Mike Dawes

Born in Guildford, Surrey, Mike Dawes developed in England an acoustic guitar language centered on fingerstyle, at the crossroads of instrumental rock, folk and pop, with arrangements in which melody, bass, percussion and accompaniment coexist on a single instrument. After beginning on electric guitar, Mike Dawes turned to steel‑string acoustic in 2008 and, from the late 2000s, performed in British venues and festivals solo or in smaller formats, sharing bills with musicians such as Tommy Emmanuel, Seth Lakeman and Newton Faulkner. A first EP, Reflections, appeared in 2009, before he signed to CandyRat Records and released What Just Happened? in 2013, which further established his work as an arranger, notably through covers and instrumental compositions. Mike Dawes followed with Era in 2017, the live Shows and Distancing: Live in the USA in 2020, then Accomplice Series, Vol. 3 in 2022 with Tommy Emmanuel, before releasing Galactic Acid in 2024. Alongside his solo career, Mike Dawes has collaborated with Petteri Sariola, Plini and members of Periphery, and also takes part in the synth‑pop group Nik Mystery.