Michael Buining – Musician
Following on from twenty years working in financial markets in Australia, Asia, the US, Latin America and Europe, Michael returned home to Australia in 2011 and returned to his true passion– Music.
Since then, he’s launched several bands including Swamp Dawkins and The Roadhouse Regulars. He’s also recorded five albums and taken on several song writing commissions.
Michael created Swamp Dawkins in response to private parties, weddings and corporate clients wanting to have an Australian bushdance or country dance, or an American style Wild West Hoedown and although they were wanting a few called dances, they wanted a night of other music and entertainment aswell to keep people on the dance floor.
Since launching Swamp Dawkins in 2014, we’ve done hundreds of events for weddings, corporates, private parties, community groups, pubs & clubs and they have without exception– all been fantastic events.
Aside from Swamp Dawkins, Michael continues to pursue his other musical interests.
The Roadhouse Regulars project has a collection of songs that achieves the coherence and consistency– in both style and theme– that Michael has been working towards since his first album. Musically- the songs are firmly in the “Australian Rock and Roots” basket with a feel that’s influenced by his many trips in rural and outback Australia. The songs are direct, strong, emotive and thematically cover many of the darker and menacing themes of life– rebellion, risk, wild abandon, addiction and the downward spiral to redemption and restoration once all is past.
The resulting style he defines as “Alternate | Acoustic | Heavy | Roots”.
The instrumentation is all acoustic: Dual acoustic guitars, Drums, and Harmonica are the defining sounds of the album giving the songs a rawness and human voice. Some piano and pedal steel come in to play on just a couple of tracks whilst the absence of bass adds to raw feel of the songs– allowing the drums to be heard undressed and the deeper tones of the acoustic guitars to stand out.
The songs are strong in rhythm following Michael’s belief that all music must start with a rhythm as the basis for evoking the listener. There are no wailing electric guitar solos– just harmonica and some pedal steel instead– to give the songs an authentic voicing reflecting the lyrical strength of the songs. The album takes the listener from the verandah of the house to the menacing dark hours of the night and then to the reflective fields of youth. The album is available on iTunes. For more information on visit The Roadhouse Regulars website , Facebook page, YouTube Channel or Soundcloud playlist and the previous album Third is also available on iTunes!
Please also head to Michael’s Facebook page for photos and a few video clips.