"One of our favorite local bands!"
-barstar.com
"The illest album out right now, is Mike Maven's Welcome to the Goodlife Vol. 1."
-ughh.com Underground Hip Hop Newsletter, May 2006
Since I was a child, I was influenced by my parents' record collection. They valued closely the classics which ranged from Tom Petty to Stevie Wonder. In grade school, I idolized Michael Jackson, a favorite of my mother's from the days of Off The Wall. I developed a strong interest in Jazz and Black History, and a respect for the values of loyalty and compassion. I developed a world view which held all others as equal, but began to see how society allowed my people to rise out of prejudice over generations while others remained opressed. It is out of this that I formed a deep connection to the music of the sixties and seventies, as well as the Black musical and cultural traditions of America. As an Italian-American, I was conditioned to appreciate the importance of culture and family, and out of this appreciation was born the music that encompasses the Goodlife.
In the process of writing and creating music, many different things have influenced me. My musical influences are contemporaries who follow the tracks of the favorites of my youth.; D'angelo, Erykah Badu, Dwele, John Legend, John Mayer, and others. My classic influences include Marvin Gaye, Al Green, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, and Prince, as well as Joni Mitchell, Joe Cocker, Neil Young, and Paul Simon. As a result, my music has become a fusion of Rock, Folk, Blues, Hip Hop and R&B / Soul. My lyrics reflect not only a world influenced by personal experience, with songs that come from the heart, but also are rich in allusion to both classic and modern R&B and Hip Hop, paying homage to the music that has defined who I am. Through this I have realized a sound and a lifestyle that reflects my personality and those around me, seeking a life that pursues progress towards positive change and knowledge.
Mike Maven and the Goodlife have a developing fan base in New England area as well as in New York City and locally in Austin, TX and are now regularly playing and packing venues in those markets. This powerhouse performing ensemble can rock for families and music fans alike and explode with show-stopping originals and covers of Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Ne-Yo, Notorious B.I.G., A Tribe Called Quest, The Beatles, Sly and the Family Stone, Chaka-khan, Usher, and more.
In the last year, Mike Maven and the Goodlife have opened for Hanson, Stephen Kellogg, The Wood Brothers, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Zox, and the legendary Sugar Hill Gang. The debut album Welcome to the Goodlife Vol. 1 has sold over 700 physical copies nationally and in Japan, and has sold over 200 more copies digitally, as well as being widely downloaded.
What is the Goodlife? The Goodlife is more than just a band. The Goodlife is a collective. We are the family of musicians, fans, producers, and businesspeople who make my music possible.
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