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Mike Grutka

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Track 10: See the Light 

I love R.E.M.  One of my favorite songs by them ends the Automatic for the People album. 'Find the River'. Yeah I like pretty songs. I always wanted to have a closer like that. The perfect kind of ending to all the songs that came before it. Now when I wrote this I wasn't thinking of that song and this sounds nothing like that. It never occurred to me to compare. Then when I was getting the artwork done for the record my buddy Todd Moreland told me that he really really loved this song. I always give him…

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11/12/2017

in painting the silence, songs, themes, album, volume 1, listening, hope and joy, favorite songs, happiness, R.E.M., sapitot.com, Automatic for the People

Track 9: Painting the Silence 

Painting the Silence. Title track. 

I've only done this once before. I think it's kinda boring to name your album after a song that's on it. Most of the time. It's just a thing I have.

Anyway. This album title came from a quote "A painter paints pictures on canvas. But musicians paint their pictures on silence."

I loved that. So that was the title of the record long before it was even formed. This song however had no title and no words until this autumn. And I LOVE THIS SONG.

I mean I like all my…

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11/10/2017

in painting the silence, time, songs, themes, ideas, album, melodies, hope and joy, favorite songs, happiness

Welcome to side 2. Track 6: Winter Song 

So yeah, Side 2!!

I LOVE records. I've always had a bunch and the last few years I've gotten back into collecting them. Not just old stuff either. I have almost all the Radiohead albums on Vinyl....it's pretty cool. You should try it! For this album I'm selling real honest to goodness records. Mainly cause I wanted one for me haha. Seriously! How fucking cool is it going to be to hold a 12x12 album of MY music in my own little hands? Or yours! You should get one. Cause like I said they're waaaaayyy cool.

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10/31/2017

in painting the silence, songs, themes, album, volume 1, happiness, pre-order, iTunes

Track 5: Eyes to the Sky 

Funny how time changes your point of view. "Time can heal all wounds", or something like that is the saying right?

My last 3 records were not exactly depressing. Not at all. There were many joyous happy uplifting moments with the sad. Looking back all 3 were me dealing with my mothers death. Could've been a lot darker I guess. Lyrically they were me working shit out. Music has always been that for me. That's why I love it. It can transport you into another world. Make you remember moments. Make you feel…

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10/26/2017

in painting the silence, songs, themes, album, volume 1, listening, car stereo, Brian Kaplan, car rides, hope and joy, favorite songs

Track Four: Hey Hey 

HEY! HEY!

Now we're having FUN!

I have such a multiple personality problem with music. I write a lot of pretty songs. Slow songs. Long slow burn epic songs. And straight ahead rock. I don't know. It doesn't bother me at all except everyone always asks you 'who do you sound like?' Fuck if I know. Me! 

And that wouldn't ever bother me except everytime you submit your music somewhere they want to know your genre and who do you sound like.... I'm not sure I have a genre. Singer songwriter? Sure. Rock? Ok…

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10/23/2017

in painting the silence, themes, album, electric guitar, rock, siriusXM, LSUG, Little Steven, underground garage, music history

Track Three: Running Away 

This is my roots rock song. 

Tom Petty just passed away. I was so sad. I remember having his album 'Full Moon Fever' on near constant play one summer. And what musician wouldn't KILL for a 'Freefallin'? I don't know any. I would.

Tom Petty and John Mellencamp are two of my favorites. There's just something so honest and accessible in their music. Later the first Counting Crows album hit me the same way although a little more down in the mouth there was still 'Mr. Jones' and 'Rain King'. My band used to…

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10/20/2017

in painting the silence, recording, songs, themes, ideas, album, volume 1, melodies, acoustic guitar, Tom Petty, John Mellencamp, Counting Crows, band, Brian Kaplan, Running Away, electric guitar, roots rock, Freefallin, Mr. Jones

Track one: Find it Out 

I'm all the way done. So over the next few weeks leading up to the official release of the full album I will be posting the songs, in order, so you'll be able to hear them.

Tomorrow you'll be able to pre-order the album. There will be a few different options.  One for everybody!

Find it Out

I remember the day I came up with this. It was winter time and I was in my studio which was in my basement at the time. I have big windows looking out into the yard and it was one of those days where it snowed like…

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10/17/2017

in painting the silence, recording, songs, themes, ideas, album, volume 1, singing, performance

Finishing Touches. Decisions. Hair Pulling. 

So yeah it's been 7 years since I put out an album. What the hell? How did it go so fast?

Busy:

Not that nothing got done. Between studio recording, half finished tracks an iphone 'idea' recordings I have well over 200 song ideas. Sometimes I have to remind myself of this since it's easy to blame 'writers block' or something like that when I get down about not being done. A lot of the songs that will be on Vol 1 were nearly finished in 2011-2012. Right after 'February Sessions'. 'Find it Out', 'Fallen'…

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09/28/2017

in painting the silence, time, recording, editing, songs, progress, themes, ideas

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