Michael Cormier-O'Leary is a multi-instrumentalist, producer, songwriter, composer, and improviser. Under his name, he has released four songwriter albums (Days Like Pearls, M-F, More Light!!, and Anything Can Be Left Behind) and two collections of instrumental music (Heard From the Next Room and Brief Hold EP). He is also credited with scoring music for the podcast ‘Drifting Off With Joe Pera’ as well as season 3 of APM's 'Spectacular Failures.’ 

 

Cormier-O'Leary is the primary composer and bandleader of the shape-shifting instrumental collective, Hour. With twin 2018 releases (Tiny Houses and Anemone Red), Hour has received accolades from Stereogum, Pitchfork, and NPR, among others. Comedian Joe Pera cited Tiny Houses as being a record he had on heavy rotation during the writing of season 3 of his Adult Swim show Joe Pera Talks With You. Hour released their latest album 'Ease the Work' in April of 2024 and toured extensively in support of it, including appearances at SXSW, Thing in the Spring, and Hopscotch Music Festival. 

 

Cormier-O'Leary is also a founding member of the alt-country band Friendship, with critically-lauded releases (Dreamin and Shock Out of Season) on Owen Ashworth's label Orindal Records, and a brand new record (Love The Stranger) out now on Merge Records. The band continues to tour extensively.

 

In 2019, Cormier-O'Leary founded Dear Life Records, a label that has since released music by MJ Lenderman, Kath Bloom, Natalie Jane Hill, Florry, Wendy Eisenberg, Karl Blau, and countless others. It's become a forward-thinking label that seeks to highlight the intersection of folk music traditions with improvised and experimental song forms.

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All works are registered with BMI and represented by Merge Publishing.