The Mickeys
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The Mickeys

Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2010 | INDIE

Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States | INDIE
Established on Jan, 2010
Band Americana Singer/Songwriter

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This band has not uploaded any videos
This band has not uploaded any videos

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"the Mickeys - Walk Along"

The Mickeys' lead vocalists Amy Sherman and Julie Peebles display smooth vocal harmonies like the complementing registers of The Pierces, and modern Americana-folk tunage reminiscent of The Greencards. The group's latest album Walk Along is flavored with twangy slide guitar patterns and the dobra's airy flange performed by Bascom Peebles, who co-produces the album with Julie and Amy. ... The tracks on Walk Along have classic country-folk wavelets and a warmth that is indelibly homey.

With a tinge of Celtic-folk shimmers lining the instrumentation of "Caroline," the album sets the scene for homebound visions as Sherman and Peebles sing, "The secrets of an untouched isle were yours and mine for a while / Northern lights illuminate / A vision that carries me away to this place / Oh sweet Caroline / Moments still clear in my mind… The stars they dance like fireflies on the shores of Caroline / Sweet Caroline." The jolly rhythmic tapping of the title track is bordered by bluegrass stitching, and the soft fluttering in the acoustic wavelets of "I Believe" produce spiritual lifts and moments of introspection. Many of the messages in the songs emote positive feelings strapped to an upbeat step in the rhythmic knolls like in "Greatest Thing" and "Feel The Way I Do." Others rejoice with a mellow stroking like "Going Home" and "The River," and sometimes The Mickeys indulge in a gentle country-porch-calypso-sway, like in "Take It Slow." The lullaby swinging of "Stay With Me" is comfortably pillowed by tender acoustics, while the country-pop voltage of "Standing In The Rain" stirs up the melodic furls and merge the instruments into rolls of tight bundles. The final track "Alright For Now" has cushiony country tones that wander blissfully and smooth out evenly.

The Mickeys' latest release Walk Along is the follow up to their debut album Finding Our Way. Their music exudes a genuine affinity for modern Americana-pop skylines and country-folk grottos. Their album is the product of earnest teamwork and brings out the best in bluegrass modulations.
- HYBRIDMAGAZINE.COM - Susan Frances


"Scene & Heard"

County/roots artists the Mickeys - gorgeous indentical twin sisters Amy and Julie Mickey, who deliver incredible harmonies - are on a roll. Their new single, "Smoke and Mirrors", which was just released to Country radio, is already a hit on the Americana Charts and is zipping up the European Independent Chart.
~ Larry Holden - Country Weekly - Larry Holden


"the Mickeys - Finding Our Way"

"Americana" acoustic country folk music always sounds refreshing, but strangely the same to me. It's always easily identifiable from the minute you drop the CD in the player. I had never heard The Mickeys sing before this CD arrived in my letterbox. To be fair, I have heard their name bandied about somewhere, but any artist has to win his/her spurs with me before I make any judgment. Well, have the Mickeys won their spurs? Yes, you'd better believe it! This album is blisteringly good; the spur marks are all down my back to prove it.

The Mickeys are 28-year-old twin sisters Amy and Julie, originally from the Great Lakes on Northern Michigan, but now living in Nashville, Tennessee. It is immediately evident that these two young ladies are sisters, because they harmonise as only siblings can do. They are absolutely magic, reminding me of the Everley Brothers back in the '60s.

The tracks are acoustic based, with percussion at exactly the right level on the softer songs, but as steady as a rock when needed. I don't know who the drummer is, because the backing musicians are not credited on the album sleeve notes, but all of them should take an extra bow, because they do a super fine job here.

The vocals are obviously The Mickeys' strong point, but it's the construction of these eleven songs (five of which are written by the sisters), all of which flirt with roots, acoustic country and bluegrass, that makes the album so good. It is hard to pick a favourite song. I understand two of the tracks were released as singles -- "Smoke & Mirrors" and "Old Kentucky Wind," the latter of which made No. 1 on the European EMS Independent Top 30 Chart. But my personal favourite is "Before You're Home," which has a short but haunting riff on fiddle, before the guitar and fiddle share the superb instrumental break. "My Way Again" follows, and again the instrumental breaks make the song. Both of these songs are co-written by Amy and Julie with Tom Rogers.

It is clear in my mind we will be hearing a lot more from The Mickeys as they find their way, if only because they are both clever girls and have Bachelor's degrees in Business Administration with Music Business minors, obtained at Belmont University. They formed their own record label (Riverbeat Music) and are masters at promotion.

But even with all this, you still need to be able to sing. Make no mistake about it: these ladies have a singing talent with a capital "T." This album is a masterpiece.

~ Peter Massey, Green Man Review - Green Man Review


"the Mickeys - Finding Our Way"

Take two twenty-something twin sisters - attractive identical twin sisters - with the ability to harmonize in tune without help from any studio trickery, who write their own songs and sing like angels...it sounds like a recipe for everything corporate Nashville desires in 2003.

But...these twins won't be swayed from their own musical vision, their own look, their own ideas. Goodbye, corporate America - hello finding our way, the strong first effort from Amy and Julie Mickey.

Raised in northern Michigan, Amy and Julie came to Nashville to attend Belmont University, not primarily for music, but as business majors. And that knowlege helped them set up their own publishing company and record label (RiverBeat Music).

But none of that would matter if finding our way wasn't any good. It is. Hopscotching between folk, traditional country, celtic and alt-country (whatever that is), the disc contains eleven tracks, five of which were co-written by one or both of the sisters.

The first track ("All I Ever Wanted Was You") shows off the twins' ability to harmonize, honed in church since childhood. "Still Haunts Me" and "Smoke and Mirrors" talk of love lost and love dissuaded.

"Dixie Wire" is a standout, showcasing the sisters' vocal interplay over a beautiful melody. "Before You're Home" sounds like an old English folk song, with a call-and-response chorus. "My Way Again" and "I Want To Talk To You" are pleasant but undistinguished, while "Old Kentucky Wind" makes you think of home and familial warmth.

In a different (read: less corporate-oriented) radio world, "My Train" and "Dry Eyes" would be hit singles - both songs feature strong lyrics and hummable melodies. And the final track, "Rainman" is magnificent - with an orchestral background emphasizing mandolin and cello, Amy and Julie sing their hearts out.

Getting started in the music business is supposed to be the hardest part. The Mickeys have cleared all of the hurdles, and with finding our way have established themselves as artists to watch.
~ Dave Stratton, WQBR/Bear Country Radio
- WQBR, Bear Country Radio


"the Mickeys - Finding Our Way"

Not to be missed, the blending of the new-and-old flavours with the harmony-artistry of these twin sisters give these eleven new favourite tunes a touch of 'unpolluted inspiration'. Tender-on-the-ear, one is engaged by the warmth-and-love coming from these twin gals. Placid, mellow sessioners share the recording studio with them on this memorable session taped amidst Dixie romance. One senses that the twin-duo's nostalgic musical memories reflect back to days when life was simple and less complicated-and-stressed, when even popular songs really had memorable tunes.
~ Paul Davis, Country Music Roundup - Country Music Roundup


"the Mickeys - Finding Our Way"

A tradition continues!
I grew up listening to what was commonly called "chicken rock". It was an amalgam of rock 'n' roll, country, rockabilly, and folk, some of it with more pop influences. The Everly Brothers were probably the best exponent of that type of music, and with all that, they brought the "blood harmonies" of family church singing with it.

This new release, the debut recording of The Mickeys, is a refreshing return to that style of singing. Identical twins Julie and Amy Mickey, educated in the business side of the music industry as well as the production side, have put together one of the finest releases so far in 2003. Five of the eleven songs were either written or co-written by at least one of them, and they have adeptly chosen songs by other writers that show off their best asset...their voices. "Smoke And Mirrors" could easily be done by Martina McBride with much more substantial instrumentation, but the spare, acoustic arrangements of most of the album allows the lyrics not only to be understood, but absorbed. "Before You're Home", written by both Amy and Julie with Tom Rogers, reminds you of older Holly Dunn arrangements, and "My Train" could have easily ended up on an Alan Jackson album.

I've had a copy of this disc on my car stereo for the last week. I don't intend to stop listening to it for a good long while. Buy this disc. I think you're going to like it...a lot!!!
~ Len Jaffe, Amazon.com, June 13, 2003
- Amazon.com


"the Mickeys - Finding Our Way"

Siblings often sing good harmonies, but identical twins Amy and Julie Mickey have been giving identical vocals in sweet harmony since they were four-year-olds. It's difficult to pigeon-hole these beauties' debut album, as they run the gambit of Country, Celtic, Bluegrass, and Americana. And yep, they do have a fiddle in the band! Five of the eleven cuts on the album were co-written by the twins. I also had a problem picking a stand-out track, but I was impressed by the harmonies and fiddle licks on the "Before You're Home" cut. Released on their own independent RiverBeat Music label, you can get your copy of this CD at www.themickeys.net or catch the girls at Fan Fair this month. Rating: 6 out of 7 stars
~ Brad Fischer, Music City CD Corner, Nashville Music Guide June 2003

- Nashville Music Guide


"the Mickeys - Walk Along"

Those who missed the 2003 debut album, Finding Our Way, from the identical twin sisters who identify themselves by their maiden name, Mickey, ought to take time to get acquainted with Amy and Julie (married surnames being Sherman and Peebles, respectively) the second time around on a thoroughly engaging sophomore release, Walk Along, on their own Riverbeat Music label. Emmylou Harris once observed, in speaking of the Everly Brothers, an utterly unique and unreplicable blood-deep quality in sibling harmony, a theory borne out in the smooth, plaintive folk singer voices Amy and Julie show off here, solo and in tandem. A single immersion in the aching harmonizing they engage in on the tender, mountain country-flavored love song, “Stay With Me,” is enough to grab the heart for good, but that moment comes nine cuts into the album, by which time you’re liable to be hooked anyway.
- thebluegrassspecial.com


"the Mickeys - Walk Along"

Oh yes, rootsy country folk music. You can’t go wrong with this stuff. The gentle, lulling, soothing melodies that sway and soar with exquisitely dulcet grace and harmony. The lovely natural sound of an acoustic guitar along with such equally beautiful instruments as banjo, dobro, and mandolin. Moreover, identical twin sister singers Amy Sherman and Julie Peebles possess two of the most gorgeously sweet and commanding angelic voices imaginable; they sing so well together that you swear they’re joined at the hip. Add smart, insightful songwriting, clear, spare, fabulously unadorned arrangements, and plenty of achingly pure straightforward lyrics. All these sterling ingredients combine to create one hell of a fine and impressive sparkling jewel of a[n]... album.
- Jersey Beat Columns - The World According To Joe Wawrzyniak


"the Mickeys - Walk Along"

Walk Along is the second album from the Mickeys, a duo of lovely, talented twin sisters from Michigan who sing heartfelt songs in the kind of dulcet harmonies only siblings can. The album should swell the ranks of their following here and overseas (they've done a couple of European tours), and will no doubt please those who are already hip to this band's entirely pleasing country-folk sound.

Fronted by sisters Julie Peebles and Amy Sherman (Mickey is their maiden name), the Mickeys roam from tender ballads to vintage blues, their perfectly matched vocals freely playing in streams of dobro, harmonica, mandolin and fiddle. After the warm breeze of "I Believe" blows down a peaceful mountainside, the foot-stomping gospel of the title track rears up, taking you for a ride on Bascom Peebles' slide dobro.

There's Celtic clover growing in "Caroline", and bits of bluegrass pop up in other cuts, enhanced by Wanda Vick's mandolin, fiddle, banjo and dobro. An island vibe appears in the hand-drum percussion of "Take It Slow", a tantalizingly sensual song of longing with real heat. When the Mickeys implore you to "stay with me and let the world go by," you're not likely to refuse. - NoDepression.com - Buzz McClain


"Identical twins make music that's"

The Mickeys, Finding Our Way

If singer/songwriters Amy and Julie Mickey were working the pop circuit, it's a sure bet that image makers would create an entire campaign around the fact they're identical twins and have been singing together since they were four-year-olds. But the Mickeys, who'll be appearing tonight on Billy Block's Western Beat show, aren't interested in gimmicks, visual or otherwise. Their debut release Finding Our Way, which is also formally launching today thanks to a national distribution deal with Select-O-Hits in Memphis, features soaring harmonies, thoughtful lyrics and eclectic production and performances.

"We weren't trying to mimic anyone or anything," said Julie Mickey. "These songs came from our heart, they're about things that we care about and represent ideas that came to us or situations that we're interested in and care about." The twins smartly weave elements and aspects of bluegrass, Celtic, folk and country through the 11-tracks on the disc.

The sisters co-wrote five of the tunes, and divided production chores with John Albani. The single "Smoke and Mirrors," which frames a beautifully voiced number about deception into a downhome tinged setting punctuated by fiddles, is already scoring in Europe, while the overall album has cracked the Americana charts.

The Mickeys were born in 1975 and grew up in northern Michigan. Their background as gospel singers is particularly critical, because instruments weren't used during their church services. They became highly proficient a capella vocalists, and their harmonies are both extremely haunting and pinpoint precise. Interestingly, the Mickeys didn't have any problems with their family when they opted for a secular music career. "Our parents were very supportive from the beginning," said Amy Mickey. "They've always backed everything we've done, come to all our plays, recitals, everything. They were quite happy about our choice." This lack of parental opposition is also reflected in their wide musical universe that includes everything from Led Zeppelin to Alison Krauss.

The Mickeys are also quite refreshing in their approach to the business aspects. They each earned degrees in Business Administration with minors in Music Business from Belmont before becoming a duo in 2000. They've also issued the disc on their own RiverBeat label, not wanting to waste time waiting for someone to pick them up. "I'm not saying that we wouldn't be willing to discuss it if a major label offered us a deal, but we didn't think it made much sense to sit around and wait until that happened before we started recording," said Julie. "Nashville is full of very talented people who are hoping to get noticed. It is very hard work doing your own promotion, but if there are any rewards you enjoy them immediately."

Though they'd eventually like to write and produce other artists on their label, for now the Mickeys, who also have day jobs at American United Funding in Franklin, are concentrating on their own record and expanding their audience. Fans can get their album either via the Web site at www.TheMickeys.net or soon in various record stores.
~ Ron Wynn, Nashville City Paper - Nashville City Paper


"Greenman Review - Walk Along"

I was somewhat surprised to find that Walk Along is only the second album released by The Mickeys, only because I reviewed their debut album, Finding Our Way, back in 2003. I remember thinking at that time what a good album it was, and that the Mickeys were on the way up and a band to look out for. After listening to Walk Along a few times, and not wishing to sound too smug, but boy was I ever right. This is a superb album. On it the band has matured, presenting a confident, professional sound.

In case you have never heard of the Mickeys, let me introduce you. Coming from Paw Paw, Michigan, U.S.A., the core of the band are twin sisters Amy Sherman and Julie Peebles (maiden name Mickey). Together they produce sweet vocal harmonies to die for. Their songs blend together Americana, Country, Folk Roots, Celtic, and Blues, while gently flirting with Bluegrass, creating a unique acoustic program. All the vocals are handled by the twins, with Bascom Peebles on acoustic/electric guitar and slide dobro. They are joined on the album by some talented guest musicians, notably Steven Sheehan on acoustic guitar, Pete Young on drums/percussion, Jim Hoke on harmonica, and multi-instrumentalist Wanda Vick doing a fine job adding mandolin, fiddle, dobro and banjo. The overall sound is very well recorded, not too heavy, and allowing the vocal harmonies to carry the songs.

One of the strong points of this album is that out of the 11 songs here, 9 are written by twins Amy and Julie with Bascom Peebles and Tom Rogers. All of the songs are good, which makes it very hard to pick out any one track as a favourite. The title track 'Walk Along' stands out, as it is a bluesy song backed by a tasteful slide dobro and harmonica. Most of the tracks focus on love and human emotions. The songs are well crafted with excellent tunes that suit the lyrics. At the time of writing, my favourites are 'Going Home', 'Greatest Thing', and 'I Believe', but the jury is still out, because they are all so damn good -- and different! You will have to make up your own minds, for I feel all of you will enjoy this album.

The album comes nicely packaged with some nice pictures of the twins and the band. The only one thing that might have improved it for me, and folks on this side of the pond, is a copy of the lyrics. Perhaps this could be rectified and added to their web site some time in the future? You will find the Web site, where you can also buy the album on line and listen to a few sample tracks.

To sum up: put together the combination of two very attractive young ladies who sing like angels and can produce some outstanding sweet harmonies, add to this a couple of neat musicians who sound like they obviously enjoy what they are playing and the result is a hit, in short, a must buy album. I suggest you do just that. You won't be disappointed. - Peter Massey


Discography

Discography

Finding Our Way - RiverBeat Music 2003

Hymns Of Hope - RiverBeat Music 2007 - Charity CD for The Village of Hope in Ghana, Africa

Walk Along - RiverBeat Music 2008

Photos

Bio

Amy Sherman and Julie Peebles front the compelling musical force known as the Mickeys. Identical twins, this striking twosome blends Americana, Alt-Country and Folk music; creating a unique acoustic sound with powerful harmonies and heartfelt lyrics. Their band boasts two other talented players: Bascom Peebles on guitar and dobro, Tom Rogers on bass. 


The Mickeys formed their own record label (RiverBeat Music), co-produced and recorded two CDs - Finding Our Way and Walk Along. They secured nationwide distribution for the first record without any assistance. The sisters co-wrote five of the project's eleven tracks and performed all vocals on Finding Our Way. Moreover, it's the vocals that shine on this freshman offering; bell-like clarity weaves with shimmering harmonies, creating a magic that is palpable.


The sequel CD is Walk Along. The sisters co-wrote nine of the eleven tracks and performed all vocals. This CD features the same breathtaking harmonies as their debut, with an added depth to the lyrical content. This CD says a lot about what we have been through in life and who we are, says Julie. A jack of all trades, Bascom Peebles also recorded and produced a song on the disc. 


The Mickeys have enjoyed global press and radio exposure in support of Finding Our Way and Walk Along - resulting in impressive radio success and two European tours. 


Look for a new CD soon and for the Mickeys to be playing near you! The whirlwind that is the Mickeys rolls on.


Instrumentation

1. Julie Peebles - vocals, mandolin, acoustic guitar

2. Amy Sherman - vocals and percussion

3. Bascom Peebles - electric/acoustic guitar, dobro

4. Tom Rogers - Bass and floor stomp


Discography

Finding Our Way - RiverBeat Music 2003

Hymns Of Hope - RiverBeat Music 2007 - Charity CD for The Village of Hope in Ghana, Africa

Walk Along - RiverBeat Music 2008


Highlights:

2011 TV series: Backstage Pass

2010 National Blueberry Festival

2008 50th Anniversary Detroit Boat Show

2008 Mackinac Island Music Festival

2004 FanFair in Nashville, TN 

Voted Best New Indie Artist

2 European Tours

Reviewed in Close-Up Magazine, Country Weekly, No Depression, Hybrid.com


Radio Success:

Walk Along: Top 50 National Folk Chart

Walk Along & The River - Featured on XMRadio The Village (Channel 15)

Walk Along featured on Michigan Folklive podcast

Old Kentucky Wind - #1 Single on the European Independent Country Chart

Smoke & Mirrors - #5 Single on the European Independent Country Chart

Finding our Way - #3 Folk Chart 

Finding our Way - #12 Progressive Country Chart

Smoke & Mirrors - #12 E.M.S. European Most Popular Independent Track

Finding our Way - #27 Americana Chart

Broadcasted on BBC Radio2 with Bob Harris

Band Members