MICHAEL

Raised within a globally mobile upbringing that included formative years in Thailand, Kenya, Egypt, and Belgium, Michael developed an early awareness of both the beauty and impermanence of place. Repeated journeys across Nepal and the greater Tibetan region fostered a lifelong connection to the Himalayas and a growing fascination with landscape, spirituality, and the search for grounding and belonging. These experiences would quietly shape his photography and songwriting for decades to come.

After attending Villanova University, Michael relocated to Northern California and became part of the Bay Area singer-songwriter community surrounding the original Sweetwater Music Hall. During this period he released multiple independent records, received airplay on legendary KFOG FM, and shared stages with artists including Gregory Alan Isakov, Katie Herzig, The White Buffalo, Eric Hutchinson, and Brian Vander Ark.

In 2015, following the birth of his first daughter, Michael stepped away from performing almost entirely and immersed himself more deeply in photography, family life, and long-form travel. Over the following decade he photographed landscapes and wildlife across East Africa, Mongolia, Pakistan, Bhutan, and the American West. He also worked extensively as a photographer of golf course architecture throughout the United States, while continuing to write songs quietly in the background.

The return to songwriting accelerated following the loss of his mother to COVID and the death of a close childhood friend in 2020. What emerged became The Deeper Still: a thirteen-song collection shaped by years spent balancing the foundation of home with the enduring call to explore.

Recorded live with producer Andrew Berlin (whose work on Evening Machines received a Grammy nomination for Best Folk Album) and featuring John Grigsby and Max Barcelow from Gregory Alan Isakov's band, the album embraces an organic approach. Most tracks were captured without a click track, allowing the performances to move naturally with breath and emotion. The result is a spacious, lived-in sound that values presence over polish.

Michael's photography and songwriting increasingly exist as parts of the same creative language: one rooted in movement, stillness, and return. After more than two decades of travel and creative work, The Deeper Still feels less like a comeback than a natural ripening.