bands and collaborations

 

Listed below are all major bands with which Mike Haggith has performed and/or recorded, along with descriptions and abbreviated discography information. This list may not include every single group or collaborative effort, however most major non-solo work is acknowledged. Requests for additional information are welcome, as are invitations for future performing and/or recording collaborative works, and such requests may be directed to contact@mikehaggith.com.


2018-2020

T H O M P S O N ,   M B


Mike Haggith - Guitar, Bass, Vocals, Percussion

Jennifer Nyhof - Piano, Fiddle, Percussion, Vocals

Delsie Burke - Vocals, Percussion, Guitar

Justin Fuciarelli - Guitar, Bass, Vocals

Josh Cain - Bass, Guitar, Vocals

Kory Wickdahl (Not Pictured) - Percussion, Vocals

Andria Stephens (Not Pictured) - Vocals

Katherine Almeida (Not Pictured) - Piano, Vocals

 

     Between The Ditches was a Thompson-based rock/country group which primarily focused on performing covers of popular songs while participating in large community events. Frequently crossing multiple genre lines, and perhaps best-remembered for members frequently swapping instruments with each other throughout the course of a performance, BTD quickly became a staple of the local music scene. Introducing a handful of original songs into their set lists by mid-2018, the group intended to take their talents into the studio to record an EP, but due to a high volume of performing obligations and eventual turnover in the lineup, these plans were never realized. In the early months of the band, the typical live setlist found Haggith playing rhythm guitar for the first half, before switching with Cain and manning the bass, and finally switching with Nyhof and finishing the concert behind the drum kit. The group's dependably strong performances, inviting stage presence, and frequent instrument swapping all culminated in the band's instant recognition, even in the face of its eventual lineup turnover.

     The 2019 calendar year saw the departures of both Cain and Burke, as both moved out of Thompson, and the introduction of Wickdahl and Stephens. With these changes to the lineup, Wickdahl became the group's primary percussionist, and Haggith moved to a full-time bass guitar position. By the end of 2019, with the release of Haggith's solo record If Ever Comes The Day on the horizon, the group began performing a handful of songs from that record, most notably the advance single Communiqué. While the band continued to enjoy success in the early months of 2020 and began rehearsing a new setlist featuring Almeida on shared piano duty, the COVID-19 pandemic and its ensuing waves of lockdowns would ultimately lead the band into its current inactive status.

 


2015-2017

S A U L T   S T E   M A R I E ,   O N


Mike Haggith - Bass, Vocals, Guitar

Tammy Hill - Guitar

Brandan Glew - Percussion, Vocals

 

     A self-described Millennial band with a 90s sound, 80s fonts, 70s influence, and 60s imagery, The Din quickly rose to local fame with their high-energy concerts, unparalleled social media content, and upbeat original hits. The successor to the group Mike Haggith and The Din (see below), this group built on the rising trajectory of its former group, and raised themselves to new heights with the hiring of Tammy Hill in September 2015. Making their public live debut on 28 November 2015, The Din was an instant hit with concert-goers, thanks in part to their beloved single In Search Of The Perfect Moment, which Haggith had penned a mere 72 hours prior to showtime. Throughout the 2016 calendar year, The Din enjoyed a skyrocketing surge in popularity, thanks largely to a rigorous concert schedule, two highly-placed Battle of the Bands finishes, and a handful of far-reaching videos on social media. Riding the wave of popular original songs including Alleyways And Apartments, Potato, "75", and the aforementioned In Search Of The Perfect Moment, The Din recorded their debut record Give In To The Din at Pretoria Hill Productions under the supervision of Daniel Schmidt. The record was subsequently released on 12 August 2016 to a paid audience of 335 at the Tech Theatre in downtown Sault Ste Marie. The concert was filmed by Shaw Spotlight, and became the pilot episode of OnStage, a show dedicated to showcasing assorted musical acts throughout the Sault region. The live audio was also recorded and locked in the vault, but eventually saw its release on 26 December 2021.

     Following the success of their debut album, the band hastily returned to their full concert schedule, performing at numerous community events, fundraisers, and festivals. By the middle of 2017, at the band's height of popularity, the trio had performed on almost every stage in town, and once in Toronto- with plans to return. However, predominantly due to a busy concert schedule and a myriad of new original songs, the band instead turned back to Pretoria Hill to record early takes for what would eventually become their second and final studio album. On 5 September 2017, The Din announced to the public that 21 October 2017 would mark their farewell concert, and the release of their final album, Suburban Dream. The concert, named the Suburban Sendoff, saw the band's favorite lounge packed to capacity for an electrifying performance which spanned 19 songs, including a triple-encore followed by an unplanned additional curtain call. On 16 February 2018, a live album titled The Suburban Sendoff was released by the group, spanning the entirety of their performance. The fifty hand-made CD copies of the group's final album sold out before the end of the show, and the performance was filmed by Shaw Spotlight, as a nod to their role in the Give In To The Din release concert. In May 2019, the full concert video was uploaded to the band's YouTube channel.

 


2013-2014

S A U L T   S T E   M A R I E ,   O N


Mike Haggith - Percussion, Vocals

James Watterworth - Bass, Vocals, Saxophone

Chase Wigmore - Guitar, Vocals, Violin

 

    Strange Coyotes was inadvertently formed on the night of 30 October 2013, after Haggith and Wigmore joined fellow musician Watterworth on stage for a performance mainly comprised of Watterworth's original music, at the Oddfellows Hall in downtown Sault Ste Marie. An instant favorite with a very niche crowd within the Sault Ste Marie music scene, the group performed a handful of concerts- mainly appearing for obscure public shows, and private house parties. While the majority of the Coyotes' live sets featured Watterworth on bass and Wigmore on guitar, there were a handful of occasions when the two would take up secondary instruments instead. The two strongest examples of this were the popular Sax Jam, featuring Watterworth playing the bass and saxophone simultaneously, and the infamous performance of The Sapphoerotic Asphyxiations Of Shannon And Linda, which has attained cult notoriety amongst those in attendance for the entirely improvised performance, featuring Wigmore squealing away on a violin, playing with a mannequin head, and providing a dramatic reading of a Penthouse magazine story.

     The group's initial run was short-lived. While they went into the studio with ample material for their debut album, they instead decided at the last minute to improvise the entire record, which ended up becoming a seven-track, 27-minute mix of genres, with varying amounts of sarcasm throughout. On 13 November 2013, the band's self-titled debut album was released. None of the seven album tracks would ever be performed live, as the group entered hiatus during the spring and summer of 2014. While the band made a comeback on 30 October 2014 to commemorate the one-year anniversary of their initial show, a handful of sporadic concerts throughout the winter months eventually culminated in the group's effective disbanding in early 2015. A second album, Strange Coyotes II, was largely comprised of live audio from a Coyotes concert on 21 November 2014, and was released posthumously.

 


2013-2015

S A U L T   S T E   M A R I E ,   O N


Mike Haggith - Guitar, Vocals, Bass

Curtis McKenzie - Bass, Vocals, Guitar

Daniel Horton - Percussion

James Watterworth (Not Pictured) - Saxophone

Brandan Glew (Not Pictured) - Percussion

 

     While this group would lay the foundation for what would eventually become The Din after a series of lineup and genre shifts, Mike Haggith And The Din was an acid jazz improv group known for taking Haggith's existing solo material, and expanding the songs exponentially with extended jam sections. A frequent sight in underground shows and the occasional obscure multi-band concert, this group, originally consisting of Haggith, Horton, and McKenzie, was best known for its version of Haggith's 2011 single Limb Coast. While the original single spanned three minutes and fifty-five seconds, the improv group managed to record a 27-minute version of the track in a single take, eventually finding its way onto their debut album Perpetual Musings. While subsequent live performances of the track frequently only clocked in around nine minutes, this was the embodiment of what the group set out to do; stretch songs out to seemingly absurd lengths, and never rehearse a performance beforehand. The band recorded two full live-in-studio albums within weeks of each other, those being the aforementioned Perpetual Musings, and Chaotic Symphony. During the sessions for Chaotic Symphony, a friend of the band in Watterworth happened to be in the studio practicing his newly-acquired alto saxophone. Seeing an opportunity to add more "din" to the sessions, he was invited by the group to participate in the recording experience, and became the group's de facto saxophonist. He would later join the band for a handful of live performances to limited audiences throughout 2013 and 2014. 

     While 2014 was a relatively slow year for the group, things began to change in early 2015. Seeking a new direction, the group shifted toward the alternative and power pop sphere, with more cohesive renditions of Haggith's original material and a handful of 80s pop rock covers for good measure. In the process of shifting focus, the group also saw turnover in the lineup, with the official departures of Watterworth and Horton announced, and the addition of percussionist Brandan Glew. Although Haggith had so far been the band's guitarist and McKenzie the band's bassist, the two switched instrumental roles and Haggith would go on to man the bass for the group's eventual successor project. Though the band enjoyed limited local success throughout the first half of 2015, by September the decision was made to relieve McKenzie of his duties and hire Tammy Hill in his place. In doing so, this group would become The Din.

 


2012-2015

S A U L T   S T E   M A R I E ,   O N


Mike Haggith - Percussion, Vocals, Guitar

Daniel Horton - Guitar, Vocals, Keyboard

Curtis McKenzie - Guitar, Vocals

Caleb Cachagee (Not Pictured) - Bass, Guitar

Jordan Leach - Bass

 

    Eager to form or join a band in Sault Ste Marie, as the extent of his local performances had been strictly solo in nature, Haggith sought out a group of musicians and found himself auditioning for Horton and McKenzie in May 2012.  At the time, the two had years of songwriting and limited performing history between them, and they auditioned Haggith predominantly with their own shared original material. After a strong first session, the group initially launched as a trio before adding Cachagee on bass in September 2012.  Horton and McKenzie moved to name the band HAGGITH, citing the lack of recognition of many drummers across the music industry, and the name stuck. Riding the success of their debut album Dragon Joy Ride in October 2012, and their concept album Apocalypse the following month, the band quickly rose to local notoriety, performing various stages and events throughout the city. In May 2013, HAGGITH released their second album, Deuce, at a private event to close friends and followers. While the group would continue to gain traction throughout the 2013 calendar year, creative differences began to take hold, and the decision was made to perform their final concert on December 7, 2013. Performing to a near-capacity crowd at The Algonquin Pub in Sault Ste Marie, HAGGITH took the stage for a blistering set of material which inadvertently ran until 2:27 AM, far past the planned end time, and saw a venue filled with smoke from the sound tech's fog machines, venue security trying desperately (yet unsuccessfully) to shut off power to the sound board, altercations between security and fans who wanted the show to continue, and eventually, the destruction of Horton's lead guitar by his own hand on the stage floor of the venue. Pieces of the instrument were given to fans of the group after the conclusion of the show.

     Though the group officially fell inactive after the Algonquin show, they settled their differences and reconvened in the studio in May 2014, working on a new set of original material including a new full-length hard rock record, and a sequel to their 2012 Apocalypse record. With a resumption in public activity and recording, the decision was made to relieve bassist Cachagee of his duties and hire Leach in his place in December 2014. While the group had intended to release their new hard rock album in October 2014, this deadline was missed due to a heavy performing schedule, and was pushed back to the following year. In March 2015, as the group was in final sessions for their concept album Apocalypse II and their long-awaited rock record was only one-third completed, Horton left the group and McKenzie re-hired Cachagee; this time, as the group's lead guitarist. As HAGGITH would now need to dedicate added rehearsal time to familiarize their newly-hired lead guitarist with his role, the decision to release their rock record, XIV, as a four-track EP, as only those four tracks had been completed. The final full-length release from the band would be Apocalypse II, an underrated piece of the group's discography. By the summer of 2015, with interest in the band waning and with other musical projects such as Mike Haggith And The Din on the rise, HAGGITH opted to disband without a final concert.

 


2010

W I N D S O R ,   O N


Mike Haggith - Guitar, Vocals

Jeff Morrell - Bass

Tyler Colley - Percussion

Donald Costin - Guitar

Justin Hoadley - Guitar

 

    A self-described alternative jam rock outfit, The Thorns were a short-lived project which never reached the stage or studio, though the group had plans for both. Founded by Haggith and Morrell in the spring of 2010, the group quickly hired percussionist Colley and guitarist Costin after a short casting call. Originally intended to take Haggith's solo material and perform it in a loose, improvised jam rock format, the group instead found itself writing and rehearsing predominantly its own original material from its inception. Though the group did record some live off-the-floor demos, none of the recordings ever saw an official public release, in large part due to their lack of tracking quality. With original songs including Doctor 14 (the lyrics of which would be partially transferred to Haggith's original Leon The Janitor), As Memories Fade Away (which would see a proper studio recording as part of Haggith's solo album Suspended Animation), and Nightmare On Reed Street (a solo-rendition live cut of which would also appear on Suspended Animation), the group showed initial songwriting promise. The rehearsal sessions of The Thorns were typically unstructured, focusing largely on extended loose improv sessions and general group comradery, leading to a fun project with an unfortunate lack of recorded studio output. Haggith's original song I Love You Anyways, which had been written at age 6 and would also see itself released on Suspended Animation as a solo release, was one of the only Haggith solo tracks ever to reach the band, although it was never perfected. In fact, the group's struggles in arranging the track eventually led to turnover in members, where Hoadley was hired in Costin's place.

     Despite the new hire of Hoadley, The Thorns never perfected the song, and the group's original material never reached a widespread audience. Hoadley left the group less than two months after his hiring, and Haggith relocated to Sault Ste Marie not long after, effectively disbanding the group. While there were some isolated talks regarding a long-distance recording project to bring a Thorns album to the public, those talks ultimately didn't lead to an album release. In January 2012 at the FM Lounge in downtown Windsor, the group's branding was briefly resurrected for a one-off concert appearance featuring Haggith, Morrell, and a handful of session musicians. While the concert went well and the material was well-received, The Thorns never resumed activity.

 


2007-2009

W I N D S O R ,   O N


Mike Haggith - Percussion, Vocals

Dylan Panek - Guitar

Mike Angelini - Bass

Emily Guillas - Keyboard

Dennis Glover - Bass, Vocals

Collin Giofu - Bass

 

   Initially launched as an informal jam group playing predominantly original blues rock and select cover songs from prominent psychedelic and classic rock guitarists including Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton, The Air was founded by Haggith, Panek, and Angelini in the summer of 2007. The group never had promotional photos of themselves taken, opting instead to use psychedelic-infused imagery and images of hot air balloons wherever possible. Featuring a select few session musicians during early recording sessions, most notably Guillas and Glover, the group produced a large catalogue of recorded works, though they never formally released an album to the public. While the group predominantly focused on recording rather than performing live, there were a handful of instances where the group did take to the stage; the first of which occurred at the Sandwich Secondary School auditorium to an audience of roughly 600, where the group performed their single The Blue Door. Featuring Haggith playing drums and supplying lead vocals, this seemingly strange arrangement would lay the groundwork for a similar role years later, when he would do the same for HAGGITH in Sault Ste Marie.

     For having never released an official studio album, the group did write and perform a surprisingly high volume of strong original material. One such song was initially named Psytrious, until the group opted to rebrand and adopt it as their new name in 2008. As the group shifted from a blues rock outfit to a darker, more serious tone, so did its material, with tracks including Schizophrenia and the nine-minute opus Clockwise becoming live staples. The group briefly performed as a trio featuring just Haggith, Panek, and Glover, and as their direction further shifted, Giofu was hired in the group's bass role in early 2009. While the group was arguably shifting toward its most commercially successful sound at this point, it would fall into a permanently inactive status not long after.

 


2005-2014

W I N D S O R ,   O N


Mike Haggith - Percussion, Vocals, Guitar, Bass

Dylon Rabidoux - Guitar, Vocals, Percussion, Bass

Kevin Marchinko (Not Pictured) - Bass

Justin Desnoyers (Not Pictured) - Bass, Guitar

 

   The first recorded collaborative group effort of Haggith's career, S.C.A.R. (Sick, Carnivorous, And Rebellious) was initially founded by Rabidoux in 2005 as a hard rock recording project, and Haggith was hired in April 2006 to play percussion, provide vocal and guitar work, and record the band's tapes. Although the band existed predominantly as a studio-oriented two-piece project for the majority of its life and output, a great number of tapes which make up the band's early discography have either been lost, or archived in a private vault. Often featuring profane and controversial lyrical content, and an improvised approach to writing and recording with very limited emphasis put on proper rehearsals, only a few S.C.A.R. tracks ever managed to reach measurable popularity- mostly among friends and acquaintances of the band itself. The duo released the majority of their albums between 2006 and 2007, almost exclusively on cassette. In 2008, S.C.A.R. entered its first hiatus, and didn't resume active status until early 2010, when the duo recorded two singles at Live Wire Records and then shifted focus toward a long-awaited proper CD release. In the summer of 2010, the band finally achieved that goal with what has since become their final studio release, The 13th Circle Of Hell. While the group added Desnoyers to their lineup as a full-time bassist, he was not included on the album due to limitations in the recording timeline.

     With Haggith's relocation to Sault Ste Marie in the fall of 2010, S.C.A.R. became a largely dormant group which would only surface for brief concert appearances; on average, about one per year. The first of such appearances took place at the FM Lounge in downtown Windsor, on 05 January 2011. In anticipation of the live set, Desnoyers took on a rhythm guitar role, and Marchinko was hired as the group's bassist. This would mark the first (and one of the only) times the group performed as a proper four-piece outfit. Audio from this concert was recorded, and released in 2013 as the band's final official release, a four-track live album spanning just under 11 minutes of playing time. While the group would perform sporadically over the next few years, the final concert took place at the Coach And Horses lounge in Windsor on New Year's Eve 2013, and into New Years Day 2014. Featuring just Haggith and Rabidoux with a single acoustic guitar, the concert essentially paid homage to S.C.A.R.'s roots as a duo, albeit with a far greater number of well-known original songs. While no official disbanding announcement has ever been issued, the group has fallen inactive since 01 January 2014.