Mick Meagher has established a long career on bass duties for a rollcall of Australia's best bands and artists. He can boast several critically acclaimed albums with Emma Donovan and the Putbacks, as well as Andrea Keller, Wave Riders, Eugene Ball 4tet, and Wolfa (a collaboration with vocalist Jenny Barnes). Whether it's jazz, drone, distorted electro, soul or a wild ride through all of these genre tropes and more, Mick's musical mentality has an elastic quality to it that enables him to find the rhythm, beat and pulse at the heart of a song and amplify it.

Following graduation from Melbourne’s renowned Victorian College of the Arts (VCA), Mick’s first big gig was working with Kate Ceberano, a two-year, fast-learning experience. In 2006, Mick joined the Black Arm Band at the group's formation (to perform “murundak” ("alive" in Woiwurrung) at the Melbourne Festival of the Arts and remained until the group broke up in 2017. In just over a decade, the Black Arm Band performed seven major multi-disciplinary works encompassing music, verse, dance and theatre. Australian icons Archie Roach, Paul Dempsey, Emma Donovan and Gurrumul Yunupingu performed with the band, as did international stars Mavis Staples and Ricki Lee Jones amongst other luminaries. Mick performed in “murundak”, “Hidden Republic”, “Dirtsong”, “Notes from the Hard Road and Beyond”, and “Mamiaith” (“mother tongue” in Welsh).

Not long after joining the Black Arm Band, Mick and some fellow musos who'd worked together in Kate Ceberano's band formed their own outfit. The Putbacks finally gave Mick a spotlight, rather than being the dependable session player and sideman he'd easily proven his worth in. As a founding member of The Putbacks, he was songwriting, booking shows, taking a fundamental role in the recording process, and working closely with collaborators. Both of Mick's passion projects - The Putbacks and the Black Arm Band - wove their way into one of the most well-known and critically lauded collaborations of his career to date.

The incomparable, unforgettable Emma Donovan had met The Putbacks through her role with the Black Arm Band. That meeting eventuated in the first Emma Donovan & The Putbacks album, "Dawn" in 2014 (Hopestreet Recordings), showcasing the jazzy, soulful alignment of the band and their powerhouse singer. Two more albums followed, "Crossover" in 2020 and "Under These Streets" in 2021.

It was a no-brainer for Mick to continue working with Emma. He co-wrote and produced her children’s album "Follow the Sun" (ABC Kids) in 2022, as well as co-writing and co-producing her debut solo album “Til My Song is Done” (Cooking Vinyl Australia) released in 2024. It has been a time of creative stretching and limbering for Mick, flexing his production and songwriting muscles and doing some soul searching to determine what the next moves will be. At the end of 2022, he wrapped up a long and committed relationship with The Putbacks and stepped readily into his next chapter.

While some things have changed, and there's plenty more musical and creative adventures ahead, some things remain the same. The masked, madly compelling "Gorilla Riffs", an online persona that captures the hypnotic and sonic essence of doom metal. Additionally, Mick teaches music both in educational institutions and privately, encouraging students to master the basics while discovering their unique musical voices. 

This multifaceted, wondrous career began when Mick became a bass player at 16. Decades later - family, fatherhood, albums, tours, and teaching - is still only part of the story.

written by Cat Woods