 Beaumont, TX. (Top40 Charts/ Mike Runnels Official Website) - The mystery man of Texas country music, Mike Runnels, returns to keep it real on his fifth album of true C&W and rural Tex-Mex for the modern age, The Tender Years. Praised by Music New Nashville for his 'good and solid honky-tonk songs' that recall 'the days when country music was at its purest,' he offers up 10 gems recorded with such noted Austin scene players as Floyd Domino (piano), Herb Steiner (steel guitar), Lisa Pankratz (drums), Ron Flynt (guitar & bass), Andrew Nafziger (lead & baritone guitar) and Chip Dolan (accordion). Two of the album's songs, 'Last Date' (his homage to Floyd Cramer) and 'Just Say So Baby,' have already hit the Top 100 of the European Country Music radio chart on previous release as digital singles. Runnels has also recently enjoyed other exposure as his music appeared in a variety of mediums: Three tunes from his album Don't Tell Candy in the movie Fuel starring C. Thomas Howell, Billy Maddox and Michael Esparza (just released on DVD), a song in a TV ad that has run in major U.S. markets, and another number on an Italian TV show. In 2006, his single 'It's Up To You' was a Top 20 hit on the European Country Music chart, spending 20 weeks on it alongside some of the top acts in American and Europe. A Beaumont, Texas native, Runnels grew up steeped in classic country. If rumor is to be believed, the mystery man was spotted playing with and then fronting popular bands on the Austin and Los Angeles rock and punk scenes, releasing albums, EPs and singles that were well received by music critics and radio in the U.S. and Europe. While living in L.A., Runnels had an epiphany sparked by George Jones's 'The Race Is On' that led him back to his roots. Since returning to Austin in 1995 he has made his mark with the media and radio across North America and Europe with his no-bull country style that he views as 'a tribute to the legendary artists of country music. I'm influenced by them and live in their shadows. And I do my little part to keep this sound alive.'
The Tender Years and Runnels' other albums are available at iTunes, CD Baby and other fine digital music stores.
| 
