![]() Why Owensboro? Wheeler jokes that it was a southern belle that brought him to the city. Ready to take a break from the full-time band setting, Wheeler settled in Owensboro, where he released his first solo EP in February. “I came out of that band ready to focus on songwriting and recording.” “That sharpened my singing and playing a whole lot,” Wheeler said. From there, he joined Chris Henry & The Hardcore Grass, a Nashville-based group, where he was fortunate enough to play with some amazing musicians, and travel the country for a good stint. That group toured New Zealand, Europe, and all up and down the east coast. Wanting to see more of the country, Wheeler ended up moving to Georgia, where he toured with another original project for a couple years. Gold Town recorded an album, then split after a good run, according to Wheeler. So when his first band broke up, it was a natural transition to join some buddies in their string band, Gold Town, and head off in the Bluegrass/Americana direction. “I was always drawn to early folk, Woody Guthrie and that type of thing, so bluegrass was a natural step for the collaborative setting– the folk sound mixed with vocal harmonies and a technical aspect,” Wheeler said. ![]() Wheeler’s Uncle Bob is credited with steering him toward bluegrass. “It was a jam, southern-rock, jazz/funk type group, heavily influenced by classic rock, Grateful Dead, and Little Feat,” Wheeler said. Together for seven years, the band toured the Northeast and Midwest. Wheeler played in a handful of bands, starting with a rock band in high school. “I’ve played music since I was young, started writing songs around 13, and always wanted to make music a central part of my life, if not the main focus, which it has been for the last five years more or less, with some freelance writing work mixed in,” Wheeler said. Originally from Vermont, Wheeler went to the University of Vermont, and studied English. *This article appeared in June/July issue of Owensboro Living Magazine.īluegrass/Americana artist Mike Wheeler has recently made Owensboro home.
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