We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Mike Maimone. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Mike below.

Mike, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Are you happier as a creative? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job? Can you talk to us about how you think through these emotions?

I quit my last full-time job as an accountant at the end of 2005. I had been moonlighting as a musician for a couple years after college, rehearsing and gigging in the evenings and on weekends. But then I moved from Chicago to Portland to join a band with a couple of college friends, and when that band broke up a few years later, I headed back to the Midwest to start my solo project.

The past 13 years have had their share of ups and downs as a full-time musician. I’ve gotten to play Lollapalooza and other major festivals, been on big theatre tours, and done late-night TV shows. I’ve also played plenty of shows for nobody and wracked up tons of debt recording, releasing, and promoting my own music. For most of my 20s and 30s I couldn’t afford health insurance, so I never went to the doctor and just prayed that I wouldn’t have any accidents while loading gear up and down stairs, through icy alleys, or get robbed while sleeping in my vehicle full of thousands of dollars of gear.

Over the years I’ve had to learn many more skills than I thought I would to make a living at this. I figured that by age 40 I’d be able to pay the bills by writing songs and touring. But I’ve had to learn to record, mix, and produce music. I’ve learned how to make websites and manage a newsletter. I’ve gotten pretty good at photography and producing music videos. And I can manage social media as well as run ad campaigns. So at this point I make slightly more money doing these things for other artists than I do on my own music and performances. So I can subsidize my passion with doing creative work to help other artists with their passions. This, in turn, improves my skills and I get to bring that experience back to my own art.

Am I happier? Well, yes and no. I am definitely more stressed by living month-to-month than I would be if I were still an accountant. Any kind of unforeseen expense can totally derail my finances. Most recent example – I was going to take a vacation for my 40th birthday, but I got pericarditis and had to stay home. The hospital bills wiped out all of my savings and I canceled the rescheduled trip I had planned for my 41st birthday. Back to zero in the savings account. First I’ll build back my emergency savings buffer, and so in a few years I’ll potentially be able to think about a vacation again.

That sounds pretty dark and gloomy. But life isn’t all about finances. And the tired old saying about “do what you love and you’ll never work again” is fairly true. I still end up working a ton, but I rarely do things that I intrinsically hate or find pointless. There are tons of things I don’t love, but they are all being done as part of the process of doing what I love. For example, I dislike sending 1,000 booking emails into an abyss only to hear 1 back and it’s a “no.” But it’s part of the process of playing shows, which is a high that no drug can ever replicate.

There’s also the “I’m my own boss” side of things. Recently I calculated that since going to work for myself in 2006, I have saved almost 40,000 hours by not commuting to an office and working for someone else. And that is at a modest 8 hour work day and 235 work days per year. If I were still in auditing I would most certainly be working more than 8 hours/day on average, and although we had 5 weeks of PTO, nobody used all of it. So I’ve gained about 5 YEARS of living for myself, developing my craft, and pursuing my passion. And that makes me feel better about not having as much money as I would like.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I started piano lessons at age 5, and in high school started playing in bands. In college I began writing for my groups. It’s been a lifelong process of earning how to play, write, and perform. Over time, different types of music hit my filter, and come out in my work. At the moment my albums have a strong New Orleans influence, from piano players like Dr. John and Professor Longhair. But there’s a definite modern twist on the recordings, as my production influences lately have been more pop and hip-hop. And as a gay man, the subject matter of my lyrics sets me apart from other artists in the more traditional blues/R&B genres that my influences typically fall into.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

“Get in the van” I grew up in the 80s and 90s, when bands would tour their asses off to get a following, get signed, and then continue touring while they put out records. The punk rock ethos doesn’t really apply in the social media era. People are more likely to discover a new band online than they are from a fan zine or just hanging out at the local indie rock club. But from 2006 – 2020 I was on the road more often than not. And I think it took a pandemic to make me step back and realize that I should be focusing more on my online presence, while still playing shows to keep my performances tight.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I was on a solo tour in between full-band tours, probably 2012 or 2013. My credit card was maxed out from being in the studio and hiring college radio and PR help to promote the record. We had sold out of vinyl and were close to selling out of CDs, but still, it wasn’t enough to support me and my band. So I was out trying to make some money, and the gigs weren’t going well. I overdrew my bank account. I’m somewhere in the middle of the country, with no friends or family nearby at all. I made a few bucks at a DIY venue, and slept in my car in a Wal-Mart parking lot. In the morning I went in to brush my teeth in the bathroom and get some food and ice for my cooler. But when I got to the checkout, I didn’t have enough money. So I had to put a loaf of bread and can of tuna back. That experience went into a song called “WORK” on my latest album. Things like that happened relatively often in the early 2010’s. I think a lot of people quit when they’ve got negative money for too long. But I know my music is good. It’s unique, so it’s taking a lot longer to find the true fans. But now I’ve got about 40 people on my Patreon and I know that at the very least, I’ll be able to buy groceries each month.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.mikemaimone.com
• Instagram: @mikemaimonemusic
• Facebook: @mikemaimonemusic
• Twitter: @wearemutts
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/mikemaimonemusic
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@mikemaimonemusic

Image Credits
Forestt LaFave, Melissa Aderton, Mike Monaco, Chris Rugowski