Mike Kinnebrew will make his Sundilla debut on Friday, May 2. This one takes place at Pebble Hill (101 S. Debardeleben in Auburn) which means that if the weather cooperates, it will be an outdoor show! Showtime is 7:30. Advance tickets are just $20 and can be found at Spicer’s Music, Ross House Coffee, or online at sundillamusic.com. Admission at the door will be $25, and $15 for students. Free coffee, tea, water and food will be available, and the audience is invited to bring their own favorite food or beverage.
CS Lewis once remarked that “we read to know we are not alone,” and countless people have traveled many miles across several decades to listen to Mike Kinnebrew’s music for the same reason. He began writing songs as a teenager because he was “mesmerized by the way a song could reach out and grab you by the heart—or the throat,” and his love for language burns through each of his songs, whether he’s writing about everyday affairs like taking his kids to school and vacationing at the beach, or more vulnerable subjects like his struggles with anxiety and alcohol. He has a knack for finding the remarkable in the ordinary, following in the South’s long lineage of great folk artist, and draws from cross-genre influences like Tom Petty, Gabe Dixon, and Darell Scott. Whether he’s solo or flanked by a full band, Mike has mastered the art of making an audience feel a full range of emotions with a guitar in his hand.
Drew Holcombe, himself a successful songwriter, says “Mike is a fantastic songwriter and performer. His lyrics are thoughtful and intelligent, alongside music that evokes the classic songwriters we all know and love.” He’s not the only songwriter to shower praise on Mike Kinnebrew, and Mike’s explanation on his songwriting process might explain why that is. “On learning “the craft” of songwriting, one has to be careful (in my opinion) not to learn it *too* well” he says. “There is a line in the play, King Lear, that says, “the weight of this time we must obey, speak what we feel, not what we ought to say.” I think about that every time I sit down to write a song: Speak what I feel; not what I “ought” to say. If you worry too much about what other people are going to like, or what stands the best chance of going viral or getting cut by another artist, you’ll end up writing soulless fluff of which we already have an abundance. If that’s what you’re after, go for it. But I prefer the writers who give me something real and true from the heart. If I could give a young writer one piece of advice it would be to speak what you feel; not what you think you ought to say. When you do that, you’ll create art that stands the test of time and actually matters to people.”
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