Today we’d like to introduce you to Mike Scully.
Hi Mike, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
When I was seven years old, my two friends Cory and Ryan sat down with his dad to watch a special Live Performance of Garth Brooks in Central Park. I can quite vividly picture the entire scene in my head to this day. He was so charismatic. So energetic. So entertaining. I had never been so captivated in my short life and rarely since. It wasn’t long after that experience that I first heard my father’s favorite song, Hotel California by The Eagles. He had been in prison most of my life to this point and watching him light up when it came on the car radio and hearing him sing along with such passion and conviction hit me just as hard as the first time I heard Garth. I asked him if he had heard of Garth and Brooks… I must have been mixing up Brooks and Dunn. He had and was a big fan.
Pretty soon I got my hands on a guitar and attempted to learn but was often sidetracked with other activities. I grew up in a household filled with addiction and abuse. And looking back I can see that Inside activities were not a safe endeavor. So I spent a lot of time outside and hanging with a bad crowd until I eventually found addiction myself at a very early age.
I was nine when I first ditched school and had my first cigarette. At 10, I drank my first beer and by 12, I had done Crystal Meth. Life was not going to good for me and my social life began deteriorating rapidly.
However, around this time I had gone to live with my mother again (I went back and forth quite a bit) and for Christmas she had given me a guitar. I found it very difficult to learn on my own and it also hurt my fingers. I gave up again.
Things were a bit different now. We rented a room in a decent suburban area. This was when I was really discovering my music tastes. And this was when I met David.
David was a studio grip from North Carolina who was also renting a room for a short period. He used to sit in the garage with his old Yamaha Guitar picking Beatles songs, James Taylor tunes and yes, Eagles songs as well. I told him I wanted to learn Guitar but it was too difficult for me. He told me that he was leaving for a few months for work and that I could borrow his old Yamaha. And if I could play a full song upon his return, the guitar was mine. From that day on, I doubt a day has gone by that I haven’t played.
Drugs and alcohol were a constant battle in my life until I eventually met a beautiful girl and was surprised to find out she was pregnant when I was 16. It was the day we found this out that I put down the drugs and committed my life to my new family.
Around this time, as a way of coping with my evolving life without drugs and alcohol, I played a lot of guitars and began writing songs. Years later, in my 20’s, I finally worked up the courage to get on stage. Since then, I have had many amazing experiences as a direct result that include meeting some of my biggest musical idols and even sharing stages with some of them.
One of my favorite experiences though, was meeting up with my father after another prison term with my guitar in tow. I opened the case and played every note of his favorite song, Hotel California.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My path has been filled with obstacles. Some placed there by life. Some by circumstance. But most were built with my own two hands. I guess it always boils down to the listening of that dark inner voice. The one that says I’m not good enough. I’m a bad father. I’m a poor musician. No one wants to hear you sing. Why even try? They’d all be better off without… Now where that voice stems from may or may not be my fault (it’s not), but the choice to give it credence and take action accordingly, that is the part I own.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Though I have a day job that pays my bills, at my core I am a songwriter. I also record and perform these songs out in the world, but let’s just say that’s not my favorite part. My favorite part is the hashing out and wrestling with what my life looked like, looks like, or may one day look like. I heard an old friend once tell me that his entire life he felt like everyone around him had the manual to life and they had forgotten to give him a copy. That is exactly how I felt growing up and even still do at times. But when I’m sitting in front of a piano, staring at a blank piece of paper… That’s when I make the decision to forget about their manual and write my very own. I am not a well-known artist. Though I have had moments of what I consider to be a huge impact on others.
My first single I ever released was a song I had written for a dear friend who had lost his new wife to cancer very young. The song was titled “Take Me When You Go” and when it was done I gave him a copy and told him I had no idea what he was going through, but I tried to put myself there with you. This is how it felt for me. He told me I had captured exactly how he felt. And after releasing it to the world, I was reached out to by people all over the world who were touched and felt like someone understood what they were going through. This was in 2016, and I still get similar messages from strangers thanking me for understanding them. This is what I am most proud of.
Today I perform solo or with my band Mike Scully & The Weary Travelers. The Weary Travelers have become like brothers to me and we have performed all around the country. We have a record about to be released this year that is the culmination of all I have discussed here today. And I do believe this record will be what sets us apart.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
As I stated prior, I grew up in an abusive household. So I was withdrawn. Scared. No self-esteem. But also a class clown. I had zero respect for authority and often times disrespected those that were simply trying to help me. Certain teachers and friends immediately come to my mind. Some that still choose to have nothing to do with me. I was angry. I hated life and felt unworthy of anyone’s love. It wasn’t until I stopped using drugs at 16 that I began learning a new way of life. I’m still learning today. The only difference is that I am less afraid of change and more willing to take healthy risks. I’ve grown to be a hard worker, a good friend and a great father. Also a fairly decent songwriter.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://spotify.link/PEjVDA0w3yb
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/mikescullymusic
- Twitter: www.Twitter.com/mikescullymusic
- Youtube: www.YouTube.com/mikescullymusic
