Mike Barrett

Bio:

Mike Barrett is a singer/songwriter who lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He was born and raised in Guelph, ON, and has lived on both of Canada's coasts. His journey begins with a sense of adventure, a passion for sharing songs & stories, and a willingness to go the extra mile. Having performed countless shows in bars and cafes across Canada, he has also made a point to find more creative venues to perform in, including on trains, in airports, rooftops, churches, public parks and even in tepees. He describes how finding unique venues to perform in can create opportunities that otherwise may have been overlooked. He says; "I could spend a lot of time applying to play at bars where many of the people may not even be listening, or I could find more creative venues to share my music with people who are really interested."

Mike released his debut solo album in April, 2008 called "What More Could I Ask", which encompasses topics from ecology (Fishy tale), self-discovery (the title track), and love songs (24 hours). He has since recorded new songs at a studio in Halifax called Spaces Between with engineer Don Mackay. Among the three new songs recorded include; 'Troubled Troubadour' about the struggle of a traveling musician navigating their way through a world of doubt, 'Seasons Change' about the four northern seasons and the personification of their ever-changing moods, and "Road Trip" about searching for one's personal freedom of joy.

While working with Don Mackay at Spaces Between a partnership was formed which became the platform for a new group called Spaces Between Stars. With the addition of drummer/harmonizer Mat Budreski, the trio create a sound focused around three-part harmonies and improvisation that adapt to each performance. Inspired partly by take away shows like LA BLOGOTHEQUE, their debut EP "Dark Matter" has been likened to Fleet Foxes, Bon Iver, and Radiohead. SBS recently did a tour to Ontario, for which they traveled by train, performing for passengers along the way. The tour throughout Ontario included performances at the Legendary Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto, and the Rainbow Bistro in Ottawa.

He is a self-trained, motivated artist who performs for the love it, and has earned some accolades along the way as well with the award winning Halifax rock trio; Andrew Hunter & The Gatherers, nominated for East Coast Music Awards and Nova Scotia Music Awards. While attending high school in Guelph, Mike played with a reggae band called Well Charged fronted by a Jamaican native named Winston Cole. He was the youngest musician in the eleven-piece band, and played lead guitar. With the band, he performed on several major stages including the Hillside festival, the Bambu Club in Toronto, and shared stages with some of Canada's finest musicians; Stephen Fearing (Blackie & The Rodeo Kings), The Constantines, and
Sarah Harmer.

Official Website: www.mikebarrett.ca