Guitarist-Singer-Songwriter Mike Conde’s songs are many things—a protest, a rallying cry, a kind of film noir filled with life, pain, hope and love but it is first and foremost the heart of rock and roll.
With a career that spans over a decade, the prolific Conde with collaborator/drummer Rude E. have refined the raucous poetry of his songwriting, creating his own working-class aesthetic where beauty and darkness often trade punches from line to line. Intelligent, minimalist and honest.
A native of the Northside of Houston, TX, Conde spent a few years in the rougher parts of Los Angeles as the guitarist for the metal band Drive and penned the song “Once Again” that was included on their sophomore release Diablero and released on Zoo Entertainment/BMG.
These locales are evident in his sound in their purest, finest senses—the gritty bluster of the rough side of two big cities, and the truth and honesty that comes with one that has grown up in a tight-knit family and community where most shared the same struggles.
With two full length solo albums “Back on the Street” and “The Windows,” one EP “Four Now” and his latest single "Shapes of Things" under his belt he has built a group of ardent fans and supporters not only in his hometown but globally by way of internet music venues and radio stations cementing his place as a respected songwriter, story teller, and performer.
The new music is written, recorded, mixed, and mastered in most cases, in-house! (aka. Studio 69). And is being released one song per month through the patreon inner circle and an EP every few months with a "name YOUR price" approach.
With eclectic musical tastes and a strong rock foundation in both Mike and Rude, you never know what to expect, other than it is different every time! However, do look for, haunting melodies, well-grooved rhythms, and delicious guitar phrasing.
Check back often for news and new songs as they'll be made available hot off the presses here, and to some extent, ONLY HERE.
Songs are released one per month and are available right now for our patreon inner circle.
"Mike Conde's searing take on Gary Moore's "Shapes of Things" is a heartfelt, impassioned tribute to the brilliance of the late Irish guitarist. At the same time, it's a vibrant declaration of Conde's own prodigious talents as a vocalist and guitarist. Moore, please!"
-- Greg Renoff, author of Van Halen Rising: How a Southern California Backyard Party Band Saved Heavy Metal.