Website: The Hounds

The Band

The Hounds are a band out of Wisconsin that have been together on and off in many different bands for the last 30 years. Figured it was time to get the old dogs back together and have some fun.

Michael Tully

Michael has been a part of the Madison music scene since the summer of ’98 when he arrived here from New York. He’s played with many area bands since then, winning awards with many as well as winning ‘Guitarist of the Year’ at the 2014 MAMA’S. He has also logged hundreds of hours in the recording studio with songwriters Robert J, Beth Kille and Daniel Anderson as well as many other area songwriters but enjoys playing ‘Live’ the most.

Joe McCloskey

Joe first discovered his connection to music when he heard his college professor playing the shoehorn at a jazz club deep in the heart of the paper valley. No, seriously folks, Joe hails from the Madison area. He first started his musical journey at the age of 10, singing harmonies with his dad and brothers, and he’d play drums in the band at church every Sunday night. His dad, who was a professional musician and comedian would always say “all business tonight, Joey” and although he would try, Joe found it nearly impossible not to ham it up a bit. He then started singing at talent shows and developed his vocal styling from listening and studying different singers he heard from his older siblings records. Always interested in the bass, he finally picked one up and learned to play and has been sought after by various bands for recording projects and live performances ever since. Joe has now found his home on stage with his old buddies, The Hounds howling tunes and laying down the groove line from songs that bring back memories from the past.

Lane Venden

It all started for Lane in the 4th grade when he was old enough to join the school orchestra. When pondering which instrument to choose his dad announced “you’ll play the violin!“ because he had always wanted to play but never had the chance. By 8th grade Lane had tired of orchestral music, left the school orchestra and began lessons with Evert Knudtson, an old-time fiddler. Soon Lane was playing saloons and barn dances with Evert Knudtson and the Farm Hands. Old-time music led to playing bluegrass with his brother on banjo and Lane picking up his mom’s guitar. Learning guitar naturally took him to rock and roll. With his brother transitioning to drums their newly founded rock band Kick Axe headlined the high school dances. His junior year of high school found him playing 5 nights a week in the house band at the Don-Q-Inn. The following summer and senior year were spent playing every weekend with Midnight Rider, a country band in the Wisconsin Rapids area. After high school it was off to Redwing, Minnesota to study string instrument repair and guitar building. During the 4-hour drive to visit home and back he popped a Charles Ford Blues Band cassette into the car tape deck and learned to play harmonica. In 1992 after playing with numerous bar bands he was invited to audition (3 times) with a new band called Under the Gun (UTG). A tough gig to land but well worth the effort as they became one of the hottest bands in the Madison area. After 8 years it was time for a hiatus until Dan, the piano player from UTG, convinced him to join Madison County. So began another 8-year tour with Madison’s top country band. Now it was time for another hiatus, albeit seeming quite like retirement. Then out of the blue Joe boy, a bass player from UTG, called and said he was putting together a new band and wanted to know if Lane would be interested. The immediate answer was “Hell no…. but tell me what you got cooking.” When Joe started dropping names like Dave Maier on drums, Dan Mahieu on keys, Mike Tully on guitar…. Lane had been around long enough to know that this was the making of another great band and he wasn’t about to miss that train! And so,The Hounds were born or littered as it were. Now 3-years in, The Hounds have become Madison’s premier 70’s band. Time to dig out your bell bottoms, the loudest shirt you own and come party with The Hounds! Woof! Woof!

Dave Maier

Dave is a Wisconsin native and grew up in the Madison area. He started out with a homemade “Butternut coffee can drum kit.” By age 9 he had a “real” Sears blue sparkle snare drum. Self-taught, he spent many hours after family dinners playing along with his favorite classic albums in the seventies. By age 20 he was on the road with a Doors tribute band named, “Riders on the Storm.” He continued throughout the 80’s playing in several rock bands across the area. The nineties came in with a new country sound and he spearheaded the bands, “Quickshot” and “Under the Gun” with great success. Retiring from the drum throne in 1996, He started a company called, “Intellasound Productions” while still staying active with the music scene. One day he received a call from a past band mate… that the old band may get back together and jam…well that one night was all it took to get these old dogs back playing again! With his other 30 minutes of free time in the year he enjoys hanging out with his lovely wife Carla and their Collies: “Ludwig and Pearl”, baling hay and riding or driving anything with a motor in it.

Steve Banik

Originally from South Bend, Indiana, Steve’s passion for music took off after witnessing a Michael Jackson performance in Chicago in 1984, not long after Thriller was released. This experience propelled him towards a successful music career. Living in Nashville, Steve toured with prominent country music acts, performing on renowned stages like The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and the Grand Ole Opry. Later, Steve ventured into hip hop, achieving success as a producer in this genre, contributing to two RIAA-certified gold records and a Billboard #1 album. Steve’s musical influences are diverse, drawing inspiration from a wide range of groups such as Billy Joel, John Mayer, Chicago, Boz Scaggs and many others. These influences infuse his playing style with a unique blend of genres, evident in his work with The Hounds. When not on stage, you can find Steve working as a mobile DJ or spending time outdoors in warm weather with his wife and two children.