"Detroit tunesmith Mike Ward traces love’s unexpected trajectory on his fourth album in five years, “Love Never Rests” which showcases Ward’s prolific songwriting and his tireless dedication to his craft." -Local Spins, Lori Stratton read more
MIKE WARD: PSYCHOSONGS BIO: Detroit singer-songwriter Mike Ward is known for his lyrically-centric, vocally-charged folk songs. While growing up in Port Huron, Michigan, he listened to the Irish music of his heritage and sang in several choirs before digesting the influential sounds of Simon & Garfunkel, Dylan, Springsteen and John Prine. These days, he finds inspiration in the works of Jason Isbell, Sarah Jarosz and John Paul White. His intimate songwriting echoes through empty city streets, back country roads and family portraits. It also resides in the hidden spaces between joy and tragedy, love and loss. read more
"Love Never Rests continues an already impressive trajectory and if you like this album, there are others where it came from. He offers hope and understanding in his original music and his poetry is top notch." -PRISM REVIEWS read more
LIVE PERFORMANCES
WFMT FolkStage full performance 11/04/23
“Throughout the album, (Love Never Rests) Ward treats listeners to pleasant piano melodies, soothing guitar riffs, and the occasional string harmony. And while Ward’s guitar skills are impressive, his voice steals the show with its beauty.
-Antonio Cooper, e-current read more
DISCOGRAPHY
Love Never Rests 2023
Particles to Pearls 2022 Troubled Times EP 2022
The Darkness and The Light 2021 Career Advice Single 2021
We Wonder 2018
RECOGNITION
Finalist 2024 Rocky Mountain Songwriting Contest (finals 6/22/2024)
Honorable Mention 2023 Telluride Troubadour Songwriting Competition
2023 Finalist - Detroit Music Awards for Outstanding Americana Recording and Outstanding Songwriter
DJ Showcase 2022 Folk Alliance Region Midwest (FARM) introduced by Marilyn Rae Beyer,
The Midnight Special WFMT 98.7FM
Finalist & Honorable Mention - 2022 Great River Folk Festival Songwriting Contest
The Darkness and The Light reached #31 on FAI Folk DJ Charts | Detroit Music Awards Finalist for Vocalist and Songwriter
"Philby Awards"by Phil Maq of WHFR 89.3FM "Particles to Pearls" Best Male Folk Album 2022,
"Our Turn To Shine" Song of the Year 2022 and "We Wonder" - Best Folk Album 2019
NOTABLE VENUES
Wheatland Folk Festival, FARM DJ Showcase, Thumbfest, HollerFest, Thunder Bay Folk Fest, Trinity House Theatre, Wiltsie's, Michigan State Fair, FolkNet and Look About Lodge (Cleveland MetroParks) Cleveland OH, On The Tracks Series-Chelsea Depot, Coffee House Milwaukee, Pete's Candy Store, Brooklyn, NY, Over Yonder House Concerts, Wesley's Place, LaGrange, IL, Music at The Gazebo House Concert Series, Farmhouse Folk, PJ's Lager House, North Star Lounge, Ann Arbor, MI, The Clover Room, Kalamazoo, MI, The Starlight Room, Muskegon, MI, Fitzgerald's Side Bar, Berwyn, IL and WFMT FolkStage, Chicago, IL
RADIO, STREAMING & PODCASTS
Music My Mother Would Not Like (Bruce Swan and Louise Baker), Folk Project New Jersey, Ron Olesko’s Folk Music Notebook Shelter in Place Showcase, Jon Stein’s Hootenanny Cafe Showcase, John Bommarito's Acoustic Alternatives, Charlie's Open Mic Acoustic Showcase with Charlie Mosbrook and The Stratton Setlist
OTHER QUOTES
"I'm so excited about Mike Ward's upcoming music because his songwriting gets better with each release. He surrounds himself with great collaborators and it brings out the best in his music and live performances. We're pleased to have Mike perform on the Trinity House stage." - Bill Keith | Concert Coordinator | Trinity House Theatre
“Mike Ward has been a part of “Michigan Songwriters in the Round” at the historic Wheatland Festival, first virtually in 2020, and then in-person on 2022. His warmth and skill were a wonderful addition to the line-up on the new Schafer Song Stage. Mike’s songs contain rich insight, and his skill as a wordsmith and musician are stellar.”
-Daniel Bracken | Wheatland Music Organization | Michigan Songwriters in the Round
“From the moment you hear that guitar, and that voice, you're transported, back to a heavy-hearted memory where you're able to access some heretofore unfound resolve, all from that sweet, raspy, wistful voice over rhythmic chords regaling stories of the everyday and the everyman that somehow sound mythic in this delivery. (Love Never Rest) is full of beautiful, forthright, sincere vocals, rich acoustic guitar, orchestral arrangements and some brilliant cameos” -Jeff Milo | Milo Minute, WDET
“Each song is so tightly written, contrasts used tastefully, and the list of subjects kept changing. Truly this a crafted piece of work that should be enjoyed and studied like it's songwriting class.” -David Schipper | Dave’s Basement Tracks
Mike Ward: Psychosongs high resolution promo photos can be downloaded from this link.
Download a PDF of MIke Ward: Psychosongs One Sheet
Download Tech Rider here
For press, please contact Lori Stratton: strattonsetlist@yahoo.com
For bookings, please contact Mike Ward: syko5478@gmail.com Or Angie Ward: angelam.ward1955@gmail.com