Last year I helped my friend Danica make the live videos for this album. After we got the one take of āAre You Looking Upā the bus pulled over and everyone piled out with big grins on our faces. It had been a tough shoot, but we knew we had finally shot something really special. When we got back on and started to drive, Mike was just turned around, playing his guitar again, jamming like he had been, to no one, the whole weekend. It seemed like he was completely unfazed by what we all thought was this spectacular moment. I remember asking him right there, āIs this just what you do, all day, every day?ā He grinned and whispered to me, āWhat else is there to do?ā This year, nobody will shut up about his music, it seems like theyāre trying to crack the recipe for his secret sauce, but from what Iāve seen, theyāre overcomplicating it. His music is really good because he is fiercely devoted, extremely confident, spending all day, every day, messing with instruments and gear, hacking away at melodies to uncover amazing songs. I donāt think he really cares about anything else, and I think heās going to make a lot more.
