Blue Merle, Teitur, Nick Drake, Great Lake Swimmers, Morrissey, Jeff Buckley, They Might Be Giants, Oliver Schroer, Rheostatics, Crowded House, Bob Mould, Sarah Harmer, Mike O'Neil, Ron Sexsmith, The Doves, Jason Mraz, The Inbreds, Neil Finn, Joel Plaskett, Peter Gabriel, Garrison Starr, Yo Yo Ma, Gerry Leonard, Danny Michel, The Smiths, Spirit of the West, Otis Redding, Sam Cooke, Jamie Cullum, Stevie Wonder, Kathleen Edwards, Elvis Costello, Daniel Lanois, Gordon Lightfoot, Husker Du, David Ryan Harris, Bruce Cockburn, U2, John Mayer, Elliot Brood, Damien Rice, Glen Gould, John Mann, Tom Waits, Don Ross, Lucas Reynolds, Duncan Sheik, Feist, Imogen Heap, Matthew Sweet, The Kronos Quartet, Celtic Music, Classical Music, World Music, Electronica, Motown, Soul, Glam Rock, Pop, Rock, Country, the list goes on and on and on...
Where do I start? I love to play cello, I love to write music, I love to record songs, I love to perform live, and I love to teach music.
I've had the chance to perform with some great musicians, at some fantastic and not so fantastic venues.
When I'm not doing solo shows, I perform with a full band called The Candidates (Mark Sabourin, Stephen Kauk, and Ben Palmai), three fantastic musicians, that are the driving force behind the music.
I spent years as an orchestral and chamber music cellist performing with the Sudbury Symphony, North Bay Symphony, Sault St Marie Symphony, and the Ottawa Symphony, among numerous string quartets. Only over the last few years, have I begun writing songs. Some are good and some are just plain aweful. I have also been fortunate enough as a cellist to accompany some of Canada's finest musicians.
I have been comissioned over the last few years to score music for some independent, documentary and short films. This is something that I absolutely love doing because it allows me to write more eclectic, cinematic music.
When I'm not performing my own material, I play cello for Emm Gryner, Rob Szabo, Scott Cooper, Ken Tizzard, and Trevor Howard.
I just released my 3rd independent album entitled "songs for tomorrow (Produced by Justin Kurtz)", which I'm really excited about. It's an album filled with catchy melodies, simple-yet clever words, and great musicianship.
It's my passion and hope to be able to connect with you the music lover, the dedicated listener, the musician, the myspaceoholic.
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If you enjoyed these songs, you can now purchase the "new" album on iTunes
You can also purchase the album at
HMV, Indigo-Chapters, CD Warehouse, Sunrise Records
or at any music retail store in Canada.
Mike Yates and the Candidates's Friend Space (Top 16)
Hey bro... what are your plans for the summer? You heading this way at all? I've got a crap-load of shows booked but there is always room for one more with Mikey. Plus I would just love to see you and hang out. Gimme a ring. Love you and miss you.
Howdy my friend. : ) It's been too long. Hope I get to see you when I pass through Ottawa in August, on my way out to NFLD. We have LOTS to catch up on! What ya doin' on Oct 2nd? I'm craving your intoxicating cello during my cd release party at the Black Sheep!!!
Hey... forgot to mention... I caught Teitur at the Courthouse last month. His opener was an unbeleveable girl named Tina Dico. She changed my life. Check her out. Teitur was meh.
Hey man. Just thinking of you and missing you like madness. I need a Mike Yates fix soon. Let's book a show here and a show there soon. Must happen... or I will cease to breathe! Love ya man.
Hey! Thanks so much for the kind words! I really enjoyed your music!I'm actually playing in Ottawa at the Avant Garde Bar on June 21st - I'd love to take you up on the cello! Let me know if you are around!
WOW - love your sound, especially the song "Art of Conversation" - great tune, awesome guitar sounds! Also really like the production and tonal choices!
Hope you dig our sound too - this week we've uploaded our acoustic-based songs from our catalog. Check out "It Was You" or "By Your Side" - I think you'd enjoy them even if they are pure pop :-)
Feel free to download our music and share it with your friends - we made it to be enjoyed!
Oh yeah, thanks for the add! Looking forward to hearing more from you.
hiya Mookie!! thanks for posting up some new album tracks! yee-haw! it sounds fantastico! especially digging "ordinary lovers" and "waiting for the sun" at the moment. go go go go go!!!
Ya, I'm doin pretty well. Moving to Oshawa in the late summer for school.
I see you've got June 20 as a tentative Montreal date. That's in the middle of the Fringe Festival, which I usually get pretty intensely involved in!! Hopefully I can make it homie M.
