Sonoma songwriter pens ode to mothers

Mike Lounibos released a new song called “The Woman” for the holidays, the holidays that seem like months ago now.

The Sonoma-based singer-songwriter penned the tune with Nashville songwriter Antoinette Olesen. It’s a simple, heartfelt and lovely country tune, well-sung and played.

The “woman” of the song title is his mother, or all our mothers, Lounibos said. “It’s dedicated to all mothers out there — our angels and heroes on earth.”

“Thank god for the woman who gave me life,” he sings.

Recorded in Nashville, it is his first record since his 2007 album, “Planet California.”

After a long music career “back and forth to Nashville,” as he says, Lounibos traded his guitar for a camera. He became interested in photography as his real-estate-agent wife Maria became busier in the hot Sonoma market. Shooting interiors and exteriors of properties on the market became a passion for Loubinos.

Lounibos said by phone, “For about three or four years I got into photography. I dedicated myself to that art. And music went on the back burner.”

He added, “But as the holidays came near, I wrote the song with my friend Antoinette. We shared it with friends and the response was great. It has re-awakened the songwriter in me.”

Realizing he had traded career hats, he said that his New Year’s resolution was to “get back to music. Just start writing again.”

Lounibos went on, “I realized just how strong a force music is. It is just something that is in your soul. If you are a musician, you can’t get away from it.”

Locally, Lounibos teams with local singer-songwriter Nomi Yah Traum to write songs. Yah and Lounibos have been pretty successful as a team.

Yah commented via email, “We wrote the song, ‘Low Road,’ recorded by Courtney Drummey, who performed with Keith Urban. We also co-wrote ‘Giving It‘ featuring Blaque Ice, a rapper from Alaska with a major label deal. He's the rapper that got me on the Snoop Dogg compilation with a different song.”

Lounibos said, “Nomi and I just finished two new songs. They are going to be demo’d in Nashville... they are in the pipeline.”

Lounibos also woodsheds with local musician Adam Traum for songwriting. Their partnership bore fruit in a somewhat unexpected way last year. A lucky break came when Lounibos was connected to Traum’s publisher. He explained, “Adam’s publisher got us a cut in ‘Lethal Weapon’ (TV show). It is background music, you can’t really hear it, but it is really nice to get a royalty check. I thought, ‘I kinda like this.’ Can’t raise a family on it, but it’s kinda nice.“

The chatty Lounibos mentioned that he has an old Washburn acoustic guitar — a Washburn cutaway.

“I probably wrote close to 800 songs on that guitar,” he said. “It’s been my workhorse.” He shared a quick “Gear Tale” about that guitar that happened last year.

He was working in a recording studio, and the studio next door had some activity, too. “Steven Segal played my guitar. Steven Segal was recording a blues record there… he was looking for a guitar. He said, ‘Hey, can I borrow that guitar?’ He just wanted to play this new riff… that week I didn’t polish my guitar.” The star-struck Lounibos said, “That was kinda fun.”

Musically, Lounibos sounds like the real deal. He is blessed with a natural rich baritone; think Scotty McCreery with soul. As he continues to revert to his natural talent, look for Lounibos to deliver more songs, Sonoma-country style.