Miggs--Biography

Miggs isn’t the new kid on the block. They’ve been “one of the best bands you’ve never heard of” (music-reviewer.com) for a while now, with more almost-famous stories than thought possible and they’re not showing any signs of letting go or letting up in 2010.

For Don Miggs, after four albums and a revolving door for musicians, it was time to take stock; “We released ‘Unraveled’ (2008, Rock Ridge Music), the drummer left, and Michael (Lombardo, bass guitar) and I went on the road trying to find our identity. It got tiring constantly introducing new members to each other and I’m sure our fans started to lose interest in a group that wasn’t even able to stay a group.”

Calling on Kyle Cook (Matchbox Twenty) to play matchmaker, the guys were introduced to drumming sensation Ryan Scarbrough. Fed up with the Nashville “gun for hire” scene and wanting to be part of something more permanent, Ryan jumped right in. Musically aligned, the band toured relentlessly through 2008-2009, finding an undeniable groove with each other and the new material. Audiences and critics agreed. They couldn’t wait to see how this group would sound in the studio.

In December 2009, they found out when multi-platinum producer/engineer Ken Lewis (Fall Out Boy, Kanye West) signed on to translate this on-stage chemistry into a gripping studio album. The result is the upcoming “Wide Awake” (Rock Ridge, Spring 2010), easily Miggs’ most accomplished, fresh-sounding and accessible collection of songs to date.

“I wanted to make an album that felt both immediate and nostalgic. Worn in and new at the same time.” Continuing, "This is the first time I ever recorded an album with same guys I'd been playing with for the last two years and it shows. We didn’t have to try to make it all fit. It just did.” 

At its core, “Wide Awake” is about clarity, focus; seeing things the way they are – not as we want them to be – and accepting, even embracing that state.  It’s a good thing even when it’s a bad thing sometimes.

“Each song on ‘Wide Awake’ has a counterpart, an accomplice – another track that connects with it emotionally, echoes it lyrically or recalls it musically,” says Don.  “There is a cohesiveness to the songs, and I want you to feel like you’ve been on a journey when track 12 finishes. This collection says more in 45 minutes than anything I’ve done previously.”

Key tunes include the title track, “Wide Awake” and “Crawl Inside,” which are about his wife Lisa. “‘Wide Awake’ is about being fed up with sleepwalking through your life. Finding that person who makes you feel like one second wasted is too much and  ‘Crawl Inside’ is a simple love letter.”

Miggs saw its fair share of the spotlight over the course of the years with the singles “Perfect” and “I Believe” reaching No. 66 and No. 82, respectively, on Billboard’s Hot AC chart and "I Believe" even pushing No. 7 on the Hot AC Media Base chart.  In 2009, the band landed a performance on “Good Morning America,” media accolades came their way and opening slots for everyone, including Duran Duran to Maroon 5, Train, Matt Nathanson, and Sister Hazel seasoned their stage show.  Music supervisors have included Miggs’ unique brand of pop-rock in television, games and movies like Fox’s “The O.C.,” Buena Vista video game “Spectrobes,” MTV’s “Bromance with Brody Jenner,” A&E’s “Gene Simmons Family Jewels,” Disney’s “Fallen,” and Don even wrote the song for the Florida tourism campaign, “Share A Little Sunshine.”

“Growing our audience organically has always been the goal,” says Don.  “If too many people jump on at once, the boat will sink.  Remaining afloat was always key.”  “Wide Awake” shows not only how far they’ve come, but also promises to keep the band sailing smoothly into the future.