Mike Viola

Born in Stoughton, Massachusetts, Mike Viola has been developing a songwriting style since the mid-1980s that sits between melodic pop rock, power pop and American rock, marked by a strong taste for vocal harmonies, crisp choruses and arrangements centered on guitar and piano. After an initial solo period — including the album Kenmore Square (1990) — Viola moved to New York in 1994 and soon launched the Candy Butchers, a band with which he released several records in the 1990s and 2000s, including Falling Into Place (1999) and Play With Your Head (2002). At the same time, he maintained a steady solo discography, from Temple of Static (2001) to Just Before Dark (2005), Lurch (2007), The American Egypt (2018), Godmuffin (2020), Paul McCarthy (2023) and Rock of Boston (2024). His trajectory also extends into film, with vocal contributions to That Thing You Do! (1996) and songwriting work for the soundtracks of Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007) and Get Him to the Greek (2010). An active producer and writer, Mike Viola has also collaborated with artists such as Ryan Adams, Jenny Lewis, Mandy Moore, Andrew Bird, Panic! at the Disco and One Ok Rock, while retaining a personal repertoire where pop craft, classic rock and subtle melancholy intersect.