About Michael

Dause has been playing music since he was only four years old, utilizing kitchen pots and pans as his first drum kit. In high school, he became a self-taught guitarist and songwriter, all while garnering experience in theatre, jazz band, marching band, and choir. After gaining an interest in recording music, he attended a year of Belmont University’s audio engineering program before departing to tour an average of 250 shows per year over the course of eight years, performing primarily with The Accidentals.

Michael began recording under the name Treeskin around 2014, subsequently releasing a collection of early recordings in 2019 titled “Who/What/Why”. In early 2020, the debut full-length album from Treeskin, “Learning”, was released to positive reviews. “A musical alter-ego driven by intoxicating, lush indie-rock replete with hypnotic vocals, head-bobbing beats, laid-back balladry, prog-rock textures and catchy pop-tinged hooks.” - John Sinkevics - Local Spins

In 2019, Michael and his musical pal Ben Traverse began recording an album of sea shanties, completing the project in 2021. Dubbed “Shantyland”, the project included many classic work songs, forecastle tunes, and original shanties about the great lakes region. 

In 2021, Michael began TreeTone Studios, a recording studio based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Having had a love for audio engineering since the age of 15, Michael decided it was time to create an official studio space that could serve not only his own projects, but the West Michigan music scene as well. 

In 2023, Moss Manor, a collaborative project between Dause, Seth Bernard, and Dan Rickabus, released their first studio album. Moss Manor began as a recording project during the Covid-19 pandemic where all members recorded from their own houses and shared files over the internet.