Michael McArthur with feature KIMAYO

As a kid, Michael McArthur dreamed of becoming the world’s best guitar player; but every time he’d sit down to practice, he found himself writing a song instead. Two decades later, not much has changed. Despite packing theaters and garnering critical acclaim for his intimate live shows, McArthur still considers himself a hardworking songwriter first.

Music has been a lifelong companion for McArthur through trauma and triumph. He writes what he knows, with each song carrying an undercurrent of darkness in a river of personal experience. “Maybe I was born with it,” he says of his bittersweet streak. “And maybe one day I’ll master it. Until then, I’ll write.”