Bio
Three chords. Thats how Mike Wootans musical journey began when, as a young boy, his father taught him the rudiments of guitar. As his guitar prowess progressed, Mike listened closely to both the popular music of the day as well as classic country and western swing. As he listened, he was struck by the power of a good song. After being hooked by the melodies, he paid special attention to the lyrics, studying how carefully crafted words could tell a story in three or four minutes time. These lessons proved invaluable as Mike began to write songs himself. I strive to write melodic songs with simple, timeless themes about love, he said, and deliver them in direct manner when Im on stage. Mike first performed before a crowd while stationed overseas in Europe. The energy he felt from the audience was electrifying, so much so that he formed a band when he returned home. The band steadily gained an audience and with it, a record deal. Unfortunately, the deal soured and the band broke up, leaving Mike disillusioned. He decided to put music aside and spent the next few years building a successful business in Montana. Still, there was a need inside him, a void that only music could fill. Eventually, the pull became great enough that Mike decided to move Tennessee and follow his dream. Upon arriving in the Nashville area, Mike quickly met fellow music lovers, people who were driven by a passion and love for playing and not merely by dollar signs. Ive met so many wonderful people here, people with the talent to help me take my music to the next level. From this rich musician pool, Mike assembled a band, dubbed Montana Swing, that could play the sound he heard in his head, classic country with a twist. One of these fellow travelers is record label owner/master guitarist Bob Irwin. Bobs label, Sundazed Music, has specialized in reissuing classic albums across all genres for the last twenty-five years. Steeped in the best music of the past, Bob is also active in Nashvilles thriving live scene, playing with bands Loco Vibrato, The Martian Denny Orchestra and many other artists. When Mike met Bob, a natural kinship formed and they began working together, incorporating Bob in Montana Swing. Bob has a real love for music in his heart, Mike related. Soon after we met, he said Were going to do something together! I am so honored that he saw something in me that he wanted to be a part of. The other key member of Montana Swing is drummer Paul Matthews. Paul began playing drums in third grade, playing jazz, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Creedence Clearwater Revival and anything else that caught his ear. As a high school senior, he won the prestigious Louis Armstrong Jazz Award, the first in a series of accolades Paul has garnered in his career. Playing with Mike and Bob in Montana Swing is like a breath of fresh air, Paul said. It is so rewarding to sit and play great songs, both country classics and Mikes original compositions. About Paul, Mike says that his time-keeping is rock solid. He has the best internal clock Ive ever seen. Hes the first drummer that I worked with who is
totally devoted to the song and not trying to play louder than everyone else. Listening to Mike sing, youll hear a little Cash, a little Haggard, maybe even a little Bennett, but mostly, youll hear a whole lotta Wootan. He has lived a rich life and that richness comes across in his music, like, well, a classic country song. Music is his primary obsession, one that drives him and fills him with the same zeal he felt when he learned those first three chords. All of lifes lessons should pay such fulfilling, long-lasting dividends.
totally devoted to the song and not trying to play louder than everyone else. Listening to Mike sing, youll hear a little Cash, a little Haggard, maybe even a little Bennett, but mostly, youll hear a whole lotta Wootan. He has lived a rich life and that richness comes across in his music, like, well, a classic country song. Music is his primary obsession, one that drives him and fills him with the same zeal he felt when he learned those first three chords. All of lifes lessons should pay such fulfilling, long-lasting dividends.
