Brett Mitchell

Come out to a show and see why Brett Mitchell and his band, the giant GHOST, have the fastest growing fan base in Michigan and pick up your copy of Small House, released November 21

“Brett Mitchell’s Small House is an entertaining CD that manages to deliver real depth and quality musicianship through a pop idiom. The Details: From the opening synthesizer line of Brett Mitchell’s Small House, you know that this is music written by someone who understands pop—not trash pop, but up-beat, radio-friendly, fun pop. From the palm muted guitars to the catchy riffs, from the hook-based choruses to the perfectly harmonized back-up vocals, this album is pop through and through. Mitchell’s strong voice and excellent songwriting combine to make him a powerful front man. And what is the smartest thing that a great songwriter/front man can do? Why, surround him or herself with excellent musicians, of course -— and this is exactly what Mitchell has done on Small House. It is obvious that he was careful to choose the exact kind of musicians he wanted playing his music. The songs on this CD are crisp, short pop numbers (over half of them clocking in at a radio-friendly three and a half minutes or less), and each musician plays their parts accordingly. Mike Cramton adds confident, succinct drumming on various tracks throughout the album and tasty, subtle congas on “The Hypocrite.” Bill Hall’s reggae bass line on “Don’t Worry About Me” carries the song, helping to make it one of the most enjoyable tracks on the recording. Multi-instrumentalist Tim Puckett seems to have mastered putting the cherry on the sundae, so to speak, bringing in just the right instrument to top off whatever song he’s on—playful harpsichord on the waltzy “O.C.D.,” mood-setting lap steel on the alt-country “Night Glasses,” and tasteful piano on the album’s closer, “Onion.” Manager and co-producer Jan Hecht pulls out her accordion for the apocalyptic folk-ballad “Neighbors,” and sound engineer Andy Reed plays anything else that needs to be filled in. Mitchell is himself a talented musician on a number of instruments, playing acoustic and electric guitar, drums (which sound good at his hands, but notably better at Cramton’s), percussion, banjo, and vibraphone on the album. The gorgeous recording quality allows you to appreciate the musicianship at its fullest, while the fairly wide variety in song styles keeps you interested from start to finish. Mitchell’s lyrics are occasionally a bit fluffy, as if they were written to sound like radio hits rather than written to really say something, but the majority of the songs are honest and clever. The stand-out track on Small House has got to be the extremely entertaining and witty “Born Too Late.”I could’ve been Elvis, they say I got good looks. But you see now none of that matters, if you ain’t got any good hooks (like this one) ...I was born too late, I was born too late I could’ve been great ...Yeah, I could’ve been Johnny Cash, cause I can sing real low. I sure as hell can get real drunk and show up late to all of my shows.I could’ve been John Lennon, yeah I’d give peace a chance. I’d make amends with Paul and tell Yoko NO not to sing with the band ...I can only assume that Mitchell and his band, the giant GHOST, who are already gigging heavily throughout Michigan, will be coming to a city near you on national tours before too long. In the meantime, you can get yourself a copy of Small House and see what all the fuss is about.Well-written, well-played, well-recorded. Well done, Brett Mitchell. By Silas Durocher, IndieMusic.com Posted on Saturday, March 08, 2008 @ 14:47:02 EST“Mitchell can swing sweet and soft but he can rock yer socks off, too! And what a colorful musical landscape Brett creates on this disc. He’s the post-modern Georgia O’Keefe of rock n’ roll. Painting his songs with such vibrancy and erotic tension while still evoking a quiet beauty in the music. This is an artist in transition, maturing and reaching his enormous potential while still achieving balance and centeredness.” -BO WHITE / WHITE’S BAR"Brett Mitchell, the Midland-based singer-songwriter recently released his "Small House" album, chock full of solidly written, expertly produced tunes that span rock, pop and folk. I look at him as kind of a rootsy version of Marshall Crenshaw, a lot of pop hooks and very well written, very well produced stuff ...great witty lyrics, by the way, on the clever opening track, Born Too Late, definitely worth the listen. New Disease, as well as Last Chance, (are) two really good songs, very different and at the same time New Disease has a nice rock feel to it, kind of a love song, in a way...he’s definitely an up and comer!.." John Sinkevics from The Grand Rapids Press on WYCE’s Local Resonance radio program "The Midland singer-songwriter, Brett Mitchell, returns with a gorgeously produced CD that rocks impressively on "Born Too Late," "New Disease" and "Last Chance," and turns tender and warm on "Friend" and "Good Intentions." West Michigan Artists"Brett Mitchell croons his songs, even under pop-rock and country circumstances. His organic arrangements forego the bombastic, heavily-produced sound and focus on the "musicians in a studio" approach, even though a lot of the instruments were played by him on multiple tracks. Accessing different sounds and musical styles, he does play well with the few others on the album, and though not particularly wordy in his lyrics, gets across everything he needs to. Engineered by Andy Reed and mastered by GBP Studios in Lansing, the recording is clear and sweet, relaying the well written music without drowning it in experimentation or over-polishing."- Ryan Cunningham, Grand Rapids Recoil Magazine “You and your band are one of the best I have seen since I have been back from Los Angeles.” Jeff Amato, Independent Music Promotion Executive VIS*ABILITY

Michigan Singer/Songwriter Brett Mitchell, along with his band, the giant GHOST, are creating quite a buzz in the midwest. In 2006, Brett won Artist of the Year from Saginaw’s Review Magazine. Soon after, he and his band toured the midwest including the Midwest Music Summit in Indianapolis, Homegrown Wine & Music Festival in Belvidere, New Jersey, the Midpoint Music Festival in Cincinnati and Singer/Songwriter night at the famous Bluebird Café in Nashville, TN.
Brett, born and raised (too late) in Midland, MI, provides vocals & electric/acoustic guitar and revolving lead guitarists Scott Vandell, Steve Roth, and Rick Manges provide the wail factor while Mike Cramton, a Saginaw, MI native, (of Robert Bradley Blackwater Surprise fame) supplies tender vocal harmonies and the best in percussion support. Recently Bill Hall, also from Saginaw, MI, has come on board, with his amazing bass intuition, completing the fantastically tight and mesmerizing Brett Mitchell sound. Brett’s voice will capture you and not let go. The versatility of this band is the reason Brett Mitchell’s schedule is always full. They play Brett’s originals and the classics that inspired them. They can play a songwriter show, a lounge, a dancin’ night at the bar or a festival and the set list Brett creates is always fine tuned and perfect for the occasion.
They have entertained in Michigan at the Ark in Ann Arbor, Union Street Station in Traverse City, Fishbones in St. Clair Shores, The BOB, Ottawa Tavern, Flanagan’s, Rocky’s, One Trick Pony, The Black Rose, and Founder’s Brewery in Grand Rapids, Kraftbrau, Corner Bar and Wayside West in Kalamazoo, New Holland Brewery, Holland, Robusto’s in Grosse Pointe Woods, Little River Casino in Manistee, The Magic Stick in Detroit, The Boathouse in Saugatuck, and The Gate House on Mackinaw Island to name a few. In Tennessee the band performed for singer/songwriter night at the Bluebird Café and also, at Café Coco. In Indianapolis, Indiana they have entertained at Birdy’s, Abbey Coffeehouse, Radio Radio, Lazy Daze, and The Stone Mug. In Ohio they have entertained at Rhino’s, Neon’s, Stanley’s Pub in Cincinnati, Jackie O’s in Athen’s, Wilbert’s in Cleveland, Newport on the Levee in Newport, KY and at Matarazzo Farms in Belvidere, New Jersey and The Saint in Asbury Park, NJ among many, many other wonderful venues and continue to entertain in the tri-cities as often as the schedule allows.
Check Brett Mitchell’s EPK at www.sonicbids.com/brettmitchell
FANS LOVE BRETT MITCHELL...YOU WILL, TOO! Review from CD BABY on Brett’s debut solo project: With passion and talent, Mitchell is an emerging star. As a lover of acoustic music and singer songwriters, I was intrigued to check out Brett Mitchell. At a recent show, he blew me away with his warm stage presence, his quality of voice and depth of lyrics. And while he gives amazing intimate live performances, his album is no disappointment. The same raw talent and soul translates onto the LP. With stand out tracks such as the cathy pop driven Stereo and Young Summer to the gritty soulful ballad Sad Songs and Snow, it’s only a matter of time before Brett is heard on mainstream radio. The album is reminiscent of the early acoustic albums of John Mayer’s Inside Wants Out, Howie Day’s Australia and Matt Nathanson’s Ernst, proving that Mitchell can play with the big boys and is a rare standout artist in the large pool of singer/songwriters. Myspace Contact Tables"BORN TOO LATE" Music Video