MIKE MAINS & THE BRANCHES recently announced the new album Memory Unfixed, out September 15 via Tooth & Nail. Pre-order it here.
"Memory Unfixed is a collection of musical snapshots from 2019-2021," Mains says. "The world went through a metamorphosis at that time and I fell down into the basement of unfixed memories. Some painful, some colorful, I'm glad to report there was magic down there. I am excited to share."
Today, the band has shared "Lost Boys." Listen below.
"The inspiration for this song came when I was listening to 'The Suburbs' by Arcade Fire on repeat and thinking a lot about who I was as a teenager," Mains says,. "As far as I've come, I still feel I have so much to learn, and let go of. I'm always hacking away at the shadow I carry around because I don't want it to keep me from that sacred place."
Mike Mains & The Branches have always bottled complex emotions and relatable stories within hummable homegrown anthems. They have organically progressed over the course of Home [2012], Calm Down, Everything Is Fine [2014], and When We Were In Love [2019]. Billboard hailed the "buoyant pop" of the latter, while Atwood Magazine praised its "upbeat, energetic, feel-good pop-rock." Among many standouts, “Briggs” generated north of 4.8 million Spotify streams as "Breathing Underwater" and "Live Forever" each surpassed the 1 million-mark. After trading his native Michigan for Nashville, Mike underwent another era of transformation. Stuck at home mid-Pandemic, he retreated inward and began to understand his past and, ultimately, himself a bit more.
"Once COVID hit, I finally had the opportunity to allow some things to start boiling over," he elaborates. "I got serious about therapy, my mental health, and my well-being. I acknowledged wounds that had been on the backburner for my entire life. I've been on my own since I was 16, and I come from a family of physical and mental abuse. By living alone and crashing on couches over the years, I've cobbled together a wonderful surrogate family. Growing up, my dad was like, 'You'll never make it’.' Part of me was pleased to find success, move to Nashville, buy a home, and support myself and my wife off rock 'n' roll. Nevertheless, all of this pain came up. So, these songs are little vignettes and snapshots of not only the relationship between my wife and I but what was happening in the world with George Floyd and America's heartbreaking response."
PHOTO CREDIT: Jen Rosenstein
MIKE MAINS & THE BRANCHES ON TOUR:
HEADLINE:
8/24 — Ballroom at Spiderhouse — Austin, TX
8/25 — Dallas, TX – The Rustic
8/26 — San Antonio, TX – The Rustic
WITH KING'S KALEIDOSCOPE:
10/5 — Charlotte NC — Neighborhood Theatre
10/6 — Atlanta GA — Center Stage
10/7 — Sanford FL — Tuffy’s Music Box
10/8 — Tampa FL — Crowbar
10/10 — Birmingham AL — Zydeco
10/11 — Greensboro NC — Hangar 1819
10/13 — Washington DC — 9:30 Club
10/14 — New York NY — Gramercy Theatre
10/16 — Millvale PA — Mr Smalls Theatre
10/17 — Philadelphia PA — Ardmore Music Hall
10/19 — Milwaukee WI — Pabst Theater
10/20 — Des Moines IA — Wooly’s
10/21 — Covington KY — Madison Theater
10/22 — Fort Wayne IN — Clyde Theatre
10/24 — Columbus OH — Skully’s
10/25 — Cleveland OH — Beachland Ballroom
10/26 — Detroit MI — St. Andrews Hall
10/27 — Grand Rapids MI — Elevation
MIKE MAINS & THE BRANCHES ARE:
Mike Mains — Vocals, Guitar
Shannon Mains — Vocals, Synth, Guitar
