Michael McDermott was born in Chicago and influenced by rock & roll. After troubles with various bands, McDermott chose the solo route. He spent some time in college but left to play Chicago's coffeehouses and bars. After watching and performing with many folksingers, he began to incorporate Irish music into his act. Frequent dates at a pub called Harrington's led to local word of mouth and a contract with SBK. In 1991 McDermott released his debut, 620 W. Surf, and by 1993 Gethsemane showed him moving farther away from the coffeehouse and closer to rock. A self-titled effort appeared in 1996. Four years of touring and writing produced the 2000 release Last Chance Lounge. In 2004 McDermott put out a studio album titled Ashes and followed it up two months later with a companion disc of songs recorded during those same sessions, titled Beneath the Ashes. A double disc of demos titled In a Goddess Night was released not long after, to keep fans interested until his next studio release, Noise from Words, in 2007. ~ John Bush