Haggith still flying solo on new album

Mike Haggith isn’t originally from the Sault. He moved here from Windsor, Ontario in 2010 to attend flight school and stayed in the community until 2017.  

After graduating, Haggith transitioned into a career in aviation, relocating to Thompson, Man.  Flying has become a passion for Haggith. One of his favourite things about working in his field is seeing passengers step off the plane and reunite with the ones they love.

“It's a really beautiful thing to know I got to play a part in that,” he says.

“Also, sunsets are far more beautiful from altitude than they are on the ground. I developed a real appreciation for that last summer.”

During those seven years in the Sault prior to starting his career, Haggith had another passion. He was a regular player in the Sault indie music scene.

“I've had the privilege to play with a lot of great musicians in varying projects over the years I spent in the Sault,” says Haggith.

During his tenure in the local music scene, he played as a solo artist, as the drummer for Strange Coyotes and the grunge/hard rock band Haggith, and as the bass player and vocalist for The Din (with Brandan Glew and Tammy Hill).

Over his two-year run with The Din, Haggith played on the major stages in the city.

“I fell in love with [the local music scene]. There are so many musicians, projects, and venues in the Sault, that there was never a dull moment … everyone knows each other, and everyone largely supports each other as well. It's an amazing community for both music makers and music lovers.” 

Music has played a big role in Haggith’s life from the time he was young.

“My style is very heavily influenced by the artists I heard frequently growing up, including Elton John, Billy Joel, Meat Loaf, U2, and Coldplay, to name a few. I've been writing songs ever since I was a young kid, and recorded my first tape at the age of 13. Don't ask to hear it though, it's awful,” he laughs.

Haggith has a self-admitted love for working the studio and is no stranger to the recording process, with many releases under his belt dating back to 2005. 

“As much as I love stepping onto a stage and playing to a crowd, I'm a total studio junkie,” he says. “My proudest [albums before this recent release] are definitely The Din's studio albums, mainly for their quality and performance.

When recording The Din albums, Haggith received counsel from producer Daniel Schmidt at Pretoria Hill Productions. 

"We had a lot of fun making those records, and I feel like Give In To The Din and Suburban Dream both taught me a lot about how to properly apply things like compression and more fitting EQ curves.”

In May 2020, Haggith released the 10-song album, If Ever Comes the Day.

“There are a ton of differences between this record and every Mike Haggith record that's preceded it … If Ever Comes the Day is probably my most personal work to date, closely tracing the highs and lows of a relationship which never quite got off the ground, until it briefly did, and then promptly stalled and fell right back down to earth … I really don't hold back. The story is told through the lyrics and liner notes, and I don't really shy away from any aspect of it.”

Haggith see music as an “honest medium”

“I really take that [honesty] to a new level with this record.

If Ever Comes the Day was also the first album Haggith ever recorded to be tracked and mixed entirely on an iPad without so much as an external microphone.

“You can't even tell, when you hear the thing,” he says. “The built-in condenser mic is so good, that it just made external gadgets almost completely unnecessary.”

How Haggith records his records has evolved over the years.

“When I first started out [recording], I was borrowing a Pioneer tape deck. For years, it was a computer with Audacity. These days, everything can be done on an iPad, and I love that. If I have an idea brewing in my head, I can sit down for 20 minutes and track a little guitar, and half the time that ends up making it into the final studio cut. It's allowed me to take my entire album project files, carry them around in my flight bag, and work on them wherever and whenever is convenient.”

This convenience proved handy. One morning, Haggith was sitting in the starboard window seat on WestJet flight 163 from Toronto to Winnipeg, and he pulled out his iPad, plugged in earbuds, and knocked out the final bit of mixing for "The Best You Never Had."

“Finishing that song in the air might be one of the proudest things I've ever done while crossing provincial lines up at altitude.”

Haggith handles all the playing and programming, with some assistance from friend and bandmate Justin Fuciarelli on two tracks, and the Sault’s Pete Mozarowski.

“Pete Mozarowski, my longtime friend from Sault Ste. Marie, composed and recorded ‘This Page Intentionally Left Blank’ to serve as an intro piece for my song ‘Back Away Slowly,’ which became the respective sixth and seventh tracks on the album. My journey took me from Sault Ste. Marie to Thompson, and [Mozarowski’s] took him to Winnipeg. So it's very cool to have a longtime friend living here in Manitoba as well.”

One of the personal highlights of If Ever Comes the Day for Haggith is the lead track “The Best You Never Had.”

“While I'm equally proud of all the cuts on this record, and even feel like ‘MorningStar’ may have better airplay potential, I'm so proud of the way The Best You Never Had came together, from the naive romantic lyrics, which were written at around two in the morning on August 13 while I was sitting on the parking garage floor outside YYZ's Terminal 3, to the orchestral flare, to the driving drums and overt 80s vibes. I don't think I've ever crafted a better opening track in my life.”

The personal nature of the songs also aligns with some of Haggith’s personal passions and beliefs.

“Those close to me know that my main passions include mental health advocacy for adults and youth, reconciliation with our First Nations, and not only finding, but utilizing creative outlets for the purposes of therapy,” he says.

“Case in point, that's the main reason I write and release music. It forces me to face the things that I may otherwise run away from. In doing so, I'm able to come to terms with them and grow from the experience. Everyone faces challenges, and most seek to learn from them. I just choose to put mine on tape.”

With the album complete, Haggith originally scheduled a release date of May 15.

“I put together a band and secured a venue in the Sault for an album release concert,” he says.

“Of course, 2020 had other plans, and the album release concert ended up being a livestreamed solo performance from Thompson.

 “I frequently look for excuses to travel back to the Sault, and rest assured, once our provinces reach the phase of reopening which allows for interprovincial travel, I'll be on the first flight there,” says Haggith. “I may have spent the first 18 years of my life in Windsor, but I really feel like I grew up in Sault Ste. Marie. In a lot of ways, I certainly did.”

The record release live event in Sault Ste. Marie has been tentatively rescheduled for November 6, 2020 at Loplops.

“I'll never lose that Sault connection,” says Haggith. “The community and its people are far too incredible …I still try to get back to the Sault as often as life will allow.”

You can hear Mike Haggith’s If Ever Comes the Day in its entirety here.

For more information and the latest new on Haggith, you can connect with him on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube or Bandcamp.