In “Smiley Faced Emoji,” Mike Shouse re-enters music not as a newcomer reinventing himself, but as a veteran builder of his own legacy. Long recognized as a unique guitarist, teacher, and storyteller, Shouse continues to show that innovation is best when fed by experience.
Shouse was hacking through creative brushwork with pure elbow grease and a musical imagination that could never sit still. Considering himself a “product of Kentucky’s music classrooms,” he once had guitar-teaching posts at Willis Music in Lexington, Louisville, and Cincinnati, as well as at the Music Institute of Lexington.
His debut full-length release in 2001 showcased the openness of Page’s emotions, which were further profiled on “Man,” a cut from International Anthems Volume 1. One was Alone on the Sun, his 2010 record that sent shock waves through the indie guitar world and earned critical acclaim.
With “Smiley Faced Emoji,” he turns the corner on imaginative growth resulting from years on and off stage, acting, assistant directing, painting soundscapes for indie film, and brainstorming where storytelling meets melody. The song feels like a bright, modern snapshot from an artist who has lived many creative lives, bringing his technical virtuosity to bear alongside a spirit of playful contemporary genius.