Over twenty years of recording and touring, Michael Simic has built a successful career nationally and internationally under his moniker of Mikelangelo. He’s released 12 independent albums and played countless sold out shows at venues and festivals across Australia, NZ, UK, Europe, Canada and the US.

Now based in Majors Creek NSW, Simic lives in an old converted church with his wife Rose, their daughter Sunny and their dog Luna. Fatherhood has allowed him to take six months off touring, and the time to write a collection of new songs, bearing the influence of Simic’s love of folk, country and blues. He’ll be sharing these songs with a Sydney audience for first time at Gasoline Pony.

For his solo work, Simic is departing from his Mikelangelo moniker, and performing under his given name. He says:

I’ll keep working with Mikelangelo and the Black Sea Gentlemen for the term of my natural life, that’s a given, they are an incredible band. But it’s time for me to separate the Black Sea Gentlemen output from my solo work, because it’s so very different. I grew up on rock and pop as a kid, and I write songs in that vein almost every day. It feels a bit like coming out of the closet performing as Michael Simic, but becoming a dad in my late 40’s has changed everything for me, and it’s nice to mark that in some way. I can’t wait to share some of the new songs that I've been writing over the last six months.