016 Grassy Hill Songwriting Competition finalist, performed at CT Folk.
Live video done by Charlie Steen. Audio by Solid Sound Recording Company.
Press Release: A World That’s Bigger
October, 2016
Ann Arbor, MI. — Mike Vial’s wife said she wouldn’t marry him unless he quit his public school teaching job to pursue music.
Five years later, Vial has played 1000+ gigs across the United States and Canada, and he’s releasing a new album.
For his fourth music release, A World That’s Bigger, Vial recorded the entire folk album live with three acoustic guitars in a cabin in northern Michigan. With the help of his friend behind the mixing board, Vial completed his most challenging, personal record.
However, the release of the record lead to another unfortunate incident: Vial was hit by a car the week his record was released. Vial was crossing the road walking to a gig in Ann Arbor. His guitar in a gig bag on his shoulder took the initial impact, saving his body from more harm.
“I was supposed to play the annual John Lennon tribute that night at the Ark,” Vial said. And it gets more eerie: “I was going to play ‘All My Loving,’ a song the hospital heard on the radio when Lennon died.”
Vial’s own album covers three universal themes — life, death and love. The title track “A World That’s Bigger” celebrates the birth of Vial’s first child, but it also embraces family heartaches. “Ginny’s birth was bookended by two miscarriages,” Vial said. “Writing songs like ‘Little Drum’ and ‘Those Shoes’ helped me find closure with the fear and pain.”
And the pain runs deep in other songs like “Burning Bright,” a dedication to Vial’s relative, Michigan Senator David Plawecki. “Girl on the Mountain, Boy on the Beach,”which Vial will perform in September as a Grassy Hill Finalist for this year’s CT Folk Festival, addresses the Syrian refugee crisis.
“I’ve been thinking about how lucky I am to raise my daughter in Ann Arbor, and how so many families are fleeing their homes overseas.”
Vial hopes the music will inspire us to do more for those in need, as well as to revel in the joys of love and family.
* * * *MUSIC STREAMS * * *
Press photos: download here
Album cover: download here
Press Soundcloud stream:
https://soundcloud.com/mikevial/sets/a-world-thats-bigger/s-0xGsA
Spotify: listen here
Bandcamp: mikevial.bandcamp.com
