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Mike Mills

Michael Edward Mills (born December 17, 1958) is an American multi-instrumentalist, singer, and composer who was a founding member of the alternative rock band R.E.M.[2] Though known primarily as the bass guitarist and backing vocalist of R.E.M., his musical repertoire also includes keyboards, guitar and occasional lead vocals. He contributed to a majority of the band's musical compositions and is the only member to have had formal musical training.

For other uses, see Mike Mills (disambiguation).

Mike Mills

Michael Edward Mills

(1958-12-17) December 17, 1958
Orange County, California, U.S.

Alternative rock, folk rock,[1] college rock, jangle pop

Musician, composer, music producer

Bass guitar, keyboards, vocals

1978–present

Early life[edit]

Michael Edward Mills was born to Frank and Adora Mills in Orange County, California, where his father was stationed in the Marines. The family moved to Macon, Georgia, when Mills was around six months old.[3] Mills met future R.E.M. bandmate Bill Berry while they attended high school[4] in Macon.[5] The duo started out in bands together. Early projects included the band Shadowfax, later called The Back Door Band.[5]


Mills attended the University of Georgia in Athens, where R.E.M. was formed.[6]

Musical style[edit]

Mills' melodic approach to bass playing is inspired by Paul McCartney of the Beatles and Chris Squire of Yes; Mills has said, "I always played a melodic bass, like a piano bass in some ways ... I never wanted to play the traditional locked into the kick drum, root note bass work."[24] Mills has more musical training than his bandmates, which he has said "made it easier to turn abstract musical ideas into reality."[25]


During R.E.M.'s career, Mills often harmonized with Michael Stipe in songs; in the chorus for "Stand", Mills and Stipe alternate singing lyrics, creating a dialogue.[26] "My voice is the culmination of a lifetime of enjoying harmony," Mills explained in 2023. "When I was a kid singing in the church choir, I was always finding harmony. I usually got the tenor part. I grew up around music. There was always music in the house. So when R.E.M. started playing, I sang. Our approach was that my voice and Michael's voice were extra instruments. It wasn't about a lead vocal and a backing vocal and a harmony vocal. It was just more melody and more instrumentation to add to the mix."[27]

1984 –  – "Gonna Have a Good Time Tonight"/"Narrator".

Hindu Love Gods

1985 – Full Time Men– Full Time Men, organ on "One More Time"

1987 –  – Sentimental Hygiene on "Sentimental Hygiene", "Boom Boom Mancini", "The Factory", "Trouble Waiting to Happen", "Detox Mansion", "Bad Karma", "Even a Dog Can Shake Hands", and "The Heartache"

Warren Zevon

1987 – Waxing Poetics– Hermitage, production

1988 – Billy James – Sixes and Sevens, production

1988 –  – "What's It Gonna Be"/"Roadrunner" (live)

The Cynics

1989 –  – Indigo Girls, bass guitar on "Tried to Be True"

Indigo Girls

1989 – Vibrating Egg – Come On in Here If You Want To, writing and performance

1990 –  – MacDougal Blues

Kevn Kinney

1990 – Hindu Love Gods –

Hindu Love Gods

1990 – Hindu Love Gods – ""

Raspberry Beret

1991 –  – The Jewel Thief

Nikki Sudden

1991 – Nikki Sudden – ""

I Belong to You

1991 –  – Athens, Andover

The Troggs

1991 –  – Storyville, singing on "Shake This Town"

Robbie Robertson

1992 – theme music

Jane Pratt Show

1993 –  – "One"

Automatic Baby

1993 –  – Siamese Dream, piano on "Soma"

The Smashing Pumpkins

1993 –  – Building Our House, production

Three Walls Down

1993 – Three Walls Down – "Steps"/"Wooden Nails"/"Faith in These Times" (live)

1994 – soundtrack

Backbeat

1994 –  – Loose, vocals on "You R Loved"

Victoria Williams

2000 –  – The Lucky One

Christy McWilson

2006 – Various artists – , bass guitar on "The Ballad of El Goodo", with Matthew Sweet

Big Star Small World

2006 – Mike Mills and Sally Ellyson – "Jesus Christ", a song covered for a charity single for the Red Apple Foundation

Big Star

2007 –  – Iris Nova, piano on "Eternity"

Mudville

2008 –  – All of Us in Our Night, production on "Motorcade"

Modern Skirts

2008 –  – Volume 1: Frozen Ropes and Dying Quails

The Baseball Project

2009 – soundtrack – "Gift of the Fathers"

Favorite Son

2009 –  – Ghost in My Head, backing vocals on "Erin"

Jill Hennessy

2009 –  – Homerun EP

The Baseball Project

2010 – Various artists – The Voice Project, cover of 's "Sing Their Souls Back Home"

Billy Bragg

2011 –  – Volume 2: High and Inside

The Baseball Project

2011 –  – The Broadside Ballads

The Baseball Project

2012 –  – Nature Jams – vocals on one track[28]

Jason Ringenberg

2012 – & The Downtown 13 – "After It's Gone"/"Unspoken Pretties" – performance on A-side, single released for Record Store Day[29][11]

Patterson Hood

2014 –  – 3rd

The Baseball Project

2016 – Mike Mills – Concerto for Violin, Rock Band, and String Orchestra

[30]

2022 – - Wild Loneliness, vocal on "On the Floor"[31]

Superchunk

Personal life[edit]

Mills is an avid fantasy sports player, with interest in NFL, NBA, and PGA teams, among others.[32] He is also a fan of his alma mater's football team, the Georgia Bulldogs.


He is married to Jasmine Pahl.[33] He is an atheist.[34]


Mills has one sibling, younger brother Mitch, who is also a musician.[35]

on Twitter

@m_millsey

at IMDb

Mike Mills