The Music

For the past 20 years, Mike True and the Phantom Band has taken root in the music-rich city of New Orleans, Louisiana. With an ever-expanding catalog of original music, composed and recorded since the late 1980's, Mike has mastered a unique soundscape that traverses the Americana, blues, pop, rock, folk and country genres. This music is characterized by the authentic storytelling of a seasoned singer-songwriter supported by a symphony of rhythm guitar, bass, hand percussion, and a variety of accompanying instruments, infused with the soul of over 25 collaborators who have become part of the Phantom Band's extended family. This collective brings to life a significant collection of songs that echo the heartbeat of America.

Growing up in rural Southern Indiana, I was initially exposed to a variety of country, folk, bluegrass and country gospel music. Neither my mother or father played an instrument or sang but both my maternal grandmother and paternal grandfather played the organ, (pump and electric, respectively), for personal entertainment. My dad's dad, likewise, enjoyed listening to a wide variety of music, owning one of the first Victrola phonograph players in the rural county. He passed on his love of recorded music to his only son who continued to collect 78s, and later brought 45 rpm records and the classic vinyl 98 LP's into our home.

Up until the mid-1960's, my exposure to music was somewhat subdued but with the historic "British Invasion" it became difficult not to want to be a part of that scene. In 1967-68, my older brother Pat put together a simple 4 piece band and invited me to pick up a guitar and put some chords behind the new electric rock n Roll. Upon Pat's high school graduation, Leather Soul ended its short stint.

In the years that followed I kept a classic six string guitar around. Jamming with a friend or two during time served in the Navy, new chords were added to the mix and some new songs were learned. The Beatles, Eric Clapton, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, James Tayler, Cat Stevens and so many other artists gave inspiration. Establishing strong rhythmic styles, and a steady beat seemed to be key to this slow but steady progression of skills.

Following the Navy days, I began taking classes at a local Indiana University extension. At this point, a reflection on life and social responsibilities took me into the studies of education and theology. A year into my undergraduate work, I joined a Christian Student Union group where I met my wife and put together my first band, Truth Unlimited. This band would come to include five other individuals. Together we performed some traditional protestant hymns, as well as, original music, (at the time, known as gospel rock) Feeling the energy of performing live could not be understated. It is a drive that continues to the present day.

Upon graduation, Truth Unlimited vanished into the past and work and family responsibilities took over.

Over the years, I sang and played an acoustic guitar to entertain a host of elementary students, friends and family. In the 1980's I was intrigued by the synthesizer revolution. Over a ten year period I produced a series of instrumental songs which culminated in my first album called, "Sonic Soundscapes". In this effort I programmed, measure by measure, each element of the song. Some of those electronic compositions can be found and heard on my SoundCloud page. (Mike True Singer-Songwriter)

In the early 1990's I was living on my own again and took to the streets of Santa Cruz, California. It was at this point, that I began writing my own original songs in earnest. I also became an advocate for the civil rights of street performers and the city's homeless.

By the late 1990's, as an independent artist, I leaned heavily into producing my own songs through my label: TruEnergy Sound Productions. I started out with cassette recordings of me singing and playing the rhythm guitar. Soon afterwards, I began to collect followers, (fellow musicians), who would become the future members of Mike True and the Phantom Band. Eighteen of the twenty plus members are pictured above. If anyone contributed to a live performance or a sound recording, they were in. This stream of talent shaped the music and gave it its improvisational nature.

As a writer, the composition of lyrics was, and continues to be, the driving force behind a catalog of songs that has long since surpassed 100. At some point, like my other artistic endeavors, songwriting became a passion.

Through the years, I have met the challenge of constantly adapting to the ever-changing advances in the field of sound recording. From analog through the digital age, I evolved to keep up with the times and technology. Additionally, I have transcribed the majority of my compositions, generating chord and lyric "lead sheets" to the vast majority of my tunes.

Mike True and the Phantom Band can now be found in any web search and enjoyed in a variety of sound recordings across the Internet.

For more information regarding my music or booking, contact me @ mstrue1@hotmail.com or call 504-906-9343.