Michael Kirkpatrick and South for Winter

Michael Kirkpatrick, Rocky Mountain-based vocalist and songwriter blends elements of acoustic fingerstyle and folk rock to cradle lush songscapes in a fuzzy paradoxical blanket of sunshine and fog. Obsessed by mandolin, guitar and groomed by bluegrass festival culture, Michael has carved a unique presence in the Colorado singer-songwriter, string band and rock scene. With a voice that ranges from a quiet rumble to powerful mountain-top exclamation, Michael's passionate vocals bring to life lyrics about dreams, sensuality, and reverence for nature. 

“Michael Kirkpatrick has the voice of an anthropomorphic brontosaurus that has popped out of a children's book to teach kids about the dangers of playing with matches” - The Scene Magazine

With over 30 years of experience on stage, Michael has toured extensively and won multiple awards for his songwriting, including the prestigious Telluride Troubadour award. His rich baritone voice, eclectic picking, and absurdly earnest storytelling have established Michael as an unconventionally entertaining live performer with a loyal audience. Michael currently tours as a soloist, as the front man for the Neo-psychedelic New-Wave Americana band Violet Pilot and the Grateful Dead tribute act Pickin’ On The Dead.

“Michael does things to a mandolin that shouldn’t be done to a mandolin” - Chris K, The Colorado Playlist

Michael’s latest record Away-O (released Jan 12, 2024) was recorded by Tyler Lindgren on a bright, snowy day in an empty house in the foothills of Colorado’s Front Range. The 12 songs for fingerstyle guitar and voice were captured with an organic, live approach, mimicking the vibe of Michael’s famous solo house concerts and “fun streams” that kept his audience entertained through the dark days of Ronassance.   

Throughout his career, Michael has shared the stage with some of the biggest names in music, including Zac Brown, Charlie Musselwhite, Sam Bush, Billy Valentine, Sonny Charles, Jim Belushi, Darol Anger, Greensky Bluegrass, Billy Strings, Brian Nova, Leftover Salmon, and many others. Michael has received numerous accolades for his music, including the "Best Colorado Folk/Singer-Songwriter Album of 2013" from the Colorado Sound Fan Poll for his album "Key to My Cage," and six consecutive "Best Singer-Songwriter" awards from the Fort Collins Musicians Association. In 2019, he was honored with the FoCoMA Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2022, he released the highly anticipated debut album by Violet Pilot, "Glad We Found You.”

With a blend of dreamy acoustic duets, foot-stomping folk and bluesy M**der ballads, New Zealand-formed and Nashville-based South for Winter’s sound is as eclectic as their origins. The band is composed of New Zealander Nick Stone, Coloradan Dani Cichon, and Michigander Alex Stradal, and together the three multi-instrumentalists and songwriters combine elements such as cello, guitar, mandolin, and three-part harmonies into a genre-bending sound described by American Songwriter as “impeccable”.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Swallow Hill Music - Tuft Theatre, 71 East Yale Ave, Denver, United States