Mike VanPortfleet was born in
Grand Rapids, Michigan in the early 1960s. In 1978, he moved to
Tempe, Arizona, where he studied and graduated with a degree in
cultural geography. Soon afterward he picked up the guitar and played with several unsuccessful bands, most of whom were notorious at local venues for their drunken behavior. After nearly abandoning his musical interests and returning to school, VanPortfleet learned about
4-track recording and decided to try his hand at composing and producing music himself. In May 1988, Mike began the musical project
Lycia under which he recorded mostly guitar experiments. He enlisted bassist John Fair and together they produced over a hundred songs within a matter of months. In March 1989, VanPortfleet released some of the music from these sessions under the name Lycia on
Wake, a 6-song
demo tape released through Orphanage Records. == Discography ==