As the old Nashville adage goes... Michael Krejci (“Kret-see”) drove 850 miles to Music City in an old pickup truck, with a college degree and a dream. He arrived with the utmost sense of excitement and eagerness, and now nearly twenty years later his passion to create music is as strong as ever. With three full-length albums to his credit, a well-honed stage show, and an abundance of original material, Krejci is proud to consider himself a seasoned singer-songwriter among Nashville’s music community. He’s opened for some of the biggest names in country and rock music, including The Band Perry and the Goo Goo Dolls, and has recorded with some of Nashville’s finest musicians.
Born just outside of Chicago and having grown up in Zionsville, Indiana, Krejci’s small town upbringing is evident in his lyrics. He writes introspective songs with poignant content and memorable melodies, often referencing the very essence of country music: love, loss, and everything in between. Influenced by the likes of early Alan Jackson, George Strait, and Garth Brooks, to Hank Jr. and Merle Haggard, combined with songwriter legends John Fogerty, James Taylor and The Beatles, Krejci’s music reflects it all.
In July of 2013, Krejci released his highly-anticipated studio album, Broken In. The full-length release features ten captivating songs that run the gamut from downright country and Americana to that of a more mainstream, contemporary country sound. Reviews tout Broken In as offering some of Krejci’s most prolific songwriting; nine of the ten tracks are original songs and all have commercial radio appeal. In addition, Krejci takes on Steve Earle’s classic hit, “Guitar Town,” doing it justice with a little grit in his vocals and a hand-picked cast of all-star musicians, including guitar slinger, Eric Heatherly (Flowers on the Wall).
Broken In follows Krejci’s two previous releases: his debut solo effort, Out of the Blue (2007) and a critically acclaimed duo-project, entitled, Lovesick (2010), under the billing of “Michael and Becca.” The former is a blend of country, folk-rock and bluegrass styles and features special guest appearances by The Infamous Stringdusters’ Jeremy Garrett (fiddle) and Andy Hall (dobro & background vocals), renowned guitarist, Guthrie Trapp, and Texas Artist, Zane Williams (background vocals), among others. Ten of the eleven tracks on Out of the Blue are penned by Krejci while the lone cover is a unique bluegrass arrangement of Travis Tritt and Jill Colucci’s country hit, “Anymore.”
The sophomore release, Lovesick, relishes in two and three-part harmonies and offers a distinct Americana-Roots sound. Andy Leftwich (Four-time Grammy winning instrumentalist, Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder, Three Ring Circle) lends his virtuous talents to the album, playing both fiddle and mandolin on several of the tracks. Lovesick contains seven Krejci originals and three carefully selected tunes written by other artists. These include a countrified version of alt-country rocker, Tim Carroll’s “If I Could,” an authentic interpretation of Eddie Rabbitt’s hit classic, “Drivin’ My Life Away,” and the fan-favorite, “Wagon Wheel,” popularized by the Old Crow Medicine Show and Darius Rucker.
With a knack for songwriting, a love for harmony, and a genuine appreciation for storytelling, Michael Krejci continues to carve out his own path in today’s musical landscape. City by city, he’s winning over new fans wherever he goes, one show at a time. Krejci is all about the music, all about the song. Whether he’s performing solo-acoustic, as a duo, or backed by a full band, be sure to stop and take a listen. You’ll be glad you did.