About Mike
"If you can live without the necessities, you can afford the luxuries!"
This is the motto songwriter/artist Mike Schikora has been living by for years now. Since then he has ridden his horse twice over the Continental Divide in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, started a Half Arabian Sporthorse breeding business, founded and owns his own indie record label Front Range Records, continues to write new songs for his own Publishing Company Tuck And Go Music and is cofounder in a successful custom furniture business with his best friend Mike Wurman (a successful painter/artist now living in Asheville, NC.) known as Mike & Mike - Rustic & Reclaimed.
First in his family to graduate from college. Mike earned his bachelors degree in TV Production at Eastern Washington University. The Studio Recording degree program he was after unfortunately got canceled during his junior year so this was the next best thing he could afford to do putting himself through college. So he picked up a minor in Opera Vocal Performance. The day after graduation he took a greyhound bus to Nashville Tennessee where he landed an internship at RCA Records the summer of 1987.
Living on Music Row surrounded by the world of songwriting he began writing his own songs and it wasn’t long before Mike landed his own publishing deal with Marledge Music in the spring of 1988.
As a staff Songwriter, he honed his songwriting skills along with some of the best songwriters of the day. Marledge Music was housed in the old Porter Wagoner/Dolly Parton building called Fireside Studios. He spent many hours recording publishing demos in the studio. Mike’s high lonesome tenor voice and natural ability to sing harmony led to being in demand as a background vocalist on multiple recording sessions. Soon Mike began showcasing his own music all over Music Row along side many new upcoming writers and artists. Tia Sillers, George Ducas and one notably sharing the stage with a young Garth Brooks at the legendary Bluebird Cafe!
Mike was ready to keep at it until a well known industry friend who he respected highly advised Mike he felt his songs were getting 'to Nashville' and some time spent off Music Row may do him some good. A hard decision, yet one Mike respected and honored.
A move to the Rocky mountains of Colorado proved to be exactly what Mike needed. Getting back to the mountains was reminiscent of Mike's youth growing up in the northwest logging town of Libby, Montana. Here Mike found inspiration to begin writing again!
Mike produced and self penned songs for his critically acclaimed debut CD released in 2008 titled WHAT'S OLD IS NEW AGAIN. Ventured outside of country in 2009 to co-produce and write songs for a rocking blues CD titled ADVERSE ROAD CONDITIONS with friend and Colorado blues artist Becky Martinek. Then early 2010 Mike released his follow up sophmore CD to great reviews titled THIS COWBOY’S IN LOVE.
Strongly encouraged to market his music in the Texas Music scene, his publicist in Nashville and promoters arranged for him to do radio tours in Texas and Oklahoma. Seizing the opportunity, following a National Horse Transportation trailer in a U-Haul, Mike made the move to Texas in November 2009.
He hit the ground running, performing all over the metroplex meeting multiple successful Texas artists who remain friends to this day. He was selected to perform in the Shiner Rising Star competition, made the finals in the Rusty Wier competition, he continued to write and perform splitting his time between Texas and Nashville.
In 2011 he met his future producers, Michael Bonagura and Kathie Baillie of the RCA vocal group Baillie & The Boys at his Nashville artist showcase. Ironically, Baillie & The Boys were on the artist roster at RCA records when Mike interned there in ‘87. This union resulted in his third studio album HORSES & GUITARS in 2012. The first single HORSES & GUITARS garnered a lot of radio attention followed by a second single YOU TAKE MY BREATH AWAY. A duet performed with Alyssa Bonagura, that charted at #2 on an Indie World Music Chart in 2013! He then teamed up with friend, Frank Schweighart, an award-winning cowboy poet on writing six songs for his Cowboy Poet Album PAUL BOND THE COW DOG in 2014.
His fourth studio album titled OUTLAW FROM THE SOUTH was recently on July 1 2024 to rave reviews! His first single LAST ROSE OF SUMMER and video hit the Internet soon after!
Mike Schikora has been featured in American Cowboy magazine, Dressage Today, The Horse Connection Magazine and his albums reviewed by the Nashville music industry “Bible” Music Row Magazine. .
Mike has opened for Guy Clark, Baillie & The Boys, Chely Wright, Alyssa Bonagura, Troy Cartwright, Austin Cunningham and Mark David Manders. He has performed at SXSW three years in a row. Headlined the Kootenai River Rodeo in his hometown in 2012. He’s played numerous rodeos and Music Halls with his full band and as a solo artist throughout the country.
Mike Schikora currently resides in Farmersville Texas, living in a barndominium with his three horses and four feral barncats where he spends his day building custom furniture and creating new music.
As a Horseman and multi talented artist, Mike Schikora is living the dream!
About Mike
"If you can live without the necessities, you can afford the luxuries!"
This is the motto songwriter/artist Mike Schikora has been living by for years now. Since then he has ridden his horse twice over the Continental Divide in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, started a Half Arabian Sporthorse breeding business, founded and owns his own indie record label Front Range Records, continues to write new songs for his own Publishing Company Tuck And Go Music and is cofounder in a successful custom furniture business with his best friend Mike Wurman (a successful painter/artist now living in Asheville, NC.) known as Mike & Mike - Rustic & Reclaimed.
First in his family to graduate from college. Mike earned his bachelors degree in TV Production at Eastern Washington University. The Studio Recording degree program he was after unfortunately got canceled during his junior year so this was the next best thing he could afford to do putting himself through college. So he picked up a minor in Opera Vocal Performance. The day after graduation he took a greyhound bus to Nashville Tennessee where he landed an internship at RCA Records the summer of 1987.
Living on Music Row surrounded by the world of songwriting he began writing his own songs and it wasn’t long before Mike landed his own publishing deal with Marledge Music in the spring of 1988.
As a staff Songwriter, he honed his songwriting skills along with some of the best songwriters of the day. Marledge Music was housed in the old Porter Wagoner/Dolly Parton building called Fireside Studios. He spent many hours recording publishing demos in the studio. Mike’s high lonesome tenor voice and natural ability to sing harmony led to being in demand as a background vocalist on multiple recording sessions. Soon Mike began showcasing his own music all over Music Row along side many new upcoming writers and artists. Tia Sillers, George Ducas and one notably sharing the stage with a young Garth Brooks at the legendary Bluebird Cafe!
Mike was ready to keep at it until a well known industry friend who he respected highly advised Mike he felt his songs were getting 'to Nashville' and some time spent off Music Row may do him some good. A hard decision, yet one Mike respected and honored.
A move to the Rocky mountains of Colorado proved to be exactly what Mike needed. Getting back to the mountains was reminiscent of Mike's youth growing up in the northwest logging town of Libby, Montana. Here Mike found inspiration to begin writing again!
Mike produced and self penned songs for his critically acclaimed debut CD released in 2008 titled WHAT'S OLD IS NEW AGAIN. Ventured outside of country in 2009 to co-produce and write songs for a rocking blues CD titled ADVERSE ROAD CONDITIONS with friend and Colorado blues artist Becky Martinek. Then early 2010 Mike released his follow up sophmore CD to great reviews titled THIS COWBOY’S IN LOVE.
Strongly encouraged to market his music in the Texas Music scene, his publicist in Nashville and promoters arranged for him to do radio tours in Texas and Oklahoma. Seizing the opportunity, following a National Horse Transportation trailer in a U-Haul, Mike made the move to Texas in November 2009.
He hit the ground running, performing all over the metroplex meeting multiple successful Texas artists who remain friends to this day. He was selected to perform in the Shiner Rising Star competition, made the finals in the Rusty Wier competition, he continued to write and perform splitting his time between Texas and Nashville.
In 2011 he met his future producers, Michael Bonagura and Kathie Baillie of the RCA vocal group Baillie & The Boys at his Nashville artist showcase. Ironically, Baillie & The Boys were on the artist roster at RCA records when Mike interned there in ‘87. This union resulted in his third studio album HORSES & GUITARS in 2012. The first single HORSES & GUITARS garnered a lot of radio attention followed by a second single YOU TAKE MY BREATH AWAY. A duet performed with Alyssa Bonagura, that charted at #2 on an Indie World Music Chart in 2013! He then teamed up with friend, Frank Schweighart, an award-winning cowboy poet on writing six songs for his Cowboy Poet Album PAUL BOND THE COW DOG in 2014.
His fourth studio album titled OUTLAW FROM THE SOUTH was recently on July 1 2024 to rave reviews! His first single LAST ROSE OF SUMMER and video hit the Internet soon after!
Mike Schikora has been featured in American Cowboy magazine, Dressage Today, The Horse Connection Magazine and his albums reviewed by the Nashville music industry “Bible” Music Row Magazine. .
Mike has opened for Guy Clark, Baillie & The Boys, Chely Wright, Alyssa Bonagura, Troy Cartwright, Austin Cunningham and Mark David Manders. He has performed at SXSW three years in a row. Headlined the Kootenai River Rodeo in his hometown in 2012. He’s played numerous rodeos and Music Halls with his full band and as a solo artist throughout the country.
Mike Schikora currently resides in Farmersville Texas, living in a barndominium with his three horses and four feral barncats where he spends his day building custom furniture and creating new music.
As a Horseman and multi talented artist, Mike Schikora is living the dream!