Instruments
Bands
Biography
Michael McFarlane has been a working musician for most of his life, starting back on his early years with basic high school garage bands. He has experienced life in many types of groups, from six suit, six night lounge acts to gritty rock bands. His most successful venture was the well-known Canadian Country-blues act StoneRidge. With over ten top forty country songs and many award nominations to their credit, it seemed that StoneRidge was on their way to the top of the heap. Unfortunately, as sometimes happens, there was a gradual decline in the band from member defection, poor management and record company indifference that eventually led to the band's demise.
The end of this band was merely a new beginning for Michael, with the critically acclaimed Wayne Faulconer Band. Their CD's release "A Band's Gotta Do What A Band's Gotta Do" received high praise from many European critics, but never reached a wider audience. It was during the working life of this group that Michael and Tara O'Brien were reunited as musicians, and began to work together in Ridge Music's Studio. As the Wayne Faulconer Group split up, it was decided that Tara and Michael would start a new band -- one that played the music they wanted, and was receptive to new and original music.
Tender Mercy's was a very successful local act, appearing at many local bars and special events, including the Thunder Bay Blues Festival, where one of their songs was recorded for use on the Blues Sampler CD. Tender Mercy's has been on hiatus for a while now, freeing Michael to work with other bands, sometimes filling in for absent drummers. Recently, Michael has been focusing his creative energy in a new blue band.