The McKinleys

Music makes everything better! With hundreds of songs to pull from, we take our cues from the audience: same band, same roots, but no two sets are the same. When we take requests, it's not unusual for folks to sing along. Everything we play is 100% live, no backing tracks, ever.

You can expect us to respond quickly to your requests and stay in touch throughout the planning so we're well prepared for your event. We'll communicate clearly ahead of time, so you'll know exactly when to expect us and what we'll be bringing.

Whether we're bringing our own PA or playing acoustically, we'll work with you to set the right volume and vibe. Softer while folks eat and talk, livelier and more spirited on demand. And we're happy to shape the set around your event, as a duo or expanded with excellent Austin musicians for a fuller sound.

We love making people feel welcome and watching everyone have a good time.

A few practical notes: if we're bringing a PA, we'll arrive about an hour before to load in, set up, and sound check; otherwise we'll get there well ahead of our playing time to tune up and settle in. All we need is a dedicated space to set up. If we're outside, we'll need shade and protection from the elements, and if we're bringing a PA, we'll need power outlets within about 15 feet of where we're playing.

We're Mike and Lisa McKinley, an Austin acoustic duo, mandolin and guitar. Mike is a versatile mandolinist, songwriter, and teacher. A founding member of the Bay Area band Harmony Grits, he's made his own records and started The McKinleys after moving to Austin. Lisa is a guitarist and songwriter with a master certificate in guitar and songwriting from Berklee. We love playing music together, and after more than a decade, the songs we play are like old friends. We play what we grew up on and what we love, the kind of music that makes people happy when they hear it: fiddle tunes and the Bill Monroe canon, the Bakersfield twang of Buck Owens, the country-rock of Commander Cody, the cosmic country of Gram Parsons, and a Grateful Dead tune when the vibe is right. We can play hundreds of songs, and we're always adding more, because there's always room for one more fun song!

Our standing Saturday-morning spot at the Counter Cafe, now more than six years running, often turns into a parking lot full of toddlers having their own little morning rave. And we're often booked by the same clients, year after year.

We're easy to reach and easy to work with. We respond quickly and stay in touch through the planning, so you're well prepared: you'll know when to expect us, what we'll be bringing, and any other details.

We bring our own instruments. From the venue, we mainly need:

A dedicated performance area: a defined space or small stage for two players and our gear.

For outdoor events: we'll need a covered area with shade and protection from rain, direct sun, and heat.
If we're bringing our own PA: We'll need access to at least two standard working power outlets within 15 feet of the performance area, time to load in, plus 45 minutes to an hour to set up before start time.

For small, intimate rooms, we can play fully acoustic with no PA at all, and we need less than 30 minutes to set up.