John Michael Presney

John Michael’s music lies somewhere in the middle of urban edge and country soul; between concrete and fields, steel and trees – but so does he. Growing up in the heartland left its mark even after he adopted the city.
Influenced by artists from Dylan, Young, The Band, and Ryan Adams to The Replacements, My Morning Jacket, and U2, John Michael draws from a wide palette but is molded after no one shade.
John Michael started writing songs at a young age and ventured into performing full steam, but was never satisfied with just one outlet and began building an acting career as well as one in music. He attended multiple fine arts colleges where he honed his craft as a professional, but the structure left him feeling tied down. His unwillingness to succumb to types and genres helped him forge his own path through the world of conservatory arts training and emerge with a new agenda.
Upon his exit, and with the knowledge that he could only make music on his own terms, he began the long process of writing what would be his debut record. But things have a funny way of working and he was cast in the First National Tour of the Tony Award winning Broadway musical “Million Dollar Quartet” (about the eponymous event) portraying the father of rockabilly, Carl Perkins. With Million Dollar Quartet, John Michael had the opportunity to play his guitar and sing across the world for thousands of people. He spent nights drinking whisky and recording at the legendary Sun Studios in Memphis; soaking in its soul. He worked alongside and learned from the fathers and giants of Rock and Roll. He has been seen on national and international t.v. The show provided him the opportunity to play rock and roll on a scale that most can only dream of.
Having taken the opportunity to write in hotel rooms across the world, John Michael comes out on the other side with his debut release in hand. “The Nighttime and the Dawn” was recorded in Beverly Hills, CA with J.D. Andrews (The Rolling Stones, Kanye West) at Billy Bob Thornton’s legendary home studio, “The Cave.” The record is genre spanning and influenced by his nights on the road in strange cities and beds. Fueled by heartbreak and liquor, it features his explosive band and guest strings by Jessy Greene (Wilco, The Foo Fighters).
Whether with his full band or by himself, plugged in and loud or acoustic and intimate, his powerful songs speak to the romantic in all of us. And he knows how to have fun too.