Mike Mangione is a pretty interesting guy. The namesake and bandleader of Mike Mangione & The Union and Marquette alumnus moved to Los Angeles with his sights set on making it in the music business until he piled his life into a van and spent years touring all corners of the country (and beyond). Eventually, the folk musician wound up back in Milwaukee, where he’s started a family. Though his life has settled down a bit, Mangione still hits the road with some regularity, and along the way, the musician/father/philosopher found time to add “podcast host” to his repertoire.
Mangione and host Tyler Maas met—like, literally met for the first time—at Milwaukee Record headquarters and engaged in a winding discussion about the music industry, perseverance, faith, and (for some reason) Rockford, Illinois. After an inspiring hour of conversation, the singer-songwriter talked about his “Time & The Mystery” podcast, which boasts professional musicians, Major League Baseball players, prominent religious leaders, and (soon) Jim Gaffigan on its rundown of guests.
This episode is brought to you by our friends at Vander Mill, a Michigan-based cider company that recently hit Wisconsin soil. Music in this episode comes courtesy of Piles (“Blue Glue”) and Mike Mangione & The Union (“American Martyr”). Subscribe to On The Record via iTunes or Stitcher (for free!).