Suburban cowboy: Local singer cuts country album

BY JOHN SUTTON
Correspondent

MIDDLETOWN - When Mike Kuhl opens his mouth, whether to sing or just speak casually, a voice with a southern drawl comes out characteristic of the country singer he is.

However, there's something about Kuhl which sets him apart from others in his profession - he's from Middletown.

On June 6, there will be an official CD release party at the Stone Pony in Asbury Park celebrating the release of his first album titled "Songs About a Small Town."

Growing up in Leonardo, Kuhl originally grew a love for country music because of his parents. With the music of Kenny Rogers and Hank Williams Jr. playing throughout his childhood, Kuhl's interest sparked in becoming a country artist.

In 2002, Kuhl moved to Nashville, Tenn., to pursue his music career in a place where he thought he could improve his songwriting skills among the best country writers in the country.

"I wanted to be among the best so I could be the best," Kuhl said.

During his time in Nashville, Kuhl said he played almost every night in the clubs, as he simultaneously attended college.

In 2006, Kuhl decided to move back to New Jersey, wiser from the lessons he learned in Nashville.

"I learned that the music industry is 100 percent political," Kuhl said. "There are so many talented guys down there who don't get the breaks because they don't have the connections. You've gotta kiss some a** to get in."

The music in his album reflects the journey which Kuhl has taken up to this point in his life. Some songs speak to the experiences he had in Nashville, while others stay to his Jersey roots.

Songs such as "Highway 35" and "Songs About a Small Town" talk about his experiences with girls and life during his high school days, Kuhl said.

"I wanted to keep it straight up Jersey," Kuhl said. "I want to prove that you don't have to be from Nashville to make good country music."

Kuhl also made a distinction with which instruments he used for songs about Nashville and Jersey. Many of the songs about Nashville rely heavily on steel guitar, while his others used fiddle, Kuhl said. The fiddle provides more of a "driving country sound" which Kuhl thought would represent his hometown.

"I didn't want to be fake and say I was from a farm," Kuhl said. "I want people to know I'm from Jersey."

Kuhl has recently performed at the Stone Pony, where he can play his new material and improvise with his older music, adding humor to some of his songs. He believes that this spontaneity is what people from this area like to see.

"People around here really like people who don't take themselves too seriously," Kuhl said.

Kuhl does not expect to become the next country music mogul, but sees a bright future for himself. He recently opened his own record label with his cousin, Andrew Roth, called Overdose Music, and hopes that this will lead to more opportunities to make music.

"We're gonna take it album by album," Kuhl said. "Right now I'm really proud of this and I feel like I am getting better as a writer."