Mike Stocksdale

Mike Stockdale is based in Los Angeles, CA. Inspired by iconic musicians such as Paul Simon, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, B.B. King, etc., Stocksdale is a strong songwriter with a haunting delivery. His latest song “A Passing Phase” is a stunning example of Stocksdale’s artistry.

Perhaps the most striking part of “A Passing Phase” is how straightforward Stocksdale’s lyrics are. His opening lines, “I been feelin better/ I tore up all the letters you wrote but now I’m waiting for anyone to notice me/ Maybe I should total my car or set my house on fire,” is instantly captivating and sets up the tone for the rest of the song. Another standout lyric is, “Lately I been waiting for you to turn up out of the blue but then I wonder/ would you even notice me/ Maybe if I shaved my face or cut my hair.” Besides the lyrics, the rhythmic melody drives the song to mimic the message of fleeting moments in life. Stocksdale has an uncanny way with phrasing, making every note as exciting as the last. - HITS in the Sticks

Hello again music lovers! I’ve been out and about around town, searching for the next up & coming singer/songwriters and bands to write about it. Thankfully, at one of the recent events I attended, I found one! This week, let me introduce Mike Stocksdale. I saw him play a few songs as part of the Monday Monday series at Room 5 on LaBrea. If you ever have Monday evenings open, I suggest checking out this FREE event. It’s a nice, relaxing way to spend the evening and hear a lineup of several blooming artists

Mike Stocksdale makes really good folk music. It’s a happy combination of blues, rock, and just enough country to make you kick back and put in a toothpick. If I had to compare him to some more well-known artists that I enjoy, I’d bring up Ray LaMontagne, Ben Harper, Jason Mraz, as well as other classics like Dylan, Tom Petty, and Paul Simon. I suppose he could also fit into the Americana or Roots genres, but you know I always get sick of picking one, so I just call good music…GOOD MUSIC. Those are also some of his major influences, so it goes without saying that he sounds like them, but he definitely does his own thing. All artists are inspired by and use other music to help them create their own, that’s not news to anyone, but it’s how they create it and how it is presented that makes you different. Mike is different in that his sound has a delicate texture to it. By that, I mean it sounds like something you’ve heard before, but that has a sort of rebirth to it.

Mike has been pretty busy for the past few years, steadily releasing full length albums since 2005. He released his fourth album just a couple years ago. He’s constantly writing and working on new material, as well as playing small gigs and touring around California and surrounding areas. Each of his albums has a unique feel to it and you can really hear the progression of his music and vocals as he releases music. His lyrics continue to gain more meaning and hit home more, and the sound quality improves, too.

The future looks extremely bright for Mike and I’m excited to hear his next album, which hopefully will be released this year. For now, you can enjoy all of his albums on Spotify by looking up Mike Stocksdale and clicking Play. Do it after you’re done reading this (if you haven’t already been listening, which you should’ve been). Check out his music video below for the track “Love Song” from his 2011 album Ashland. Thanks for checkin’ back and have a great weekend! - GroundSounds

By Paula Munoz

Material:
It's not often that an artist can tell a story so intricately that listeners feel as if they've taken a ride through the songwriter's mind. Mike Stocksdale does just that. His songs, although similar in style, have such wonderful composition and tone that each one can stand alone to showcase his talent. Similar to the cool country stylings of John Denver's "Rocky Mountain High" and folky carefree feel of Paul Simon's "Slip Slidin' Away," Stocksdale is a modern reminder of what good music sounds like in its simplest form.

Musicianship:
The five-piece band create a mood of relaxation and fun that make you feel like putting down whatever you're doing and taking a long stroll. Olekshy and Green establish a laid-back foundation while Mouridsen adds the perfect country twang on slide guitar. Kmeto delicately incorporates harmonies for Stocksdale's smooth and controlled vocals, giving a fresh take on a traditional, country-folk style.

Performance:
The band had an appropriately subdued vibe that made the sizable audience hang on every note and lyric. Although most songs were light in tone, the last song of the evening consisted of Stocksdale and Mouridsen alone, creating a somber and emotional feeling. Though he was nervous about performing the tune for the first time, Stocksdale showed a versatility that left one wondering what other talents he might be hiding, or has yet to realize.

Summary:
Mike Stocksdale's music is a masterful blend of memorable melodies and beautiful poetry. Well-crafted songs delicately grab your heart and never let go. Whether singing alone or with a band, Stocksdale's tunes are perfect for television, movies, or radio, because they speak to what is in all of us. In a city where folksingers are in abundance, Stocksdale shows that it's really all about the craft. In this, he is outstanding. - Music Connection Magazine

by Tom Fitt

The first impressions of Mike Stocksdale, the man, and Mike Stocksdale's music are the same: honest and approachably straight forward with little adornment.

The 20-something musician who grew up across the street from Palos Verdes High School sat comfortably at a table on a sidewalk outside of Ashley's Deli in Hermosa Beach and, without reservation, openly discussed his childhood, his college life, his ups and downs in show business, his hopes for his music. He was unnecessarily humble about his talents and achievements: "I really admire jazz players. I'm a wannabe jazzer, I guess."

The only thing that belies his implied apologies is the hard evidence of his work: a new CD he wrote, produced and on which he sings and plays guitar titled "The Hill." It could be about the PV peninsula. It could be about any hill in any city. And it's plenty good enough melodically, harmonically and lyrically to be in the music players of any-aged listeners.

Stocksdale lives in a small apartment in Hollywood with a couple of roommates - musicians, of course. It's closer to the creative heart of the music biz than is his parents' home in PV, though the home studio he built in a bedroom of mom and dad's house gave birth to this CD and an earlier recording, "Searching for September."

The home studio allows Stocksdale to create a product exactly as he wants. "We had all the time in the world," said Stocksdale. "Time is more important than money to me. We could have paid a lot of money and booked a couple hours in a studio, but this was much more relaxed. If I didn't like something, we could go back and change it."

He and his band play gigs around Southern California, but Stocksdale isn't in a hurry to imbed himself in the local bar scene. He's pretty selective about when and where he plays.

"I don't want to play when it doesn't mean anything," said Stocksdale. "We're not a rock and roll band or cover band. I want to perform where people come to listen." He said he'd like to explore some live venues in Pasadena, Long Beach, or other nearby cities. "Hollywood can be such a circus."

One admirable aspect when listening to Stocksdale's live performance and his studio product is that both sound remarkable the same. "I wanted to create something that could exist anywhere, " he said, "with a band, or just by myself."

Regarding his CD sales, Stocksdale has no major label or distributor. He handles it all himself, of which he says "I probably shouldn't do it because it can get tiring." It's word of mouth and the Internet. "You can get it if you want it," he said, not with arrogance, but, rather matter-of-factly. It's much the same attitude in which he approaches his selection of live performances.

His voice sounds like James Taylor. His songs are reminiscent of Paul Simon's "Slip Slidin' Away" days. He readily admits that Simon "is my idol." The following lyric from "Not That Hard to Say Goodbye" on "The Hill" CD is evidence of Stocksdale's poetry:

He puts all his things into the suitcase, and walks downstairs to his car. Fills up his trunk with half of his life, and walks upstairs to her door. But he's got nothing to tell her tonight. Thought if he waited the words they would come. Now he's driving away without tears in his eyes. It's not that hard. I guess it's not that hard to say goodbye. He pulls out 'the driveway into the street, and drops that gas to the floor. But he'd never noticed how lonely it could be at three in the morning before. Now he's got nothing to show for this life. Thought if he waited direction would come. Now he's driving away without tears in his eyes. It's not that hard. I guess it's not that hard to say goodbye.

Stocksdale took what he admits to being a circuitous route to becoming a songwriter and performer. When he was eight years old, he bugged his parents for a guitar, which they finally bought for him at Mr. B's music store on the Hill. "But, after a couple of months, I thought it was just too hard. I didn't pick it up again until I was 16 or 17," said Stocksdale.

He went off to college at Indiana University ("because my dad went there"), choosing to study psychology rather than music. IU has one of the most respected music schools in the nation, but how is a kid from PV gonna know that?

By his sophomore year, he found himself surrounded by fellow students, many of whom - including his dorm roomate - were aspiring musicians. Stocksdale dusted off his guitar and started working out some tunes with his roommate. They entered an on-campus competition at IU for songwriting. The duo became finalists in the competition, which forced them to expand their original repertoire - "We only had three songs when we entered" - because the competition judging was based upon a 45-minute set. They did okay. "The songs were good, but the performance wasn't", said Stocksdale.

After college, Stocksdale spent a year in Chi - Peninsula People

"The subtle Swedish contributions from bass guitarist Alfred Andersson and drummer Michael Wallgren fit perfectly into the picture that Stocksdale had sketched in advance. With Mike on rhythm guitar, Mouridsen taking care of the other instruments and the sublime vocals of Kate Strand, we get to enjoy the absolute ultimate on Chase You in terms of alt country and folk rock. At the basis are the acoustic guitar, Mike and Kate; the framing around it is worked out very carefully and minimal. It is so beautiful that listening to Stocksdale’s newcomer really stops you in your tracks. There are plenty of examples that I could name, such as the folksy The Way, the bluesy Polyana, the brilliant americana in Hard, the alt country in Bare Feet. The combination of Stocksdale and Strand with careful instrumental framing works on ‘Chase You’ as if you are digging for gold. You can simply never get enough of the sounds coming towards you. With ‘Chase You’, Mike Stocksdale has delivered the ultimate record, like the one all artists are waiting for. All that remains now is to convince the interested listener to actually get his CD into their home."

-Johan Schoenmakers, www.altcountryforum.nl - www.altcountryforum.nl

Production: 9
Lyrics: 9
Music: 9
Vocals: 9
Musicianship: 9
SCORE: 9.0 (out of 10)

Stocksdale is an artist whose vision has been expertly realized. His organic, high-touch recordings, reeking, reeking with the warm textures and tones of wood and steel, will impress fans of honest, direct, folk-inspired music. Stocksdale can be delicate and introspective (“Tension”), lively and optimistic (“Black Cloud”), and downright playful (“Everyone is Ugly in the End”). His vocals exude a breathy sensitivity that fits his material like a glove. Breezy, easygoing and amiable, Stocksdale is also a captivating live performer.

Note: This was the highest review of the month. - Music Connection Magazine