• Piano-playing singer, songwriter, and producer
  • For fans of: Tom Waits, Leon Russell, Randy Newman, Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats, Drew Holcomb, Ben Harper, Dr. John

View my publishing catalog of 200 songs

INTRO SPOTIFY PLAYLIST CONTACT

Next Album: “Guess What? I Love You”
Out 8/15/25
Lead Single: “On My Way”
Out 3/7/25
CONTACT ME for preview

Career Highlights

  • Performed on stage with Stevie Wonder
  • 80,000+ followers across socials
  • Averaged over 100 tour dates/year, including legendary venues such as the Fillmore in San Francisco, Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa, the Troubador in LA, and the Bowery Ballroom in NYC
  • Played Lollapolooza, Riot Fest, Sasquatch!, Forecastle, Summer Camp, and other major festivals
  • Toured supporting Plain White T’s, Blues Traveler, OK Go, Murder By Death, opened for Imagine Dragons, Weezer, Blink 182, JD McPherson, and more
  • 56 independent releases since 2008, including 13 albums, which have sold out of several vinyl pressings
  • Catalog contains 200 published original songs, including film/TV placements

Video

Press

From horns ablaze on the opening “Work” and broke banter of “F.M.L.” through “Gasoline” funk rock. Broke sifts through more emotions with Maimone’s Tom Waits scratch around I’m so far from home, and my home just keeps on changing / If I was alone, I’d worry and worry for ages on “Through the Changes,” and grittier “Clear Black Night” and the steadier pomp of “Long Way Down.” Read More

“In a city filled with hard-working musicians, Mike Maimone is right up there. The blues musician has released six albums, six EPs, and averaged 100 live shows per year over the past 12 years.
Maimone plays the blues, but with a swampy New Orleans-influenced sound reminiscent of Dr. John or Leon Russell. He brings ‘a little queerness to traditionally straight blues-based genres.'” Interview by Jenn White

Mike Maimone is a multifaceted and innovative artist artist whose music defies categorization.
Equal parts moody piano man, emotional bartender, and armchair psychologist, he brings an infectious blend of groove, introspection, and atmosphere to Object Permanence XI.
The album’s apex is “Prizefighter.” Like Folds’ “Boxing” or Manilow’s “I Was a Fool (To Let You Go),” it serves as the last song of the night for the last night of the world.
Read More

If searching for a shortcut portmanteau to encompass Nashville treasure and impeccable thirst trapper Mike Maimone, you could do worse than “Dr. John Grant,” melding the latter’s erudite social X-rays and queer queries with the former’s boisterous barroom piano promenades.

But even amid the joyful mood roulette of Mookie’s Big Gay Mixtape, you get a feel for the emotional undertow that lurks just beyond some of the pleasant party vibes and the evening of scales. After the unexpected death of Maimone’s husband just before Mookie’s release, the ballads’ impact is harder, the party jams and interludes feel like safety valves, and a wrenching take on Tina Turner’s “Simply the Best” hits like Closing Time-era Tom Waits. JASON SHAWHAN

“His raw, emotive songwriting and electrifying performances have drawn comparisons to Randy Newman, Leon Russell, Tom Waits, and Warren Zevon.” – Read More

“The man has the keyboard style of Fats Waller and Jerry Lee Lewis combined (he punches the keys with violence which make the notes sting, but his speed and ease give those notes a smooth velocity and irresistible swing), and a vocal style that clearly recalls Tom Waits and Warren Zevon… With him bouncing up and down, smacking the keys and growling like a jolly puppet who just lost its strings, it was pretty hard not to get engulfed in all the fun he was having.” Read Article

“Like Dr. John & The Meters kind of inspired piano music… people can dance to it.” Read Interview

“His new music video for “Hey Now” features a delightfully diverse cast of dancing LGBTQ artists from Chicago including musician Stella Steel and drag performer Sofia Saffire. The video is too fun and too queer not to check out.” View Premiere

“This gay jock-turned-musician has found a home in our rainbow-colored big tent.” Read Article

“A wildly imaginative film featuring 9 songs and 9 characters, all representing different aspects of the filmmaker’s fractured personality during the quarantine. There’s even a Zoom party with the entire ‘cast.'” Watch isolation:001:the movie

Lightning 100: Local Artist of the Week View Article

Press Photos

PR:

Jeff Dorta

jeffdorta@projectpublicity.com

Entertainment Attorney:

Scott E. Schwimer

ses@scottschwmimer.com

Contact Mike:

mike@mikemaimone.com

About Mike

Mike Maimone is a singer-songwriter, pianist, and producer whose music and life story are defined by resilience, passion, and authenticity. Born and raised in Ashtabula, Ohio, he grew up as an all-state athlete, even playing basketball against LeBron James, while also studying classical piano. Though he began taking lessons at age five, he didn’t start writing original songs until college. After earning a business degree, he briefly worked as an accountant before leaving the corporate world behind to pursue music full-time.

His personal journey has been just as transformative. Maimone realized he was gay in his early 20s but didn’t come out to his Catholic family and friends until he was 30—three years into living with his then-partner. This deep well of life experience informs his songwriting, which blends raw storytelling with an electrifying performance style. Offstage, he is soft-spoken and approachable, often chatting with audiences before his set. But once the lights come up, he becomes a powerhouse performer, with Daytrotter founder Sean Moeller noting that he “goes from zero to a hundred quicker than most.” The Windy City Times described his raucous piano style as a mix of Fats Waller and Jerry Lee Lewis, while his growling, soulful vocals recall the likes of Tom Waits and Warren Zevon.

In January 2020, Maimone moved to Nashville and quickly immersed himself in the city’s vibrant music scene, performing at songwriter rounds and showcases nearly every night. Within weeks, he was named a Lightning 100 FM Local Artist of the Week. When the COVID-19 pandemic put an abrupt halt to live performances, he shifted gears, creating the visual album isolation:001: the movie, which was accepted into multiple film festivals, including a special live presentation at the Hobnobben Film Festival. As live music returned, he released Broke, Not Broken in June 2021, an album recorded with his band in Chicago before the pandemic. Just as it was set to debut, he was hospitalized with pericarditis and forced to cancel his tour. True to his relentless work ethic, he filmed a music video for “F.M.L.” from his hospital bed, using only Instagram Stories to capture the footage in 14-second clips. Shortly after recovering, his seven-year relationship ended, marking yet another major turning point.

A year later, Maimone met renowned PR guru Howard Bragman, and the two quickly became inseparable. Over the next year, they split their time between Nashville and Los Angeles while Maimone released six singles in anticipation of Mookie’s Big Gay Mixtape. Their relationship deepened, and they were engaged in February 2023, when Bragman was diagnosed with acute monocytic leukemia. They married in the hospital on February 10, and the following evening, Bragman passed away. His final request was for Maimone to perform “The Best” at his memorial—a wish he honored, following a performance of “God Bless the Child” with Stevie Wonder.

In the wake of his loss, Maimone postponed promotion of Mookie’s Big Gay Mixtape and instead channeled his grief into a tribute album. Borrowed Tunes, Vol. 2: Songs for You featured covers of songs that held deep personal meaning for him and Bragman.  The album was released in August 2023, followed by three sold-out release shows in Los Angeles, New York City, and Chicago, with all revenue going to the Trevor Project. The final performance was recorded and later released as a live album in February 2024.

Throughout his career, Maimone has never been confined to one genre. His 2024 EP Unfollow pushes those boundaries further, presenting five reimagined versions of the same song, spanning from Americana to electronica. Since launching his label, 8eat8 Records, in 2008, he has released 56 projects and contributed to numerous others, including playing keyboards on Company of Thieves’ Running From a Gamble, produced by Rob Schnapf, and Jon Walker of Panic! At the Disco’s Crazy Dream EP.

On top of being a prolific recording artist, Maimone has averaged over 100 tour dates per year since 2005. Whether performing as a solo artist, fronting his trio Mutts, or playing keys for acts like Company of Thieves and Los Colognes, he has taken the stage at legendary venues such as The Fillmore in San Francisco and the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City, as well as festivals including Lollapalooza, Sasquatch!, Summer Camp, Forecastle, and Riot Fest. He has opened for Blink-182, Weezer, and Imagine Dragons and has toured with OK Go, Plain White T’s, Blues Traveler, Murder By Death, and The Hold Steady. His music has also made its way into pop culture, with “God, Country, Grave” featured in an HBO Max Banshee sex scene and “Let’s Go” added to the Chicago Cubs’ Wrigley Field playlist.

Beyond music, Maimone has completed his first book, a memoir chronicling his whirlwind year of love, loss, and reinvention.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact:   Jeff Dorta, Project Publicity: 212-445-0099
 JeffDorta@ProjectPublicity.com

Mike Maimone Honors Late Husband Howard Bragman
with Heartfelt New Single “On My Way,” Out March 7

The First Single from His Upcoming EP That Celebrates Love, 
Honors Loss, and Offers Hope for What’s to Come

New York, NY – March 1, 2025:   Acclaimed singer-songwriter, pianist, and producer Mike Maimone is set to release “On My Way”, the first single from his upcoming EP Guess What? I Love You, on March 7. The feel-good song holds deep personal significance, as it was originally written as a voicemail to his late husband, renowned PR guru Howard Bragman, during their long-distance courtship.

“We were always hopping planes to see each other,” Maimone recalls. “Just before one trip, I called him with guitar in hand and sang this little ditty that was running through my head about how excited I was to see him. He didn’t pick up, so I left it as a voicemail. He told me it was fun and catchy and encouraged me to turn it into a full song.”

Maimone’s upcoming EP, Guess What? I Love You, is a deeply personal tribute to Howard, chronicling their love story and his own journey through grief, love, and healing. The day after their wedding, Maimone held his husband as he passed away. Over the next two years, he poured his emotions into Guess What? I Love You. Reflecting on the album’s structure, he explains, “Side A is about finding love, and Side B explores loss. I knew this album would be difficult for anyone who has experienced the trauma of losing a loved one before their time. But I didn’t want to leave the listener in darkness—I wanted to find a way out.”

While working on the record, Maimone revisited their voicemails as a way to narrate their story. The “On My Way” hook was one of those recordings. Initially, he planned to simply re-record the vocal but found himself expanding the song, adding a second verse, a bridge, and layers of stomps, claps, and snaps. “It felt like Howard was nudging me to keep going,” Maimone says. Excited about the track’s evolution, he called his band back to Nashville to complete it with a full-band arrangement.

Maimone’s musical career is defined by his unwavering commitment to storytelling. The Ohio-born artist, who once played basketball against LeBron James, transitioned from a business school graduate and accountant to a full-time musician. His raw, emotive songwriting and electrifying performances have drawn comparisons to Randy Newman, Leon Russell, Tom Waits, and Warren Zevon. While living in Nashville, Lightning 100 FM named Maimone a Local Artist of the Week, and having recently moved to Los Angeles he’s already been featured in LA Weekly. His career spans performances with Stevie Wonder, tours with Blues Traveler and the Plain White T’s, and songs featured in TV and film. He has played at iconic festivals like Lollapalooza, Riot Fest, and Summer Camp, and his music has even made its way onto the Chicago Cubs’ Wrigley Field playlist.

Following Howard’s passing, Maimone released Borrowed Tunes, Vol. 2: Songs for You, an album of covers that held deep meaning for the couple. He performed three sold-out release shows in Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago, donating all proceeds to The Trevor Project. His relentless dedication to his craft continued with his 2024 EP Unfollow, which featured five reimagined versions of the same song across different genres. Beyond his music, Maimone has completed his first book, a memoir documenting his year of love, loss, and reinvention. 

As he prepares to release “On My Way” on March 7, Maimone sees it as the perfect way to introduce Guess What? I Love You to the world. “This song went from being a voicemail I had discarded to the lead single on my most emotional and profound album in two decades of music-making,” he shares. “Howard saw something in it that I didn’t at the time, and now I get to share that with everyone.”

Visit https://linktr.ee/mikemaimonemusic

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