I am Michael Marcagi. I was born and raised in Cincinnati Ohio. My parents got me a guitar for Christmas in 7th grade and I remember falling in love with songwriting and the storytelling elements of folk music. It wasn’t until college that I finally had the courage to start to show people my songs, and play them live. I joined a band with some friends who I lived with in college, and we made a few records and did some tours, but I always had a desire to play a more acoustic and folk centric style of music, which is where my heart had always been. So after the band ended I started to write these songs and finally recorded them in Upstate New York, and started posting them to social media.

I think it fits in the genre of folk-pop, or indie-folk. But I just try to write honest songs about my life, growing up in Ohio, and my experiences I’ve had that I think other people can relate to. I really try to be open and not shy away from specificity in my lyrics. 

I remember being really young and riding around in my mom’s car, and loving her taste in music and really connecting with a lot of the artists she played. I remember connecting with the storytelling elements of John Prine and Jim Croce, and was fascinated with how they could create such a beautiful story in a simple few minute folk song. Then I also really connected to artists like The Lumineers and Mumford & Sons. I was in high school when they both had their breakout moment and I instantly fell in love with their songs.

“Scared to Start” is a song that I had been working on for years. I always had it in my head even from when I was in a band. But I wanted to write a song about how the uncertainties in our lives can be overwhelming and suffocating to the point where you feel stuck, but how there is always a way forward no matter how bad it feels. I wanted it to be a positive song. A song about taking the risks and moving forward on your own path.