Music

Songs about life, loss, resilience, and a way forward.

Michael Skinner is a singer-songwriter, guitarist, and percussionist whose work blends acoustic pop/rock with storytelling shaped by lived experience. His songs hold space for love and loss, accountability and change—music that meets people where they are and leaves them with something to carry home.

An older man with gray hair and a gray beard playing an acoustic guitar in a room with wood-paneled walls, a framed picture of a band on the wall behind him, and beige curtains on the window.
Four people with long hair and beards standing in front of train cars labeled 'Liverpool'

A Lifetime in Music

Michael’s music career began early and has spanned decades. As a drummer, he toured Great Britain in the late 1970s with the hard rock band American Train, performing in many of the same venues associated with major legacy acts. As a singer-songwriter/guitarist, he has performed widely across the U.S., from Boston to Los Angeles to Hawai‘i.

Book Michael for Live Music

Michael brings a professional, audience-first approach to live performance—whether it’s a listening-room set, a fundraiser, or a laid-back restaurant gig. Alongside original music, his repertoire includes a wide range of crowd-friendly covers (classic rock, oldies, and select contemporary songs).

  • House concerts & listening rooms

  • Fundraisers & community events

  • Pubs, restaurants, and coffeehouses

  • Colleges and special events

  • Background sets (easy listening)

  • Percussion/drumming options available

Contact / Book Michael
A man singing and playing guitar under a white canopy at an outdoor event on a sunny day, with trees and a large building in the background.

Featured Albums

These albums trace a journey: from grit and hard truths to acceptance, renewal, and light through the clouds.

Train tracks extending into the distance with a small station on the right and trees in the background.

Waitin’ For A Train

Waitin’ For A Train is Michael’s third full-length release of the last decade—music threaded with justice and humanity, with bright moments that break through the heavier weather. Tracks like “Songs For the Keys To Your Life,” “Joy,” and “Maureen” lean into the sunlight on the other side of struggle

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Featured Tracks

A black and white photo of a steam locomotive train on tracks, enclosed in a frame. The cover features the name 'Michael Skinner' at the top and the album title 'Train Of Tears' at the bottom.

Train of Tears

Train of Tears marks a rebirth—songs that are gritty and honest, drawn from a deep emotional well. The record confronts mental illness as something to face, not a definition of a person, and pushes back against stigma and isolation.

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Featured Tracks

Album cover with two guitars, one pink electric and one black acoustic, crossed over each other, with the text 'Michael Skinner Pirates' and musical notes along the side.

Pirates

Pirates is acoustic pop with a steady pulse—songs about love and loss, accountability, and learning how to live with what you’ve been through. It’s a record that moves from anger toward acceptance, charting a course toward something calmer and more honest.

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Featured Tracks

“It is Mike Skinner’s lyrics that are most impressive; they tell the story of his life, pain, heartbreak, recovery, renewal. Add to that his voice and guitar and you have a talent ready to explode!”

—Gayle Bluebird