Mike Fellows, performing under the name Miighty Flashlight, shaped his hushed and surreal future folk solo project from an earlier path that began as bassist in the seminal D.C. hardcore outfits Rites of Spring and Happy Go Licky before extending into collaborations with Bonnie Prince Billy, Royal Trux, and the Silver Jews.
During 2000 he started sketching songs on guitar, bass, and a Mac Powerbook without a clear sense of their future direction. The resulting set of sublime, distinctly American tunes prompted him, after sharing early versions with friends, to commit to the material as a solo endeavor under the Miighty Flashlight moniker.
Once he had polished the tracks on computer and layered in piano and drum accents, Fellows issued the self-titled Miighty Flashlight debut on Jade Tree in January 2002. The magnificent, flowing album, intended to be heard uninterrupted from start to finish, drew admirers that included Mogwai’s outspoken Stuart Braithwaite along with measured critical praise.
