ALBUM:
Mileage
TAYLOR USED:
814c
SONG CLIPS:
Get the Lead Out
28k | 56K
Soften the Rough Edges of the Night
28k | 56K
CONTACT INFO:
P.O. Box 3201
Freedom, CA 95019-3201
E-mail:
mick overman @max records .com
Web:
www. max records .com
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"Baby, get the lead ouuuut - we ain't getting' any younger," growls road warrior Mick Overman in "Get the Lead Out," after his feverish acoustic slide playing has just
about ignited his fretboard. Overman's urgency is as real as it gets; this bluesy troubadour averages 300 gigs a year up and down the West Coast, and sings as if his
claim to his soul hinges on playing with gritty intensity. His latest CD, Mileage, is fittingly titled, given the perpetual motion of his odometer, but also carries a
deeper spiritual meaning - the "distance" a person's soul covers in a lifetime.
Overman's rough edges and unvarnished approach on Mileage are a lot closer to the human condition than most contemporary radio fodder, and it's that approach - a live
acoustic studio recording with no overdubs ("we left all the mistakes in!" he writes in the liner notes) - that creates a strong emotional connection with the listener.
Overman's bio describes his musical style as "bluesy folk 'n' roll with jazz attitude," but over the phone, his self-effacing humor proves more colorful: "I like
to call it 'Berklee School of Caveman'."
Mileage stirs seven Overman originals together with six favorite covers plucked from his repertoire, including "I Wasn't Born to Follow" (King/Goffin), performed by
the Byrds in the movie Easy Rider; the Grateful Dead's "Box of Rain"; Neil Young's "Birds"; and "Sad and Deep as You" by Dave Mason. His own tunes glow just as
brightly, from the raw bluesy mojo of "Heard You Cryin' Late One Night" and "Get the Lead Out", to the funny, rollicking "The Goddess is a Rockin' Babe", to "Soften
the Rough Edges of the Night", featuring the stretched out, soulful interplay of Overman, longtime Van Morrison bassist David Hayes, and mandolin ace David Pugh.
Overman's gravelly vocal passion and bottleneck fervor reveal an artist who has "been there" and can deliver the goods knowingly.
Overman has appeared with the likes of Taj Mahal, Robben Ford, Leon Russell, Kelly Joe Phelps, and David Lindley & Wally Ingram. When not performing solo, Overman
plays acoustic-electric gigs with The Maniacs, a talented cadre of session/sidemen for some of the biggest names in rock 'n' roll and blues circles.
"Mick Overman is possibly the most prolific songwriter I have worked with. That, in combination with his soulful, gut-level vocal style, makes it only a matter of time
before the masses catch on."
— Dennis Murphy, bass, Acoustic Alchemy, Maria Muldaur
"No pretense or façade; just pure, honest music from the heart. Overman's wailing slide-playing can raise hair on the back of the neck…an unsung hero of the 'broken bottle'."
— Showcase Music Times, San Jose, CA
"…such zeal and energy that the onlooker is left breathless…soul-baring, sincere lyrics have earned rave reviews all around."
— Coast Weekly, Monterey County, CA
"Mick is a modern troubadour who sings his songs from the heart and whose infectious good nature comes through every time he plays."
— Dale Ockerman, former Doobie Brothers keyboardist
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