Mike Willis

I was born and raised in Decatur, Georgia which is the closest suburb to Atlanta. I started playing guitar and writing songs in high school because I always felt like I had something to say that required more than just words.

One of the best decisions I’ve ever made was enrolling at Berklee College of Music in the winter of 2000. During my time as a student there I learned why the music in my head worked and how to make it stronger.

Two years later, I dropped out just before writing songs began to feel more like an assignment than self-expression. (Also one of the best decisions I’ve ever made).

Since that time, my life has been a whirlwind of mistakes, successes, self-discovery, and hard work. I’ve released four albums and worked with a range of engineers and producers. I’ve played shows in bars, living rooms, and festivals all over the Southeastern U.S. I’ve worked day jobs doing everything from painting houses to waiting tables to providing technical support to law enforcement agencies. I’ve become the lucky father to two children who have been my saving grace and a husband to the most amazingly complex woman I’ve ever encountered.

Over the last three years, I’ve come to realize that in the past I was afraid to fully be myself. Allowing only what I thought might be accepted shine through. You might say that I’ve been hiding.

I’m through hiding and I’m back to doing what I love for the same reason that I started doing it in the first place. The subject material may have changed from picking up girls to the challenges of family life and other internal and worldly struggles and appreciations but the motivation is still the same. Ultimately, I have something to say and I’ve learned I can say it better with words and music than I could with only one.

Whether I know you personally, met you at a show recently, or you just stumbled upon this autobiography somewhere on the internet, this is my story and I’m happy to have you along for the ride.