Mike Maker: vocals and rhythm guitar; Tony Karwatowicz: bass, rhythm guitar and vocals; Mark Litin: drums; Paul Trottier: lead and rhythm guitar; Dave Rice: keyboards
Influences
Beatles, Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello, James Taylor, Pink Floyd, The Who, Peter Gabriel, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Bob Marley, Lindsey Buckingham, Jethro Tull, The Kinks, Hank Williams, Sr., John Renbourn, The Doors, Earl Scruggs, Van Morrison, Steely Dan, Elton John, Tom Petty, Moody Blues, Beach Boys, Pogues, Nirvana, ZZ Top, Gin Blossoms, Warren Zevon
Sounds Like
If anything, it sounds a bit like Elvis Costello in that it combines smart (and by turns poetic, sarcastic and funny) lyrics with great melodies and great passion in songs that are often filled with dark emotion, and in that the music is so eclectic, ranging from beautiful heartfelt ballads and catchy Beatle-esque pop tunes to driving rock songs and even country style honky-tonk anthems.
Mike Maker is widely acknowledged as the King of FoPoRoCo, the unique fusion of Folk, Pop, Rock and Country (largely of the Honky-Tonk, or "Ho To" variety) which he pioneered. He is a Chicago singer/songwriter whose songs are known for their intelligent, funny, sarcastic, and often heartfelt and poignant lyrics as well as haunting melodies. He has performed in bands and as a solo artist on four continents and on a number of oceans, seas, peninsulas, isthmuses, island chains and archipelagoes as well, but most frequently in Chicago and Los Angeles. He has played in such notable bands as The Woodpeckers (Los Angeles) and The Fabulous Beyondos (Chicago). He lives in Chicago, where he spends an inordinate amount of time shoveling snow.
With his band, The Earthshakers, Mike Maker recently finished his first CD, Laugh til You Cry. The CD received airplay on college radio stations in the Chicago area, including WLUW and Radio DePaul. So Far from Home climbed into the Broadjam Top Ten for Rock nationwide, and for all genres for Illinois and the Midwest. The music ranges from beautiful heartfelt ballads (Autumn Blue, Daybreak Heartache, I Guess I Was Right, Red Sky at Morning) and catchy Beatle-esque pop tunes (All I Wanna Do) to driving rock songs (So Far From Home, Spare Wheel Man, Dead Man Walking) and even honky-tonk anthems (Weekend Condition, I’d Rather Spend a Lifetime Alone).
The Earthshakers are: Tony Karwatowicz, whose melodic, driving bass has propelled a number of notable Chicago bands; Mark Litin, whose unique, eclectic drumming style was shaped by his experience playing with top jazz, rock and avant-garde bands; Paul Trottier, who has brought his lyrical, emotional and sometimes screaming lead guitar style to bands on both the East Coast and the Middle Coast; and Dave Rice, whose electrifying and unfailingly creative keyboard work has been featured in some of Chicago's top bands.
Mike Maker & the Earthshakers's Friend Space (Top 8)
