Mike Turner (musician)
Encyclopedia
Mike A. Turner is a musician and producer. He is the former lead guitar
ist of the band Our Lady Peace
. After his departure from OLP he began producing music and played guitar in the Canadian
band Fair Ground
, with Harem Scarem
guitarist Pete Lesperance
. In 2008 he joined a sort of Canadian super group called Crash Karma
composed of Edwin
, former lead singer of I Mother Earth
; Jeff Burrows
, former drummer for the Tea Party
; and Amir Epstein, former bassist for Zygote. The band released a self-titled album on March 16, 2010.
, England
, Turner grew up heavily influenced by punk rock
. His first guitar was a gift from his mother on his seventeenth birthday. He played in a variety of bands during the 1980s.
Turner moved to Ontario, Canada at the age of eighteen. He studied English literature at the University of Western Ontario
.
Turner placed a "Musicians Wanted" ad in NOW
for his band As If. The ad was answered by Raine Maida
and Our Lady Peace
eventually formed.
Of the four members of Our Lady Peace, Turner was the most active with its fans. He joined and read the Clumsy Congress (the official Our Lady Peace message board) regularly and often talked about how intelligent its members were in interviews. He occasionally posted, but never liked to sway conversation or attract attention to himself.
Turner left Our Lady Peace in December 2001, citing musical and creative differences. Following his departure he stated that he and the band were growing in different directions.
Inspired by his work with producers Arnold Lanni
(Our Lady Peace, Simple Plan, Finger Eleven) and Bob Rock
(Our Lady Peace, The Tragically Hip, Metallica, The Cult), he became very interested in the production side of music. Mike decided to produce and write full-time.
He established himself as a source for live recordings, using a streamlined mobile live recording rig of his own design, and he also built a private recording studio in his home, taking on projects for labels like Capitol, EMI and Sony. Turner partnered with kindred music industry veterans Mari Dew, Caryn Hanlon, and Trevor Kustiak to launch The Pocket Entertainment and The Pocket Studios in Toronto.
Lead guitar
Lead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
ist of the band Our Lady Peace
Our Lady Peace
Our Lady Peace is a Canadian alternative rock band that formed in Toronto, Ontario in 1992. Headed by lead vocalist Raine Maida since its formation, the band additionally consists of Jeremy Taggart on percussion, Duncan Coutts on bass, and Steve Mazur as lead guitarist...
. After his departure from OLP he began producing music and played guitar in the Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
band Fair Ground
Fair Ground
Fair Ground is a Canadian Rock band.Fair Ground was formed by Canadian guitarists Pete Lesperance and Mike Turner, of the bands Harem Scarem and Our Lady Peace, respectively...
, with Harem Scarem
Harem Scarem
Harem Scarem were a Canadian melodic rock band from Toronto, ON. Harem Scarem achieved popularity in Japan and their native Canada in the early 1990s. Harem Scarem were active from 1987 to 2008...
guitarist Pete Lesperance
Pete Lesperance
Pete Lesperance is a Canadian guitarist, singer, songwriter, and producer best known as the former lead guitarist for the Canadian melodic rock band Harem Scarem. Lesperance was born October 13, 1968 in Scarborough, Ontario...
. In 2008 he joined a sort of Canadian super group called Crash Karma
Crash Karma
Crash Karma is a Canadian rock supergroup formed in 2008 consisting of Edwin , Mike Turner , Jeff Burrows , and Amir Epstein of Zygote. The band's first full live concert was held in Burlington, Ontario on June 20, 2009. Their first single "Awake" premiered on July 10, 2009...
composed of Edwin
Edwin (musician)
Edwin is a Canadian alternative rock singer and solo artist from Toronto, and former lead vocalist for I Mother Earth. He was on the band's first two albums, and was also on the majority of the songs on Victor, a 1996 side project from Alex Lifeson of Rush. He went solo in late 1997 and released...
, former lead singer of I Mother Earth
I Mother Earth
I Mother Earth, or IME, was a Canadian alternative rock band. The band was at the peak of its popularity in the mid-to-late 1990s; its members have moved on to other projects.-Early years:...
; Jeff Burrows
Jeff Burrows
Jeffrey John Burrows is the drummer and percussionist for Canadian rock band Crash Karma, and formerly for The Tea Party....
, former drummer for the Tea Party
The Tea Party
The Tea Party is a Canadian rock band with blues, progressive rock, Indian and Middle Eastern influences, dubbed "Moroccan roll" by the media. Active throughout the 1990s up until 2005 when the band broke up, The Tea Party released eight albums on EMI Music Canada, selling 1.6 million records...
; and Amir Epstein, former bassist for Zygote. The band released a self-titled album on March 16, 2010.
Biography
Born on June 5, 1963, in BradfordBradford
Bradford lies at the heart of the City of Bradford, a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, in Northern England. It is situated in the foothills of the Pennines, west of Leeds, and northwest of Wakefield. Bradford became a municipal borough in 1847, and received its charter as a city in 1897...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Turner grew up heavily influenced by punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
. His first guitar was a gift from his mother on his seventeenth birthday. He played in a variety of bands during the 1980s.
Turner moved to Ontario, Canada at the age of eighteen. He studied English literature at the University of Western Ontario
University of Western Ontario
The University of Western Ontario is a public research university located in London, Ontario, Canada. The university's main campus covers of land, with the Thames River cutting through the eastern portion of the main campus. Western administers its programs through 12 different faculties and...
.
Turner placed a "Musicians Wanted" ad in NOW
NOW (magazine)
Now is a free weekly newspaper in Toronto, Canada. It was first printed on September 10, 1981 by Michael Hollett and Alice Klein. Now is an alternative weekly mixing arts and entertainment news with political coverage....
for his band As If. The ad was answered by Raine Maida
Raine Maida
Raine Maida , is a Canadian musician best known as being the lead vocalist and primary songwriter of the alternative rock band Our Lady Peace. He has come to be known for his unique countertenor nasal falsetto singing voice, as well as his cryptic and poetry-influenced song lyrics...
and Our Lady Peace
Our Lady Peace
Our Lady Peace is a Canadian alternative rock band that formed in Toronto, Ontario in 1992. Headed by lead vocalist Raine Maida since its formation, the band additionally consists of Jeremy Taggart on percussion, Duncan Coutts on bass, and Steve Mazur as lead guitarist...
eventually formed.
Of the four members of Our Lady Peace, Turner was the most active with its fans. He joined and read the Clumsy Congress (the official Our Lady Peace message board) regularly and often talked about how intelligent its members were in interviews. He occasionally posted, but never liked to sway conversation or attract attention to himself.
Turner left Our Lady Peace in December 2001, citing musical and creative differences. Following his departure he stated that he and the band were growing in different directions.
Inspired by his work with producers Arnold Lanni
Arnold Lanni
Arnold David Lanni is a Canadian record producer, and former member of both Frozen Ghost and Sheriff. He wrote Sheriff's most successful song, "When I'm With You."-History:...
(Our Lady Peace, Simple Plan, Finger Eleven) and Bob Rock
Bob Rock
Robert Jens Rock, , is a Canadian musician, sound engineer, and record producer best known for producing bands such as Aerosmith, The Cult, Bon Jovi, Mötley Crüe, 311, Metallica, Our Lady Peace, The Offspring and most recently Bush.-Payola$ and Rock and Hyde:Rock began his music career in Langford,...
(Our Lady Peace, The Tragically Hip, Metallica, The Cult), he became very interested in the production side of music. Mike decided to produce and write full-time.
He established himself as a source for live recordings, using a streamlined mobile live recording rig of his own design, and he also built a private recording studio in his home, taking on projects for labels like Capitol, EMI and Sony. Turner partnered with kindred music industry veterans Mari Dew, Caryn Hanlon, and Trevor Kustiak to launch The Pocket Entertainment and The Pocket Studios in Toronto.
External links
- Fair Ground official website
- The Pocket Studios