tim Mahoney

career as a working musician and songwriter is one of those gigs that people look at and think, “How awesome would that be?” Well, Minneapolis based Tim Mahoney has been doing it his way for fifteen years now. What began as a side career with huge aspirations while Mahoney was waiting tables, has now blossomed into a full-fledged career. And make no mistake, the way that Mahoney hustles, it IS a job, but one he is very happy to have. To date, he’s sold over 100,000 units of his various relea...

career as a working musician and songwriter is one of those gigs that people look at and think, “How awesome would that be?” Well, Minneapolis based Tim Mahoney has been doing it his way for fifteen years now. What began as a side career with huge aspirations while Mahoney was waiting tables, has now blossomed into a full-fledged career. And make no mistake, the way that Mahoney hustles, it IS a job, but one he is very happy to have. To date, he’s sold over 100,000 units of his various releases between a solo career and his part as a member of The Blue Meenies. But Mahoney’s gig as a full-time musical artist is not just something he’s doing to serve himself. He has a rabid fan base, one that supports him religiously. And he also has the raw talent to win multiple awards year after year. In fact, Mahoney was featured in Rolling Stone Magazine in 2007 for their 40th anniversary issue when he won a Ray-Ban promotion. He’s also won or placed high in songwriting contests about fifteen times over the past decade. As far as the music itself, Mahoney was inspired as a kid by the likes of R.E.M. and U2 for music in general, and also by the legendary Sam Cooke, something that helped shape his soulful vocals. “The Joshua Tree pretty much made me want to write songs,” he said. So why isn’t a guy like Mahoney nationally famous? Well, it’s not like he didn’t audition for labels, and often, from the mid-‘90s on. He even had one shot at playing for Clive Davis in the prominent music executive’s apartment, but Davis passed. Still, Mahoney was hardened by the process and became both resilient and better at his craft, something that also helped him land multiple film/TV placements over the years. Those placements have helped him gain exposure, but he’s also still looking for that big motion picture placement. Mahoney also tours strategically, doing it his own way and growing his audience one market at a time, even if that means not venturing much outside of the Midwest. “There is no overnight success,” he says. “Only hustle and persistence. That’s my opinion, anyway.” He’s also been aided in recent years by social media, helping connect Mahoney to his fans quicker and easier than ever. Either way, Tim Mahoney is the type of recording artist who appreciates the process of making music. He loves that spark of writing something, recording it and hearing it back. Then of course, there is that next step of audience reaction. “I love that moment when I’m relaxed and connecting to an audience, but at the same time I don’t try and take myself too seriously,” he says. “If didn't hustle and do some of the things I did, then sure, I might still be talented. But I would also still be a waiter.” Lucky for Mahoney’s fans, he’s not