Mike Garrigan

Singer-songwriter Mike Garrigan has gone on record as saying he believes traditional bricks-and-mortar record stores and established record label models will be defunct in a few years. With the demise of chains such as Sam Goody and the major labels in turmoil, Garrigan believes solo artists and indie bands can be well-positioned to take advantage in the future.

Certainly, if his indie contemporaries showed the same commitment to excellence as demonstrated on Garrigan's first DVD release Live At The Evening Muse, then there might be an increased willingness amongst aspiring musicians to forego the traditional belief that a major label deal is the be-all and end-all.

With numerous independently-released solo albums under his belt, a devoted live following and now a professionally produced and packaged DVD, the Greensboro-based artist is a shining example to other indie artists that you don't need a major label deal to have relevance in today's multimedia-dominated music industry.

You do need talent though, and as Live At The Evening Muse demonstrates, Garrigan has this in abundance. The DVD of an acoustic solo performance in July 2005 collates songs from his time in the alt-rock band Collapsis, as well as solo material dating from 1994 to the present day. From the powerful "October" and the intense "Gravity Affects Me" to the poignant "November" and the emotive "Sour Milk," Garrigan's fans will be delighted with the track selection.

Producing a DVD on a budget is a difficult task, but with the assistance of local filmmaker Chip Roop, Garrigan has delivered a product to be proud of. There is the odd shaky camera shot, but the varied photography overcomes the challenges involved in making a solo gig interesting and watchable, and the atmosphere and intimacy of the performance has been expertly captured. The mix by Joe Kuhlmann provides top-quality sound and Garrigan's detailed and insightful commentary adds another dimension to the songs and the overall show.

Live At The Evening Muse is a triumph on so many levels but perhaps the biggest achievement is its price of $12: if an indie artist can sell quality product at such an inviting price, then the demise of mainstream record store chains could come sooner than even Garrigan predicts
- Andrew Ellis from Ink19.com

Mike Garrigan
Local 506
The former Collapsis leader, when not fronting his new band MG4 (with members of Athenaeum), makes thoughtful folk-rock. While of the same ilk as Jason Mraz and Gavin DeGraw, Garrigan has a better gift with arrangements and a lot more sonic adventurousness. 10 pm./$6--CP
- The Independent Weekly, Durham, NC

Sound Advice: Regional Spins
By Daniel McMilian and Jeri Rowe
(Thursday, March 30, 2006 1:00 am)


Flashes of aural recognition spill constantly from "Songs for Sixty Five Roses" like South of the Border signs in rural South Carolina. And like those billboard reminders of Pedro, these tunes will bring smiles and memories of "where-were-you-then?" moments for many North Carolina music fans.

On "Sixty Five Roses," some of North Carolina's most talented musicians rework the recognizable tunes from the state's own dive-bar and five-star jukebox to help a little girl live a longer, fuller life.

John Plymale, a respected music producer in Durham, approached the old Tar Heel brain trust of Mammoth Records — Jon Wurster and Steve Balcom — about doing a concert and later a CD to raise money for the National Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Those conversations lead to "Songs for Sixty Five Roses," a title that refers to a kid's pronunciation of cystic fibrosis, a deadly disease that affects the lungs, sweat glands and digestive system.

Plymale, bashful to ask for help, approached 18 artists he has worked with over the years about donating their time to the project. He expected sometimes to hear "no" or "I don't have time." He heard none of that.

As a result, Plymale has spearheaded a beautiful-sounding CD, full of good memories and good vibes, that bookmarks the richness of North Carolina's music scene and shows the undying strength of parental perseverance.

Simply put, the CD is a sweet listen. Eric Bachmann of Crooked Fingers deconstructs "Every Word Means No" from Winston-Salem's Let's Active and makes this once-loud guitar rave-up into a pensive tune about love and loss.

Greensboro's Athenaeum does a by-rote version of Randy Travis' "Forever and Ever, Amen," showing that Mark Kano really can sing country.

But the tune that keeps spinning constantly in my head is Queen Sarah Saturday's "Seems," performed by Greensboro's Mike Garrigan.

When I hear Garrigan's stacked, silk-smooth tenor, stark acoustic guitar and mournful trumpet, I think of that little girl with the honey-colored hair. Her name is Allie. She's the 4-year-old daughter of John and Amy Plymale. She has 'sixty five roses." And this CD is for her.

As her dad writes in the liner notes, "She is such a kid, a gentle soul who deserves to live a long, wonderful life."

Here's to that happening.

– Jeri Rowe

- Go Triad/Jeri Rowe

One could state the obvious about the artistic talent that creates the musical and lyrical components of Garrigan’s music, but they would barely be scratching the surface of what he has to offer his audience. It’s rare for a singer-songwriter to so skillfully evoke the sacredness of music or express what it means to be human. Through a voice that could charm almost any ear and emotions that could touch any soul, Garrigan finally makes sense of the world. Renowned for his work with former bands Athenaeum and Collapsis, fellow musicians should soon be renowned for working with just him. At Café Strudel. H. Brigman
- The Free Times, Columbia, SC

MG4 - Gravity Affects Me
By: Andrew Ellis

Former Athenaeum and Collapsis member Mike Garrigan is one talented guy. He often posts to his website demos that even some major label bands would kill to have written, and now his brand of reflective modern rock has a new outlet, MG4. The band sees Garrigan switch places at the mic with former Athenaeum vocalist Mark Kano, who now undertakes guitar duties, and with Gravity Affects Me, the quartet has released an EP of exceptional quality.

The four songs on this collection are -- with the exception of the closing track, “Run From Thunder” -- dark in theme and vibe, each representing a personal epiphany. The stunning opener, “Another Day In Paradise,” reflects just that, dealing with the need to change the priorities in life. “Gravity Affects Me” is dense and dark, yet still retains a deeply affecting melody. “Walk In Circles” is almost as intense, and “Run From Thunder” closes things out in a positive, uplifting fashion.

MG4 must be one of the most talented modern rock bands currently without a major record deal. But having been down that road before, Garrigan is in no hurry to align his band with one of the corporate giants. As Gravity Affects Me demonstrates, he’s content making music on his own terms and for that, we should be grateful.

- www.ink19.com

One could state the obvious about the artistic talent that creates the musical and lyrical components of Garrigan’s music, but they would barely be scratching the surface of what he has to offer his audience. It’s rare for a singer-songwriter to so skillfully evoke the sacredness of music or express what it means to be human. Through a voice that could charm almost any ear and emotions that could touch any soul, Garrigan finally makes sense of the world. Renowned for his work with former bands Athenaeum and Collapsis, fellow musicians should soon be renowned for working with just him. At Café Strudel. H. Brigman
- The Free Times, Columbia, SC

By Andrew Ellis

Music fans still mourning the break-up of Athenaeum earlier this year have at least one consolation -- the new Greensboro, NC outfit, MG4 is basically the same band with a little role-reversal.

In the four-piece, Athenaeum guitarist Mike Garrigan graduates to lead singer and songwriter, while vocalist Mark Kano steps into the shadows as guitarist, and as demonstrated on the band's superb new four-track EP Gravity Affects Me, it's an arrangement that suits all parties.

Garrigan explains: "Initially, in September 2003, Mark, Remy [Jeremy Vogt, drums] and I tracked two songs that were headed for the fifth Athenaeum album. In this session, Mark sang the lead on both songs but we opted to shelve this material in favor of doing a Mike Garrigan band project. Then Mark approached me about switching places in the existing line up and we agreed it would probably be for the best. He's started on a new direction in his life and doesn't have a lot of time for songwriting. He's also one of my good friends, so I respect his decision to be in the position he is."

As former singer-songwriter for Universal Records' Collapsis and a solo artist with three solo albums to his name, Garrigan relished the opportunity to be a frontman once again, but he admits to being grateful for the talents of Kano and his fellow band members, Vogt and bassist Mike Mitshele in MG4.

"Playing with Mark is a true blessing," he says. "He is, hands down, the most talented person I know. There's a real chemistry between the guys in the band and it's good to surround yourself with people who are more talented than you are. It makes me look really good!"

He continues, "MG4 is different from any project I've done because it represents the band as it is. There are no excessive overdubs. Remy plays all the drums. Big Mike plays all the bass. Mark and I play all the guitars and do all the singing. In my previous works, I had 11 or 12 musicians play all over the albums. This is a true representation of where we are in 2004, as Athenaeum is coming to a close."

But as Gravity Affects Me and the countless demos posted on www.mikegarrigan.com prove, the powerful, melodic sound of Athenaeum still remains on the majority of MG4's songs, even though the dynamics of the band are different.

"Yeah, it's basically the same," Garrigan admits. "Lyrically, there's a difference, but not a night/day one, and musically, it's not much of a departure. The material on the EP is more like [Athenaeum songs] "Sweeter Love" than "What I Didn't Know." MG4 is the eleventh hour line up for Athenaeum, so similarities are inevitable. I'm so completely happy with that because I love Athenaeum's sound."

The four songs on the band's debut EP will no doubt be savoured by fans of Athenaeum and Garrigan's previous material, but such is their quality, there's no reason why modern rock fans unaware of the band's previous incarnations shouldn't also be extremely impressed by what they hear.

"I'm quite pleased with the result," admits Garrigan. "Gravity Affects Me is the first project I recorded and produced myself, and one thing I noticed early on in pre-production was that all of the songs deal with falling on your ass and picking yourself up again. That's a departure from the "relationship" material that comprised so much of The Promise of Summer, my last album. I guess it goes back to the darker Collapsis material."

The sonic and lyrical depth evident throughout the EP is perhaps best demonstrated on the darkly captivating title track. Originally written for the planned second Collapsis album, it later resurfaced during the acoustic shows Garrigan and Kano played around Greensboro.

"It was written in August of 2000 and is far and away, the densest recording I've ever made -- including all the stuff with Collapsis," says Garrigan. "I worked for about a week on singing the last chorus of that song. I would sing the chorus every morning at the top of my lungs and comped the best lines. I always wanted to deliver a vocal performance like that."

While not as intense, opening track, "Another Day In Paradise" reflects similar sentiments to "Gravity Affects Me" and boasts another terrific band performance. "About two years ago, I dropped a handful of really bad habits and never looked back," Garrigan comments. "This song reflects that personal transformation. I was tempted to fade out the outro, but it reminded me of what I liked about the Athenaeum song "Comfort". Mark and Remy just kept going and going so we kept the performance, unfaded."

Remaining tracks, the brooding "Walk In Circles" and the uplifting "Run From Thunder" complete the EP in spectacular style and really whet the appetite for a possible full-length MG4 album.

"It all depends on the reaction to the record," says Garrigan. "It's very possible if the EP sells enough copies to warrant a full length. We are doing one-off shows here and there to support and promo - www.ink19.com

6 Questions with Mike Garrigan

This Month's 6 Questions is with Singer/Songwriter Mike Garrigan. You may have heard of one of his 90's modern rock bands Collapsis or Athenaeum, both of whom made marks on the Modern rock charts. Now he's back with his new project, The MG4 (aka the Mike Garrigan band). He was nice enough to sit down with us and let us pick his brain. For more info on Mike Garrigan, check out his Website


Q1. You've had a pretty steady career of being in bands that grow large followings and brush mainstream sucess but never seem to get the full shot of Limlelight, first with Collapsis and then with Athenaeum. do you feel like you're missing out, or is mega millionaire really not on the top of your "to do" list?

A1. No. For me, music isn’t about money. Other than money being a necessity to pay bills and make a few things happen here and there, I generally despise it. If I ever became a mega millionaire, I would want to give most of my money away to people who really need it. Near the end of college, I was headed to law school. If money were my modus operandi, then I would have gone to law school. I got into some really good schools, but that path didn’t seem right to me.

As for my time with Collapsis and Athenaeum, I feel as though both bands got a fair “roll of the dice,” so to speak. Unfortunately, neither band ever really garnered more than minor commercial successes. That’s true. However, there is a sense of pride I feel in the music each band made together. I get several emails a month telling me how much people still love Dirty Wake and Athenaeum (the self-titled record in which I was involved). The fact that both bands made lasting music means more to me than having a flash in the pan. Disposable music creates disposable fans. I can’t seem to get rid of the fans once I win them over. That’s a great problem to have.


Q2. Who are your influences, musically and lyrically?

A2. R.E.M. and The Beatles are the two bands from which I’ve drawn the most influence. Vocally, I do a lot of the things Stipe does; I learned how to sing by listening to Document (the fifth R.E.M. album) over and over. From The Beatles, I’ve gathered a sense of harmony and song structure.

The biggest influence on my music is my life. One of the things my fans appreciate about my songs is their personal dimension. I have a song called “The Original Pullman Palace Car Dream,” for example, which is a personal musing about a train model in Pittsburgh. Needless to say, I had a lot of free time that day. I also draw influence from what I read. I read a lot. The structures and conventions of four writers (Stevens, Joyce, Palahniuk, and King) have informed most of my writing.


Q3. there seems to be a six degrees of seperation thing going on with singer/songwriters these days. you revealed once that you jammed with john mayer, who jammed with glen phillips (formly Toad the Wet Sproket) who did an album with nickel creek, who.. you get the picture. Do you feel a sense of community within these types of circles or is it more just trains passing in the night stuff?

A3. No. I don’t feel much connection with other artists.


Q4. Tell us about you newest project, MG4. Any familiar faces from past projects?

A4. MG4 is the moniker for The Mike Garrigan Band. I’ll probably be changing the name of the project to just The Mike Garrigan Four for the next recording project. It amazes me how so many people have a hard time understanding the name, MG4. “What does the MG stand for?” too many have asked.

Yes, there are three familiar faces from past projects, more specifically, from Athenaeum. On drums is Jeremy Cannon, who joined Athenaeum when I did in 2001. On Guitar and Bass are Mark Kano and Alex McKinney, respectively. They were founding members of Athenaeum.

The Mike Garrigan Four is essentially Athenaeum with me singing and handling songwriting duties.


Q5. What do you think of the music business as a whole right now?

A5. I think a big turn-around is coming in the foreseeable future. Once the record labels figure out how to better regulate the digital domain (downloads, mp3’s, etc…) there will be less of a necessity to sell, sell, sell albums, although that will always be a priority. I think once a manageable system is in place, labels will be able to take more risks by funding stuff that’s not a “sure thing.” It’s embarrassing to turn on MTV these days. Most of the music on there is just awful. I’m glad U2 is being featured, though. The lack of profits from labels has opened another door to artists like me: internet distribution. Last year, I cut all the dead weight from my income chain and set up a way to distribute my own albums via my website with no middle men. It takes me a few hours a day to handle the business, but I don’t mind doing the work myself.


Q6. You offer quite a few downloads on your site for fans, what's your feeling on illegal downloading?

A6. Ill - www.63channels.com

By Andrew Ellis

Music fans still mourning the break-up of Athenaeum earlier this year have at least one consolation -- the new Greensboro, NC outfit, MG4 is basically the same band with a little role-reversal.

In the four-piece, Athenaeum guitarist Mike Garrigan graduates to lead singer and songwriter, while vocalist Mark Kano steps into the shadows as guitarist, and as demonstrated on the band's superb new four-track EP Gravity Affects Me, it's an arrangement that suits all parties.

Garrigan explains: "Initially, in September 2003, Mark, Remy [Jeremy Vogt, drums] and I tracked two songs that were headed for the fifth Athenaeum album. In this session, Mark sang the lead on both songs but we opted to shelve this material in favor of doing a Mike Garrigan band project. Then Mark approached me about switching places in the existing line up and we agreed it would probably be for the best. He's started on a new direction in his life and doesn't have a lot of time for songwriting. He's also one of my good friends, so I respect his decision to be in the position he is."

As former singer-songwriter for Universal Records' Collapsis and a solo artist with three solo albums to his name, Garrigan relished the opportunity to be a frontman once again, but he admits to being grateful for the talents of Kano and his fellow band members, Vogt and bassist Mike Mitshele in MG4.

"Playing with Mark is a true blessing," he says. "He is, hands down, the most talented person I know. There's a real chemistry between the guys in the band and it's good to surround yourself with people who are more talented than you are. It makes me look really good!"

He continues, "MG4 is different from any project I've done because it represents the band as it is. There are no excessive overdubs. Remy plays all the drums. Big Mike plays all the bass. Mark and I play all the guitars and do all the singing. In my previous works, I had 11 or 12 musicians play all over the albums. This is a true representation of where we are in 2004, as Athenaeum is coming to a close."

But as Gravity Affects Me and the countless demos posted on www.mikegarrigan.com prove, the powerful, melodic sound of Athenaeum still remains on the majority of MG4's songs, even though the dynamics of the band are different.

"Yeah, it's basically the same," Garrigan admits. "Lyrically, there's a difference, but not a night/day one, and musically, it's not much of a departure. The material on the EP is more like [Athenaeum songs] "Sweeter Love" than "What I Didn't Know." MG4 is the eleventh hour line up for Athenaeum, so similarities are inevitable. I'm so completely happy with that because I love Athenaeum's sound."

The four songs on the band's debut EP will no doubt be savoured by fans of Athenaeum and Garrigan's previous material, but such is their quality, there's no reason why modern rock fans unaware of the band's previous incarnations shouldn't also be extremely impressed by what they hear.

"I'm quite pleased with the result," admits Garrigan. "Gravity Affects Me is the first project I recorded and produced myself, and one thing I noticed early on in pre-production was that all of the songs deal with falling on your ass and picking yourself up again. That's a departure from the "relationship" material that comprised so much of The Promise of Summer, my last album. I guess it goes back to the darker Collapsis material."

The sonic and lyrical depth evident throughout the EP is perhaps best demonstrated on the darkly captivating title track. Originally written for the planned second Collapsis album, it later resurfaced during the acoustic shows Garrigan and Kano played around Greensboro.

"It was written in August of 2000 and is far and away, the densest recording I've ever made -- including all the stuff with Collapsis," says Garrigan. "I worked for about a week on singing the last chorus of that song. I would sing the chorus every morning at the top of my lungs and comped the best lines. I always wanted to deliver a vocal performance like that."

While not as intense, opening track, "Another Day In Paradise" reflects similar sentiments to "Gravity Affects Me" and boasts another terrific band performance. "About two years ago, I dropped a handful of really bad habits and never looked back," Garrigan comments. "This song reflects that personal transformation. I was tempted to fade out the outro, but it reminded me of what I liked about the Athenaeum song "Comfort". Mark and Remy just kept going and going so we kept the performance, unfaded."

Remaining tracks, the brooding "Walk In Circles" and the uplifting "Run From Thunder" complete the EP in spectacular style and really whet the appetite for a possible full-length MG4 album.

"It all depends on the reaction to the record," says Garrigan. "It's very possible if the EP sells enough copies to warrant a full length. We are doing one-off shows here and there to support and promo - www.ink19.com