Mike Squires | |
|---|---|
 Squires performing withLoaded at the Maquinaria Festival in São Paulo, Brazil in 2009 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | (1971-12-28)December 28, 1971 (age 53) Concord, California, U.S. |
| Genres | Pop rock,hard rock,punk rock,alternative rock |
| Occupation | Guitarist |
| Years active | 1993–present |
| Labels | PopLlama,Barsuk,V2,The Control Group,Century Media,Eagle Rock Entertainment |
Mike Squires (born December 28, 1971) is an American musician best known as the lead guitarist in thehard rock groupLoaded, the group led byVelvet Revolver andGuns N' Roses bassistDuff McKagan.
Previously, he was a member of a number ofSeattle-based groups such asEat the Feeling,Nevada Bachelors,Harvey Danger,Alien Crime Syndicate andThe Long Winters which featured former members ofThe Western State Hurricanes,Harvey Danger andDeath Cab for Cutie among others. He also performed withGreen Apple Quick Step for a number of "reunion" shows alternating between guitar and bass.
Squires was born inConcord, California on December 28, 1971.[1] He moved around frequently as a child, attending various grade schools before eventually settling inGranite Falls, Washington. He joined theMarines before eventually moving toSeattle, Washington.[1]
During his early career, Squires formed or joined a number of groups but with little or no releases. One of his first musical ventures was a jam band named Eat the Feeling, where he played bass; they recorded a CD in 1993 which was released in 1994.[1] Next was theMinutemen influenced group, Compass, where they recorded a few demos, and Suttree, aCountry/pop influenced group.[1] Squires and Darius Minwalla, future drummer forThe Posies, attempted to put a band together, recording demos in the process, however they eventually moved on to other projects.[1]
In 1997, Squires joined the Nevada Bachelors, a group formed by Robb Benson.[1] The band's lineup was rounded up by bassist Ben Brunn and drummer Dusty Hayes. They released debut albumCarrots & So On in 1998 through Pop Llama Records[1][2][3] with a sound reminiscent ofThe Police.[4] They toured in support of the album and played shows in their nativeSeattle supportingDeath Cab for Cutie in 1998[5] andFountains of Wayne in 1999.[6]The presidents of the United States of America drummerJason Finn joined the group replacing Dusty Hayes. The group recorded and released their second and last albumHello Jupiter in 2000[1][7][8] and toured in support.
After taking some time off following the success of their previous album and the single "Flagpole Sitta",[9] Harvey Danger decided to regroup and record the follow-up toWhere Have All the Merrymakers Gone? with the result beingKing James Version[9] released in September 2000. For the album's supporting tour, Squires was added as the group's live guitarist as well asThe Western State Hurricanes founderJohn Roderick on keyboard.[10][11] During his time in the group, Squires recorded some demos with the band however they remain unreleased.[1]
Squires contributed guitar and bass tracks for The Long Winters first record,The Worst You Can Do Is Harm, on the track "Scent of Lime", however his strict conditions of his parole at the time, as well his involvement with other bands, prohibited him from joining the band until 2005 where he played with the group for less than a year before departing.[1][12][13]
While recording for The Long Winters, Squires added additional guitar parts for Loaded's debut albumDark Days,[1] withDuff McKagan,Geoff Reading andDave Dederer,[14] which was released in the United States and Japan in July 2001. It was later released in Europe in July 2002. Loaded announced three dates at theHouse of Blues taking place inAnaheim, California,Las Vegas, Nevada andWest Hollywood, California in November.[15] Before these shows, Squires officially joined the group as lead guitarist and was joined byAlien Crime Syndicate bassistJeff Rouse. In January 2002, Loaded announced a string of dates in the United States and Japan.[16] During one of the shows, in Los Angeles, Loaded were joined onstage byThe Cult duoBilly Duffy andMatt Sorum, also formerly of Guns N' Roses.[17] After these shows, Squires left Loaded to join bandmate Rouse in Alien Crime Syndicate and was replaced by formerWasted Youth andElectric Love Hogs guitaristDave Kushner. When Loaded went on a semi-hiatus, still playing shows occasionally, following the formation ofVelvet Revolver both Squires and Rouse returned to the group.
In December 2006, the group reunited for a special benefit show for Jerry Allen's Cancer Fund. Supporting Loaded that night were Top Heavy Crush andJeff Angell of Post Stardom Depression.[18]
In February 2008, while on tour with Velvet Revolver, McKagan announced that Loaded were planning on releasing a new album in the summer.[19] During the United Kingdom leg of Velvet Revolver's tour in April, McKagan stated that Loaded were to enter the studio in late April.[20] After a few jam sessions, Loaded began recording what would becomeSick withDark Days producerMartin Feveyear at Jupiter Studios inSeattle. They released a series ofWebisodes during this time featuring footage from the recording sessions for the group's new album[21] which was completed in less than 2 weeks. After signing a deal withCentury Media,[22][23] the band changed their moniker to Duff McKagan's Loaded to help promote the band further and anEP,Wasted Heart, was released September 22, 2008 to coincide with their European Tour.[24]Sick was released on March 20, 2009 in Europe and April 7, 2009 in the United States where it placed at number 43 on theBillboardHeatseekers Chart selling 1,400 copies.[25] Loaded toured in support ofSick playing dates in the United States and appearing at several European festivals such asDownload in the United Kingdom,Rock AM/IM in Germany and they also supportedMötley Crüe on their European tour. The band continued to tour and were announced as the main support forBlack Stone Cherry, along withNew Jersey groupThe Parlor Mob, during their tour of Europe and the United Kingdom.[26][27]
On July 4, 2010, the band announced they were to begin pre-production and enter the studio in August to record the follow-up toSick stating:
'We have been writing for the last few months and next week we start pre-production on the new Loaded record! We couldn't be happier and we think you fuckers will be, too!As it is looking, we will be recording it in August and thus begins Loaded Mach III!'[28][29][30][31]
In August, it was announced that the group were to record their new album with producerTerry Date, whose production credits include albums bySoundgarden,Pantera andDeftones among others.[32][33][34]
On September 2, it was announced that the album was completed and that the group were looking for a label. McKagan also stated that it was Date that approached the group about producing their new album.[35][36]
After Alien Crime Syndicate regrouped, Squires successfully auditioned for the position of second guitarist.[13][37] They recorded the albumXL from Coast to Coast[37] in 2002 released throughNabil Ayers' labelThe Control Group (which was then picked up and released byV2). The album featured a Japanese bonus track cover offElton John's "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" recorded withDuff McKagan andKim Warnick, and toured in support of the album. Squires left the band sometime before the recording ofTen Songs in the Key of Betrayal.
Squires filled the position of second guitar for the 2022 European tour of the Spring and early Summer legs. There are plans for him to continue in that role in the Fall for more UK dates.
With a short reprieve from the Ugly Kid Joe Tour, Squires was tapped to fill bassist Jack Bates' shoes inPeter Hook & the Light when he left to perform on tour with theSmashing Pumpkins. Of note, Squires had but a 2 week period to learn 43 songs on bass before joining Peter Hook on a UK and North American tour.
The Couch Riffs Podcast is hosted by musician Mike Squires and features a variety of musical guests of all backgrounds and styles. Squires and the guests converse on his living room couch (sometimes on location) then perform a "first take only" version of a song of their choice. Guests have includedDuff Mckagan,Ryan Roxie,Vivian Campbell,[38]Alex Skolnick,[39] Joe Reineke,Buckcherry,Walking Papers, Eric Howk,Nabil Ayers and Jared James Nichols. The podcast is found on all podcasting providers and live performances on YouTube and social media channels.
On August 21, 2020 Couch Riffs released a video of Rod Stewart's "Young Turks" featuring Alice In Chains’ William DuVall (vocals), The Killers’ Ronnie Vannucci (drums), Afghan Whigs’ Jon Skibic (guitar), The Shins’ Mark Watrous (keys), Dragged Under’s Ryan “Fluff” Bruce (guitar) and Mike Squires on bass. Metal Insider named it one of the top 5 videos of quarantine.[40]
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Squires was briefly a member of the group The Burning Rivers, with Ben London,[13] but left after his move toPortland, Oregon, he became part of Lael Alderman's band.[13][41] Squires also did some guitar tech work forThe presidents of the United States of America andMindless Self-Indulgence[13] while he also worked atCD Baby and for an independent Portland based music label,Badman Recording Co.[13]
On March 26, 2010, Squires performed withGreen Apple Quick Step, whose lineup consisted of members Tyler Willman, Dana Turner, Leif Andersen along with singer Christa Wells and Squires's former Loaded bandmateGeoff Reading,[42] at theHell's Kitchen inTacoma, Washington.[43]
During the years of 2011-2014 Mike taught private guitar at The Guitar Store in Seattle.
| Title | Release | Label | Band |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Stunstanstunstun Session | 1994 | Eat the Feeling | |
| Carrots & So On | 1998 | Pop Llama | Nevada Bachelors |
| Hello Jupiter | 2000 | ||
| The Worst You Can Do Is Harm | 2002 | Barsuk | The Long Winters |
| XL from Coast to Coast | The Control Group/V2 | Alien Crime Syndicate | |
| Dark Days | Pimp | Loaded | |
| Wasted Heart | 2008 | Century Media | |
| Sick | 2009 | ||
| The Taking | 2011 | Eagle Rock Entertainment |
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