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Liquid Mike

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American rock band
Liquid Mike
GenresPop-punk, indie rock, alternative rock, powerpop
Years active2020-present
MembersMike Maple

Liquid Mike is an American rock band from Marquette, Michigan.

History

Formation and early years (2020-2022)

The band is fronted by vocalist and guitarist Mike Maple, and is also where the band gets its namesake. Maple moved from Wisconsin to Marquette, Michigan in 2015 to attend Michigan Tech, and began writing music the following year as something to pass the time while living in relatively remote small town. Maple started writing material with girlfriend and future band member Monica Nelson as early as 2016, but the band itself did not officially form until later on in 2020, when the two moved to Marquette, Michigan and met drummer Cody Maracek. After some successful jam sessions, the decided to form a band; Maple on vocals and guitar, Nelson on backing vocals and synthesizer, Maracek on drums, Zack Alworden on bass.

With Maple as a prolific music writer, the band released three albums across 2021 and 2022; Stuntman (2021), You Can Live Forever In Paradise On Earth (2021), and A Beer Can And A Bouquet (2022). With the first two albums, Maple wrote most of the songs in a standard song structure consisting of a verse-chorus form with an occasional bridge or guitar solo. By the third album, Maple switched to shorter, less repetitive songs that often only had a single verse, chorus and bridge, a format he'd continue into future albums.

S/T and Paul Bunyan's Slingshot (2023-present)

The band saw an increase in popularity following the release of their fourth studio album, S/T (2023). In April 2023, following the album being shared on Twitter by Camp Trash guitarist Keegan Bradford, which in turn lead to the band going viral on the platform. The album was the first they recorded together in the same room as a quartet, and after its rise in popularity, the band added second guitarist Dave Daignault, previously a fan who was waiting for the band to become more popular.

In February 2024, the band released their fifth studio album, Paul Bunyan's Slingshot. The release was praised by critics, being named one of the best album releases of February 2024 by Consequence, and Paste magazine, and moved the band into mainstream, with Rolling Stone doing a full feature on the band.

Musical style and influences

The band's sound has commonly been described as power pop pop punk, indie rock, punk rock, and alternative rock. Maple described his view on the band's sound in 2024:

"I do feel connected to power pop and the greater scene. I feel like power pop is more of a spectrum thing, where you don’t necessarily have to hit all of the ...I could see people listening to us and being like 'This is not power pop…” I don't know. It gets into pop punk territory."

Consequence grouped the band as part of a 2020s "indie rock scene full of bands embracing power-pop's short runtimes, hooky priorities, and raw immediacy" with huge guitar riffs and choruses. They summed the band's sound up as "upbeat tempos, loud guitars, killer melodies, and a strict three minute cap when it comes to song length". Stereogum described the band's sound as "blown out guitar-pop". Rolling Stone magazine described their sound as "split the difference between Nineties pop-punk and Nineties indie-rock, tempering the petulant angst of the former with the latter’s winning resignation." Their sound has been compared to bands Everclear, Green Day, Weezer, and Guided By Voices. In 2024, Maple noted that the band had not recorded any of the band's albums in professional recording studios, preferring a more raw sound that comes from a more informal recording setting.

Maple states that he was influenced by power pop music of the 1970s and powerpop music of the 1990s, but not power pop of the 1980s. Influence include Everclear and Sugar Ray.

Members

  • Mike Maple - lead vocals, guitar (2020–present)
  • Monica Nelson - backing vocals, synthesizers (2020–present)
  • Zack Alworden - bass (2020–present)
  • Cody Maracek - drums (2020–present)
  • Dave Daignault - guitar (2023–present)

Discography

Studio albums

  • Stuntman (2021)
  • You Can Live Forever In Paradise On Earth (2021)
  • A Beer Can And A Bouquet (2022)
  • S/T (2023)
  • Paul Bunyan's Slingshot (2024)

References

  1. ^ Hardman, Neville; Zanes, Anna (2024-01-24). "24 of the most exciting rising artists to watch in 2024". Music. Alternative Press. ISSN 1065-1667. Retrieved 2024-02-01.
  2. ^ Yerger, Jeff (2023-10-23). "Liquid Mike Interview: New Album 'Paul Bunyan's Slingshot' & More". Band To Watch. Stereogum. Retrieved 2024-02-01.
  3. ^ https://uproxx.com/indie/liquid-mike-paul-bunyans-slingshot-interview/
  4. ^ https://whistlestop.substack.com/p/went-looking-for-something-strange
  5. ^ Sacher, Andrew. "Album Reviews: Anika Pyle, Vijay Iyer, Liquid Mike & more". Notable Releases of the Week. BrooklynVegan. Retrieved 2024-02-05.
  6. ^ Nafekh-Blanchette, Spencer (2024-01-30). "Liquid Mike Rise to the Occasion with 'Paul Bunyan's Slingshot'". Exclaim!. ISSN 1207-6600. Retrieved 2024-02-01.
  7. Salmon, Ben (2024-03-12). "Liquid Mike Plays Pitch-Perfect Power Pop on Paul Bunyan's Slingshot". Reviews. Spin. ISSN 0886-3032. Retrieved 2024-03-13.
  8. Kreuger, Jonah (2024-03-06). "Staff Picks: Favorite Albums of February 2024". Features > Lists. Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 2024-03-06.
  9. "The Best Albums of February 2024". Music > Lists > Best Albums. Paste. 2024-02-28. ISSN 1540-3106. Retrieved 2024-02-28.
  10. ^ Dolan, Jon. "Liquid Mike's 'Paul Bunyan's Slingshot' Review". Music > Album Reviews. Rolling Stone. ISSN 0035-791X. Retrieved 2024-02-08.
  11. ^ https://merrygoroundmagazine.com/interview-we-borrow-over-under-from-conde-nast-to-ask-liquid-mike-about-michigan/
  12. Krueger, Jonah (2024-06-04). "The 30 Best Albums So Far". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 2024-06-04.
  13. Kreuger, Jonah (January 29, 2024). "Liquid Mike's New Album Paul Bunyan's Slingshot Nears Power Pop Perfection". Reviews > Album Reviews. Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 2024-02-01.
  14. DeVille, Chris (2024-06-04). "The 50 Best Albums Of 2024 So Far". Stereogum. Retrieved 2024-06-04.
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