The name Mike Starling is a familiar one to music fans in the Driftless Region. As a writer for the La Crosse Tribune, he covered the music and arts beat for many years, and produced and co-hosted the “From the Middle Border” show on Wisconsin Public Radio with Gene Purcell. He also played in a number of original music groups including Buzz Butler, Bean Hoy and the Joe Price blues band.
More recently his earthy and soulful instrumental music has been heard on numerous recordings and movie and TV soundtracks. Backwaters, a collection of guitar-based improvisations inspired by life along the Upper Mississippi and other waterways of the Driftless Region, is his first release on Momentous Records. New for 2023 is Don't Read Between the Lines, a collection of seven acoustic roots-funk songs showcasing the talents of trombonist Mark Lakmann, drummer Dave Purcell and Momentous Records artist Hans Mayer.