A SCHOOL teacher has signed to a music label and is set to release his new album later this summer.

Mike Ryan, who lives in Higher Bebington and teaches at Birkenhead School has always been involved in making music.

Mike, 39, signed with Liverpool label Klee Music after he was invited to record five songs at 3rd Planet Studios.

Mike told the Globe: “I was invited down to the studios alongside 12 other artists to record five songs and a cover song by an artist signed to their label.

“It was a lovely afternoon, and I didn’t think much of it once I had recorded the songs.”

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Mike was then contacted by Klee Music asking if he would sign with them.

Mike said: “They said they were bowled over by my performance and asked I wanted to release an album later on in the year.”

Mike’s new album is set to be released in September with gigs in Wirral and Liverpool planned to support the new release in June.

Speaking of the new release Mike said: “It’s quite surreal.

“For so many years it’s always been a dream for a label to notice me and have my music released and be supported.

“I kind of gave up on that idea because I didn’t think it would ever happen to me.

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“I absolutely love my job teaching but still had this little voice in the back of my head telling me to carry on with beavering away with my music.

“All of a sudden it’s paid off and I’m very lucky that I’m in a position where I can release music and have someone believe in me and want to get my songs out there.”

Alongside recording music and being a full-time teacher, Mike is also a father of three.

He said: “It is very challenging as my hands are full at all times of the day, but I am very lucky that my family are very supportive of what I do and are very understanding when I have gigs.”

When explaining the focus of the new album Mike described said the songs portray a more “optimistic” theme.

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He said: “My first album focused on lockdown and anxiety and a lot of people resonated with it whereas with my new one there is more optimism and a look to the future approach.

“During the pandemic I was unable to gig but over the last year the response has been humbling and I’m continually surprised that people are in into my music.

“For so long it seemed like such a personal thing I was doing behind the scenes.

“So, it’s very exciting.”

Mike Ryan will be performing at Future Yard, Birkenhead on June 18 and ZanziBar in Liverpool on June 19.