Conversations with Mike Maimone

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mike Maimone. 

Hi Mike, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself
I started playing piano when I was 6. In grade school, I would write parody lyrics to pop songs (like Weird Al), but it didn’t really occur to me to write my own music until I was in college. It was at Notre Dame that I first started playing in garage bands, fell in love with performing, and began testing the waters of songwriting. After college, I started a career as an auditor and would write and record music at night. Less than a year later, the rest of my band and I moved into an apartment in Chicago together. We gave it a solid Summer of touring, but then most of the guys decided to go back to their jobs. The bassist and I decided to move out to Oregon and start a new band. After a couple years of touring out West, that band broke up. I figured I would need to start singing, not just writing, to have any longevity as a performer. So, I moved back to Chicago, took some singing lessons, and became the “guy on the couch” at the IV Lab recording studio. It was there that I recorded my 1st solo album and met most of the musicians I’d collaborate with over the next decade. I got to tour the country as keyboardist for Company of Thieves for 2 years and started a garage rock/experimental trio called Mutts. We put out a lot of music and played a ton of shows. Eventually, I came back to my solo music and decided to move to Nashville to focus on singing and songwriting. In 2020 I was named a local artist of the week by Lightning 100, which was an amazing welcome to Music City! Now I play with my band around town and have a solo residency every Wednesday night from 9 – 11:30 pm at Canvas. 

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Not at all. I’ve probably slept on couches and in my car more than a bed since about 2008. Whether saving money on rent by being a drifter or touring on a shoestring budget, it has been difficult to make much money as an independent artist. 

One positive thing that came out of this struggle is that to save money on hiring professionals for certain tasks, I taught myself web design, graphic design, photography, and video production, and social media. Over the years I’ve started doing those things for other artists and small businesses, so I’ve got this other full-time job with my own business, Mixed Media & Design, Inc. It’s mobile, and it’s freelance, so it allows me to tour and focus on my music when I need to. 

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m a singer/songwriter/pianist. I am a passionate performer and am known for leaving it all on stage. I’m proud of all of the music I’ve gotten to make with my bandmates since about 2005. Some songs have been used in film and TV, and others played at pro sports games and weddings. I’m an out gay man and have a lot of songs inspired by my process of coming out, having grown up in a small Ohio town and raised Catholic. 

I’m grateful for all of the friendships I’ve made with other musicians and music fans across the country as a touring musician. My Patreon is a small but strong community that I enjoy taking care of with exclusive content and conversations. I think that’s one thing that sets me apart, is the personal attention that I put into everything I do. It can be exhausting but it makes me feel good to go the extra mile to make sure my listeners know that I appreciate them. 

I’ll be playing ACME with my band for Mardi Gras on Fat Tuesday, 3/1, from 6:30 – 8PM.

Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
I would say to live in the moment and cherish the times you have with those around you. It’s so easy to get online and try to reach a huge audience. And of course, you can do that. You can stay home and reach millions of people from your bedroom. I don’t deny that, and I do think it’s something that I’ve learned is valuable through the pandemic. So, I do livestream and pay more attention to social media than I did pre-2020, and it’s been great. 

However, it’s been the most fulfilling to me when I’ve hit the road, playing 150 shows in a year, performing my heart out in front of 10 or 100 people at a time. I’ll always prefer to hang out with other artists and fans at shows, go explore a new town in the morning and get to know people and places all over, in person. There are really amazing people all over the place – and to me, it’s so much better to get to know a few people in person rather than exchanging quick texts and messages with hundreds online. 

Contact Info:

• Email: mike@mikemaimone.com
• Website: https://www.mikemaimone.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/mikemaimonemusic
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/mikemaimonemusic
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/wearemutts
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/mikemaimonemusic
• Other: https://www.patreon.com/MikeMaimone

Image Credits
Mike Monaco
Melissa Alderton
Eshanthika Wijesinha
Tobin Campbell
Dan Jarvis