Mikey Sweet Music

"With his expressive, lived-in voice, Mikey Sweet balances heartworn lyrics with just enough humor on engaging, deeply felt Americana tunes." – Eric Danton of The Wall Street Journal, Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, Salon and Paste Magazine

With a sound characterized by deft guitar picking and a raw, haunting voice, Northampton, MA-based singer-songwriter Mikey Sweet connects with listeners’ hearts through the simple universal power of song. Sweet writes in the tradition of American storytelling shaped by such legends as Prine, Towns Van Zandt and Springsteen and his music can be described as song-centric folk-Americana. Revealing a vulnerability rarely seen on stage, Sweet weaves themes of hope and redemption through the apocalyptic backdrop of his songs like a silk thread, evoking an emotional intensity that cannot help but affect the listener.

Self-described as a “haunting fingerprint a young lost traveler of the American landscape,” Sweet’s personal history informs all of his song writing. His cryptic lyrics pay autobiographic homage to the duality between the freedom and the isolation inherent in the transient life (although none of these songs are about him, as he’s known to say with a smirk). The confessional quality of Sweet’s poetry brings fresh nuance to the ancient art of storytelling as the troubled troubadour conjures images of the less than romantic edge of the road dog life. Says Deb Hebert of Blue Bird Reviews, “Most compelling…[is Sweet’s] skill for translating matters of the heart in such a way the lesson learned is universal, a trait that parallels some of our generations greatest storytellers in Springsteen, Hiatt and Browne.”

What started as a real grassroots Kickstarter campaign, consisting of a handmade sign saying “Broke Musician Need Money to Finish Album w/Big Shot Producer and Hot Band! God Bless” and a hitchhiking tour of the Northeast, has turned into Mikey Sweet’s sophomore album, Road Dog Gospel. For this album, Sweet teamed up with producer Danny Bernini (NRBQ, Blondie, Martin Sexton, LuxDelux, The Notorious BIG) with the intention of creating an album that captured the essence of his live performance. Recorded live at Spirit House Recording in Northampton, MA, the album is the first of Sweet’s recordings to truly represent him as a performer, and as a songwriter. The band, which included Ryan Hommel (Pedal Steel and Guitar), Jeff Lynch (Guitar), Riley Godleski (Drums) and Zack Cross (Keyboards), showcases Sweet’s strong voice and guitar, acting as a nest that cradles the song, enhancing the vocal story and finger style.

The first single, “Brick Wall,” is an old-timey blue song telling the tale of a lone traveler who goes from busking with a “two-string fiddle” and a cardboards sing that says “ The Band’s Here to Play” to being arrested for trespassing on the steps of a church and getting beat-up in a small town country jail. Sweet repeats the chorus “I must of hit a big brick wall; I had to hit a big brick wall.” “Dry Bones,” the second single, tells the cryptic story of a man losing his new boots and hitting rock bottom; it’s a tale of depravity and hope, peace and mercy.

With a drive that can only come from a history of hard living, Mikey Sweet’s ability to connect on an emotional level with his audience sets him apart from his contemporaries. Sweet’s music is real, present and passionate. Clad in jeans, flannel and a jean jacket, this former road dog writes music that is a cry from his soul, starting first with a groan and blossoming into a message of the kind of healing that brings restoration.