Mike Vial
Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2007 | SELF
Music
Press
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/20805998
http://mikevial.com/2012/03/01/udetroit-pam-rossi-show/ - www.udetroit.com
http://whmi.com/news/article/13892 - WHMI 93.5
http://www.livingstondaily.com/article/20120210/NEWS01/202100319 - Livingston Daily Press & Argus
http://www.livingstondaily.com/article/20120210/NEWS01/202100319 - Livingston Daily Press & Argus
http://www.freep.com/article/20120214/FEATURES14/202140329/Music-food-love-Michigan-centric-pair - Detroit Free Press
http://www.freep.com/article/20120214/FEATURES14/202140329/Music-food-love-Michigan-centric-pair - Detroit Free Press
http://thelivingstonpost.com/sales-of-local-musicians-new-song-benefit-opera-houses-restore-the-glory-campaign/ - TheLivingstonpost.com
http://digtb.com/mikevial - DigitalTourBus.com
Jan 23, 2012 – “Day 232 – Mike Vial” AwesomeMitten.com written by Haylee Serr - Awesome Mitten.com
Jan 23, 2012 – “Day 232 – Mike Vial” AwesomeMitten.com written by Haylee Serr - Awesome Mitten.com
Jan 20, 2012 – Live performance and interview at FearlessRadio.com – listen to the recorded podcast here - FearlessRadio.com
Mike’s “Made a Mess” was played on RocklandWorldRadio.com on the New Music Monday podcast at 3 PM EST - Digital Music News
Mike’s “Made a Mess” was played on RocklandWorldRadio.com on the New Music Monday podcast at 3 PM EST - RocklandWorldRadio.com
Sept/Oct 2011 - American Songwriter Magazine Vol.26 No. 6, page 14 – Letters/Tweet Smarts section - American Songwriter Magazine
We recently ran our "Best of 2011 in Music" series, featuring Lansing musicians, hip-hop artists and promoters offering up their favorite local albums of 2011. (Check out the lists, here, and, here.)
Now, check out a list of 10 Must-Have Lansing Albums, before 2012 rings in.
Of course, there wasn't room for every local release, so this is only a small sampling of the great music that came out of Lansing in 2011!
What was your favorite album - local or national - of the year? Let us know in the comments section, below. Happy 2012!
10 Must-Have 2011 Lansing Albums (in no particular order):
Mike Vial and the Great Lake Effect, "Where the Sand Meets the Tide." This EP from Mike Vial and the Greak Lake Effect mixes delicate folk with jangle-y pop-rock to great accord. - Lansing Noise
Mike Vial's EP Where the Sand Meets the Tide made the top download list at Noisetrade in December. The EP was downloaded by 725 people in the first week of December 2011. - Noisetrade.com
Mike Vial releases new EP on Cyber Monday
While Black Friday may have been around longer, Cyber Monday is all the rage these days. On Monday, and likely throughout the week, Christmas shoppers will scoop up the deals online. Besides, with no long lines and crazy hours, Cyber Monday is a tad more comfortable than typical shopping drama.
Locally, Howell-based folk-rock group Mike Vial and the Great Lake Effect release their new EP, "Where the Sand Meets the Tide," online on Cyber Monday (Nov. 28). Musically, the collection combines gentle folk with harder-edge pop-rock, utilizing unique chord progressions and relatable lyrics. Songs like "Love & Be Proud" and "Empty Cup" mix folk passages with digestible choruses, molding a sort of brainy folk-pop hybrid that appeals to mainstream fans and indie-tempered listeners. The tracks are entertaining, from-the-heart and stylishly performed.
Sample tracks via the Soundcloud player, below. To purchase, visit Vial's Band Camp site. The set runs $4-- a perfect Cyber Monday deal! What digital music are you planning to download this week?
- Lansing Noise
By Anne Erickson
Howell-based Mike Vial and the Great Lake Effect craft a mix of folk, indie and pop, bringing introspective songs, played with a rocking acoustic guitar. Vial and the Great Lake Effect release their latest EP, "Where the Sand Meets the Tide," on Monday, and the set features more of his intimate singer-songwriter fare.
Thematically, Vial deals with transition and courage, and that's appropriate, since he recently left a full-time teaching job to pursue music full time. Musically, the collection combines gentle folk with harder-edge pop-rock, utilizing unique chord progressions and relatable lyrics. Songs like "Love & Be Proud" and "Empty Cup" mix folk passages with digestible choruses, molding a sort of brainy folk-pop hybrid that appeals to mainstream fans and indie-tempered listeners. The tracks are entertaining, from the heart and stylishly performed.
• Hear it: Stream Mike Vial's new album, The Great Lake Effect, via Soundcloud at http://soundcloud.com/mikevial /sets/wherethesandmeetsthetide.
• Buy it: Mike Vial and the Great Lake Effect's new EP, "Where the Sand Meets the Tide," is free digitally at www.mikevial.com/free until Nov. 28, as part of Vial's promo campaign, and then available at www.mikevial.bandcamp.com for $4. The EP will also see an iTunes / Amazon release in December. - Lansing State Journal - Noise Section
By Brent Callwood
Mike Vial & the Great Lake Effect scared the hell out of us when Vial emailed over a link to the new EP, Where the Sand Meets the Tide (self-released), and compared his group to abominable, disgusting, pseudo-emotional bullshit artist John Mayer. He also mentioned James Taylor, and thankfully that’s a lot closer to the mark. The tunes are fun, from the heart and well performed. But Mr. Vial, don’t sell yourself short like that.
- Metro Times
Mike Vial is LLIC"s Musician Pick of the Week! (July 201) Listen here: http://llicmagazine.tumblr.com/archive - LLIC Magazine
I WROTE THIS SONG BECAUSE…“Burning Bright” is dedicated to my relative, Michigan senator, David Plawecki, who died of cancer a few years ago. He faced the final chapter with such grace. His dying wish was to create a pay it forward movement. He gave everyone he knew $100 to give to someone else in need. I had the circle of life on my mind, and “Burning Bright” was the first song I wrote after David’s death. - American Songwriter Magazine
Having, like Sting, left the teaching of English to follow his passion as a singer-songwriter, Mike Vial has developed a variety of new songs, new techniques, and new artistic outlets to enhance his music. Lately, he’s turned to writing haikus to stay sane and he shared some of these, along with the most requested performer in his set once listeners learn he’s from Michigan (nope, sadly it’s not Bob Seger). - WCBE 90.5 FM
Discography
A World That's Bigger (upcoming 2016)
"Burning Bright" (single) - 2015 - Bandcamp, Spotify, iTunes
PVSG Series (subscription only) - 2014 - Bandcamp
"Love Birds" (single) - 2013 - Bandcamp, Spotify, iTunes
"Reaching Back" (single) 2012 - Bandcamp, Spotify, iTunes
Where the Sand Meets the Tide (EP) - 2011 -Bandcamp, Spotify, iTunes
"I Just Want to Be Your Last" (single) - 2011 Bandcamp, Spotify, iTunes
Burning the Boats (EP) 2010 - Bandcamp, Spotify, iTunes
Three Men Make a Tiger (EP) - 2008 - Bandcamp, Spotify, iTunes
Photos
Bio
On his previous albums of folk-rock, Mike Vial
sings about searching for true love, taking chances, and facing life’s
transitions. These themes mirror the songwriter’s ambitious journeys over the
years: He left his teaching position to pursue music full time, married writer
Natalie Burg, celebrated the birth of their first baby (a girl!), and started a
songwriting challenge to write a song a week in 2014.
Mike performs 150+ gigs a
year. His vocal style is comparable to James Taylor and Ari Hest, but his
guitar playing stands out with its own voice, mixing elements of jazz, folk,
and rock. He has been showcase performer for Folk Alliance, The LCC Radio M897
Spotlight Artist in 2015, and winner of the Ypsi Songwriting Festival in 2010
and Lansing’s Blue Owl Songwriting Award in 2014.
Band Members
Links
