"We're not separate from the Universe" says Los Angeles based songwriter, producer, and yoga teacher Mike Bücher (boo-ker). Mike B & the Universe has released three full-length records including “Songs for Peace” (2007), “Stretching Out” (2014), “Bloom Baby Bloom” (2021), and a forthcoming album “The Reeling” (2024). Mike B & the Universe floats casually across the indie, folk, and rock genres of music, and flows down via the great lineage of American songwriters that include Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, and Lou Reed.
In addition to Mike B and the Universe, Bücher has also been a member of L.A. based electro-pop outfit Iglu & Hartly. In 2008, the band’s release of “In this City” (Mercury Universal) charted at number five in the UK. The band played the prestigious Isle of Wight festival in 2010 to a crowd of forty-thousand, and performed at the Coachella Music festival in 2010.
After Coachella, Iglu & Hartly went on hiatus. Bücher returned to his home in Topanga Canyon, CA, where he shifted his focus back to writing and recording. In 2013, Bücher self-released his album “Stretchin Out”. Shortly after the record release, he began his formal study of yogic philosophy and practice, enrolling himself in a 200-hour teacher's training. Upon completion, he began teaching at a mental health center, sharing pragmatic yoga as an empowerment and authenticity practice for those suffering from depression, anxiety, and substance use addiction. Bucher continues to teach to this day.
In 2019, five years after releasing "Stretchin Out", Bücher read Steven Pressfield’s The War of Art, and was once again inspired to create original music. He began a daily songwriting practice and after a year of writing, it become clear that it was time to record. “Bloom Baby Bloom” was born from this daily practice, and was largely inspired by the eastern wisdom traditions, including Bhakti yoga and the teachings of his mentor Mark Whitwell.
Mike shares this about his forthcoming album “The Reeling”:
“Over the last three years, I’ve been learning how to be a parent, a partner, and a person. It hasn’t always been pretty, but I keep showing up one day at a time, and doing the next right thing. I’ve dealt with learning to love without losing myself, learning to let go, learning to dance with grief of loss and powerlessness over people and situations. Faith to keep moving forward, and learning that while I’d like for you to love me, I don’t need for you to love me. Doing the footwork. Keeping a sense of humor in it all. Some of these songs were from back when my son was three and I would play guitar for him while he was in the bath. I penned the songs and played most of the instruments on this record. I mixed it as well, with some essential feedback and contributions from my partner Casey and longtime collaborator Drew, and others. The album was mastered by the amazing Richard Dodd. I hope that you enjoy it.”