| Heralded as one of New Jersey’s most innovative bassists; Mike Hall has gone from excelling alongside numerous national headliners in rock and pop music, to pushing the boundaries of what's possible on solo bass guitar. While his technical aptitude and ambitious playstyle have helped make a name for himself throughout the east coast; his ability to emotionally connect with listeners by way of ascending harmonics, in tandem with an array of techniques and altered tunings, is what has quickly made him a rising star in the world of solo bass playing. As head editor Paul Howard wrote in Nashville’s Music Mecca: “Bass guitarists can steal the show with their intricate and masterful playing... Someone I would file under bass guitarist is The Garden State’s own Mike Hall. He has shared the stage with the likes of Blondie, The Plain White T’s, MGMT, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, Third Eye Blind, Blues Traveler, Sugar Ray, and numerous other major label artists. And after hearing him play, it’s no surprise he was associated with such acts”.
Mike first entered the music industry in 2010 while in college as the bassist, co-founder, and manager of the pop rock band “Running Late”. After graduating from Centenary University in 2013 as a double major in criminal justice and political science; he decided to pursue music full time, and toured throughout the tri-state area. Over that period; his project not only signed with the independent label Canadian-American Records, but also performed alongside artists such as Three Doors Down, Smash Mouth, Lifehouse, Switchfoot, Neon Trees, Hot Chelle Rae, Nicole Atkins, Collective Soul, Creedence Clearwater Revisited, Howie Day, Eve 6, Everclear, The Wallflowers, Gin Blossoms, and Vertical Horizon.
Towards the tail end of the band’s duration; Mike elected to part ways after earning an MBA in marketing from Fairleigh Dickinson University in 2019, and began to pursue a solo career under the name “Mike Hall Bass”. He would then go on to release his debut solo EP titled “The Next Step”, which received critical acclaim for its avant-garde solo bass arrangements of well known songs. Bass Magazine wrote: “From start to finish; The Next Step demonstrates Mike’s signature style of bass playing that incorporates elements of harmonics, mutes, slapping, and two-hand tapping… each song is a masterfully crafted balance of controlled aggression, and tasteful simplicity”. World-renowned bassist Jon Liebman of For Bass Players Only wrote: “he’s struck out on his own as a solo bass artist... It features compellingly original bass covers of classic songs by artists including Guns N’ Roses and Michael Jackson”. Music journalist Llewelyn Screen of A&R Factory also stated that the EP demonstrates “a world class style who has worked with and played alongside some of the best bands in the world. His class is for all to hear”.
Today; Mike Hall is an endorsed artist to Skjold Design Guitars, and joins a roster of talent that boasts some of the most accomplished bassists in the music industry, such as Damian Erskine, David Dyson, Alex Ryan, Bill Bodily, Tony Grey, and Pepe Hernandez.
“A Skjold bass somehow manages to combine tone, range, action, and versatility without compromise. It is truly an instrument of the highest class.”
- Mike Hall
