Mike Owocki is an emerging independent singer, songwriter and guitarist from West Michigan. He is making his solo professional recording debut in 2023 with a pair of singles; “No Telephone” and the bluesy “All the Way Back to You”. With the songs he introduces a unique and soulful stream-of-consciousness lo-fi indie-folk vibe.
By day, Mike Owocki runs the e-commerce cbd site, mellowroadcbd.com. The company deals in organic products made in the US, including coffee, caramels, lollipops, topicals, capsules, tinctures, and of course gummies, as well as pet & livestock high potency tincture geared for horses.
We had the chance to chat with Mike Owocki about his new music. Check out his answers to our 8 questions below. You can hear “No Telephone” on the Deep Indie Dive playlist, or listen on your favorite streaming service. Follow the links at the end of this article to connect with Mike Owocki.
8 Questions with Mike Owocki
Where are you from?
Fenton Michigan. Now the Grand Rapids/Holland area for the most recent 10 or so years.
How long have you been making music?
I had a guitar when I was ten, it was a laminated pile of crap from Sears I think. Fingers bleeding. But somehow it stayed in tune. I learned playing Hot Cross Buns and She’ll Be Comin’ Round the Mountain’ out of a Mel Bay book. I don’t know who he was or what that man ever did, but he sure taught a lot of people to play chords.
Who are the musicians involved in your project?
It’s me for now.
Who are your biggest musical influences?
Jimi Hendrix/SRV/Zeppelin/James Taylor/Roy Clark
What is your greatest non-musical influence?
My mom and dad and the kids and parents in the neighborhood in Dibbleville, it’s a small old original part of Fenton. We lived there until I was ten. Also, I learned a whole lot from a few friends of my dad. They’d drop in and take me fishing, flying in their planes, and sailing, and hunting. They were too kind. I didn’t know what I had back then. I was lucky.
What inspired you to create this project?
My big brother. He inspired me to sing whether I was alone or with people. No one would’ve heard any of my stuff if he hadn’t emboldened me, nearly instantaneously, one day. Pretty recently.
What are your plans for the future (musically)?
I’ll keep playin’ and writin’. It’s therapy, the most healing I’ve found. As for recording music, it’s not my favorite. Playing and going into a trance where I’m totally unafraid and unhindered by the distractions of the world and more importantly those intrusive thoughts that interrupt one’s peace. Someday, maybe small gigs with a female vocalist, maybe a flute, and someone on tenor guitar, without amps.
Is there anything else you would like to say?
I’m not a guitar player really, I just make noise that sometimes sounds like someone’s playing a guitar that needs a proper setup.
