Mike Guiney was born and raised on the island of Newfoundland, Canada’s most easterly province. It is an area known for its stark beauty, fiery politicians, storytellers, poets, satirists, and rowdy fisherman. It’s also famous for its rich musical heritage, drawing from deep Irish, Welsh and Scottish roots. Surrounded by all this, Mike put pen to paper at an early age, publishing his first poem at 16 years of age.

Mike’s songwriting is informed by 40 years of day jobs, including a brief stint in the military, working on a land survey crew, kitchen work on river cruise boat, several years as steelyard labourer, social services, and 28 years in fire service.

Mike has been a finalist or semi-finalist (lyric category) in the international Song Competition on three occasions. American Songwriter Magazine have published his songs on multiple occasions, awarding him with several guitars and naming him Grand Prize winner for both for 2015 and 2019, flying him to Nashville, TN for recording and co-write sessions.

On the heels of this success Mike signed on with Wolfe Island Records and the subsequent recording sessions culminated in the release of his debut album, The Grace of Eloquence, on October 17, 2025. With a range of special guests — Hugh Christopher Brown, Tony Scherr, Jason Mercer, Mickey Raphael, Miss Emily, and more — The Grace of Eloquence was created with the hope that if you serve the song, the listener will in turn find reward.