artist Mike Kuehn

I make tragic, whimsical, textbook power-pop. 



I was raised on secular oldies and 90s christian rock in rural Ottawa.  I was the only kid in my class in grade 3.  My extended family had an official songbook for group singing.  As a child in church I played drums, did sound, and sang 'Oh Holy Night' along to a track.

I got a hi-speed musical education running an indie studio in Toronto for the last three years, recording/mixing The Most Serene Republic, Born Ruffians, Henri Faberge And The Adorables, Marvelous Darlings, The Guest Bedroom, and many, many more.  I played bass in John Tielli's band Metal Kites, and did a tour out to Sappyfest, where we shared a stage with Chad VanGaalen, Eric's Trip, Snailhouse, and other prominent Canadian indie musicians.  I've been playing drums with Halifax ex-pat Jon Epworth recently, but focusing mainly on my own songwriting efforts, which you can listen to here (or, even better, here).

I have just finished my second EP, entitled "I'm Getting Pretty Good At Giving Up", which I released online May 11, 2009.  The new album follows up on the virginal idealism and tight arrangements of 2005's "All Grow EP" with added confidence, depth, and sometimes decadence.  Lyrically, it focuses on themes of escapism, desperation, love paranoia, confused religious feelings, longing, failure, and secret tattoos.  Sonically?  You'll just have to take a listen.



My music and lyrics have been likened to The Beach Boys, Teenage Fanclub, Sloan, Weezer, Dinosaur Jr., The Cars, Elliot Smith, Tom Petty, The Dismemberment Plan, Phil Collins, Fleetwood Mac, and "Leonard Cohen meets Eeyore".

Mike Kuehn songwriter / producer / performer / etc.