The most important part for any musician is putting int he practice. Being a master of your instrument will lead to great opportunities coming your way. If you are willing to put in the work, a life in music is an achievable goal. Mike Montrey is a great example of what happens if you put all your efforts into music.
Always a huge music lover, the professional career of Mike Montrey began back in 2001 with the band …water…, an eclectic rock band with Montrey handling songwriting duties as well as vocals and guitar. The 5 piece gained critical acclaim and a regional cult following.
Getting out there and doing his thing caught some attention from the larger music community as well. In 2007, Mike Montrey was invited to tour nationally as a member of the epic reggae-influenced rock band The Samples. Touring with the band for over a decade opened up amazing doors and chances to play with some of the best musicians out there. Influences abounded and the sound inside of Montrey’s head kept developing.
His current focus is the project known as the Mike Montrey Band. Together with Anthony Duca (bass), Rob Smith (drums), and Jen Augustine (vocals), the band blends together the best parts of Americana, Folk, and Rock ‘n Roll into a fun little package. Soaring guitar work and blissful harmonies take expert songwriting to new heights.
Music Video For ‘Spirit Of You’
The newest release from the Mike Montrey Band is the EP In The Middle Of Hope. The 6-track record pours it all together to deliver a full sound. The opener “Spirit Of Youth” starts it off with a slightly dark tone that quickly builds to an all out energetic attack on the soul. Country guitar plays over the chugging bassline that leads to huge chorus harmonies that would grab any casual listener’s attention.
The folk storytelling is on full display on “Tell Me You Love Me”. Again we are lulled in with a slower open but once all the voices and instruments come together we find our heads bopping and toes tapping along. This is what quality songwriting is. The vocal harmonies continue on “New Mexico”. The voices of Mike Montrey and Jen Augustine work together perfectly whether they are going back and forth or harmonizing. There is some real emotion in this one that hits deep.
A fun little ditty comes at us in “Ready To Fall”. The guitar work really shines here on the sped up song that gets the heart beating a little faster. The sing along chorus will welcome everyone to be part of the band. I’d love to see this one performed live. The record closes with “Statues and Saints”, a stripped down acoustic track that pours of emotion. The vocals again work together to draw feelings right out of the crowd. Fortunately this one stays relatively slow to let us ease back into our everyday lives as it closes.
Keep tabs on the Mike Montrey Band on their WEBSITE.
