Luke Michielsen
Kitchener, Ontario, Canada | Established. Jan 01, 2008 | SELF
Music
Press
When people talk about what makes Canadian songwriters unique, they often say that it must be something in the water. Maybe they should start saying it's something in the dirt. At least that's the message that Guelph singer-songwriter Luke Michielsen is putting out with his debut solo album, Burn to the Ground, a collection of no-frills moody folk-rock gems in the spirit of Neil Young's Harvest, from the cover art on down.
Prior to this, Michielsen was front man of Guelph indie rockers Slowking, whose 2007 album, Rival Cities, was a national campus radio hit. However, Michielsen says he eventually began writing some songs that didn't fit with the band's sound, making it inevitable that he would record them on his own. - The Record - Waterloo Region
Watch Luke Michielsen perform Every Time I Come Home at The Walper Hotel in Kitchener. - Southern Souls
...introduces the lyrically gifted and incredibly talented Luke Michielsen. - Music Lynk
Luke Michielsen’s music is full of pastoral imagery, the lyrics subtle and evocative, the depth of his message hidden in the plain sight. I’ve put a streaming link to his newest EP, Meddle In The Natural Order, below. Check it out.
His down-to-earth folk sensibility is at odds with the scope of his world; it’s that tension, between the intricacies he sees in the natural and the simple unending openness of that same vision, that keeps his music interesting. - Sounds Like Work
My thought was that as long as you we're diagnosed with some sort of cancer, you're in! ...they also really like to have fun. Clearly this is something audiences have picked up on, because people getting up and dancing is a common sight at their performances. - Being Well Magazine
Musician Luke Michielsen walked by a rally in St. George's Square the day after the shelter, located in the basement of Norfolk United Church, closed June 15. He signed a petition to reopen the centre, but wanted to contribute in some other way as well.
So he wrote a song.
The lyrics of "Bring Back Change Now" come from his discussions with the youth who used the centre, and a line he saw written on the sidewalk at the rally --- "it's the same thing I hear, 'Ya can't go home and ya can't stay here.'"
He wrote the music that day, then came back to a meeting of youth and former staff, where the song had its premiere.
"I kind of felt nervous," he said yesterday. "I don't normally do stuff like this -- I'm not a full-time activist." - Guelph Mercury
Discography
Still working on that hot first release.
Photos
Bio
Luke Michielsen's music attracts audiences to its reflective moods, unique guitar work and unabashed honesty. His style often draws comparisons with Neil Young, and the raw emotional delivery synonymous with Counting Crows. He's currently based in Kitchener, Ontario, and workshopping songs with a new backing band for his next full-length album due in September 2014. Luke gratefully acknowledges the support of the Ontario Arts Council for funding the project.
Originally the lead singer of disbanded rock group Slowking, Michielsen is now a solo artist in his own right. His two solo releases, Burn to the Ground (2008) and Meddle in the Natural Order (2011), were both produced by Juno nominated engineer Mike Langford of The Pawnshop studio located in Torontos Kensington Market.
Michielsens fingerstyle and flatpicking guitar creations are unified by his cross between enigmatic and reflective lyrics on his 2011 EP, Meddle in the Natural Order. The 5 songs are recorded vulnerably with only vocals and acoustic guitar, yet they leave the listener in that coveted and rarely achieved space where the music continues to grow inside you long after it has ended. - Jessica Fleming
Michielsens first full-length album, Burn to the Ground (2008), is brooding yet hopeful folk-rock. The influence of Neil Young on the record is easily recognizable and oft mentioned. The album charted on several radio stations across Canada, most notably Torontos CIUT 89.5. Michielsen toured the album throughout Ontario and Eastern Canada. Burn to the Ground introduced Michielsen as a force and talent as a singer/songwriter in Ontarios independent music community.
Michielsens first project was with rock group Slowking. The catchy indie rock tunes of their full-length Rival Cities (2007) charted #1 on several campus/community radio stations across Canada including Kamloops, Trois Rivieres and Waterloo and sold its entire first run of 1000 copies. The band played over 70 shows in their short lived existence including regular gigs at Torontos Mod Club Theatre. Although disbanded in 2008, they played a farewell show in November 2011 to an enthusiastic crowd at the Drake Hotel.
Band Members
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