Mike Grill is a skilled songwriter whose tunes draw heavily on alt-country, folk, blues, and indie rock. At an early age, Mike developed a reverence for the lyrical mastery of Bob Dylan as well as the inherently catchy hooks of the Beatles. Soon thereafter he was drawn to both the blues, through the tastefulness and passion of B.B. King, and outlaw country via Haggard and Cash. The list of influences only becomes more eclectic from there.
An adept solo performer, Grill is just as comfortable driving his band, the Downslope, through a high-powered electric set. The acoustic/electric dicotomy allows Mike's songs to take on new life. "Just because the song structures are in place, doesn't mean the interpretations can't change," he says. "The songs may lose their intimacy when I play with the band, but each song communicates a new set of emotions when it's channeled through additional musicians."
The musicians comprising the Downslope are all veterans of the Chicago scene. They include former and current members ofRebecca's Statue, Cornmeal, & Majors Junction. The band deftly steers song dynamics from loud & upbeat to intimate & introspective and back again.