When No Doubt Crypto disbanded, Mike resumed his solo career, but not before he started to play bass and sing vocals for the Blues Attitude and Torchers. From 1995 to 2013, his solo career took off, especially in the studio. Mike recorded four albums during that time, all consisting of original material. The array of genres represented on his solo albums is quite impressive. From Folk, Bluegrass, Celtic, Rock, Reggae, and Country, Mike has explored a plethora of musical styles that have defined him as a musician.
From 2014 on, Mike has been playing with The Mike and Mel Hamilton Band. The band was formed for the sole purpose of creating and performing original music. A blend of country, rock, a little reggae, and of course folk, best describes The Mike and Mel Hamilton Band. Their songs portray a variety of emotions and topics: the worlds troubles and challenges, love and tribulations, or that long-lost love that got away from you. Luckily for Mike, one of his loves has been right by his side for decades (and I’m not talking about music). That would be his love for his wife – Melinda. Melinda met Mike around 1981 and their love hasn’t slowed down one bit. Melinda has been on all of Mike’s solo albums, played in No Doubt Crypto, and currently plays in The Mike and Mel Hamilton Band. The instrumentation she brings to the band creates a unique flavor in the music. That flavor is brought about by her use of everything from synthesizers to an octave mandolin. But where Melinda really shines is in her vocal ability. She creates harmonies that radiate with passion. The other members of the band also bring their vocal chords into the mix, creating a resonance that would make anyone sing along.
Tim Owens (bass and vocals) has played with Mike and Mel in the past in No Doubt Crypto. This has forged a relationship among the three that seems unbreakable. Tim shows tremendous strength not just as a bass player and vocalist but as a songwriter, too. He has been writing since the 90s, including the album “Looking Ahead, Moving Along,” which was released in 1998. He plays an integral role in The Mike and Mel Hamilton Band as a bass player and a songwriter (“Where Are You”). Dexter Keane (drums and vocals) adds strength to the vocal dexterity that’s already established within the group with his warm back-up vocals. But when he isn’t singing, he is laying down that pocket on the kit. His experience as a drummer has landed him gigs at Caribbean festivals around the world, drumming and singing for the number one reggae band on the East Coast, The Uprising. Dexter has recorded with Mike Hamilton for over twenty-five years.