It’s always tough keeping tabs on all of the amazing artists out here humbly working the independent scene across the globe. One such artist who briefly fell between the SoulTracks cracks is Nashville’s own Mike Hicks. The keyboardist and singer-songwriter has been quietly making noise since his 2013 full-length debut, This is Life (available on iTunes). With a clean voice that holds hints of stained glass windows and Murphy’s Oil pews, Hicks and his FUNKtional Punctuation band delivered a breezy soul funk affair reminiscent of early PJ Morton.
It’s always tough keeping tabs on all of the amazing artists out here humbly working the independent scene across the globe. One such artist who briefly fell between the SoulTracks cracks is Nashville’s own Mike Hicks. The keyboardist and singer-songwriter has been quietly making noise since his 2013 full-length debut, This is Life (available on iTunes). With a clean voice that holds hints of stained glass windows and Murphy’s Oil pews, Hicks and his FUNKtional Punctuation band delivered a breezy soul funk affair reminiscent of early PJ Morton. Recorded with the live musicians of Funk Punc., Hicks’ studio work manages to also be about something, covering a range of themes related to the human condition, rather than trafficking in the oft covered themes of balling, smashing, and flossing, in the process winning him several Nashville Independent Music Awards in 2012 and ’13. A musician’s musician rather than a singer’s singer, Hicks manages to do a lot with a no-fuss limited range and captivates with high energy, technical prowess, and an easy tone. His eleven-piece band (not counting Hicks), founded in 2008, also more than delivers a gospel-tinged soul funk.
With talent like theirs, it’s disappointing that Mike Hicks and FUNKtional Punctuation’s recent Kickstarter campaign for Hick’s sophomore album didn’t reach its intended goal, since Hicks and his crew are exactly the kind of artists whose work you want to see get encouraged and supported. Hopefully, this spotlight lends him and their work some much needed shine.
Check out this extended acoustic version of the more blues and gospel funk of the original interlude from This Is Life. Echoing a couple of recent articles both Chris Rizik and I’ve penned at SoulTracks, this live version “Where Have Our Songs Gone” is a warm introduction to an artist we hope to hear more from in the future.
By L. Michael Gipson
Mike Hicks - "Where Have Our Songs Gone"