U4-Ria The Band
Cart 0

 Born in Germany, now living in the US, Maik Lankau has always been dedicated to becoming a singer and songwriter. He started playing flutes and classical guitar when he was only 6 years old in his hometown of Bremerhaven, Germany. 

His first Local band in the '80s was extremely successful and it led him to become a professional musician. Touring with bands opening for the likes of Black Sabbath in the Hammersmith Odeon, London, The Playhouse in Edingborough Scotland and opening for Queen in Newcastle and Wembley Stadium. This ultimately led Maik to the US music scene. Maik started working with some local bands in New Jersey and working as a studio singer in New York where he made a name for himself with the Doug Berlin Project, Werner Fritsching who co-produced Lou Graham's album Midnight Blue and others. 

His influences like Journey, Toto, DownHere and others can be heard through his new work on the album mixed by Marc Frigo "Days of the Son" in collaboration with Paul McLuskey and Philip Sinclair. 

 Ketlinado "Johnny" Bullard

Johnny was born and raised in Nassau, Bahamas; a small Country in the Caribbean made up of over 700 islands and cays. His musical career began at age 10 when the church's drummer did not show up for Children's Choir practice. With confidence, although he had never played drums before, Johnny looked at the choir director and insisted, "I think I can play them things (drums)!" After a sarcastic approval, he went on to play for that practice, the service on Sunday and substituted for the drummer when needed.

In 1998 Johnny's mom noticed his passion for music and his ability to learn and play a song on the piano by simply hearing it. This prompted her to purchase a keyboard and enroll him in piano lessons. This led him to eventually begin playing the keyboard for chapels (assemblies) for his high school while in the 9th grade. Johnny was also one of the founding members of a small band formed at his school and was privileged to perform at various events, including: a political convention; a political rally and the Governor General's House.

Johnny's assistance was requested by a church in 2003 to become their keyboardist and with his pastor's blessings, he accepted. This has led him to playing for many churches, services, weddings and funerals; both in the Bahamas and in the USA, where he and his family now reside.

Johnny presently assists at 2 churches, in addition to his church, and serves as his wife's personal musician when she performs.

 Paul McCluskey

 

Born in England, now living in the US, Paul has always been passionate about music. He first started playing guitar at 9 years old, inspired by guitarists like Eric Clapton, Brian May and Ritchie Blackmore.

Paul played with multiple cover bands while in the UK, including a Queen tribute band that raised money for charity from online song downloads. He also collaborated on numerous BBC documentary projects, writing, recording and mastering short pieces of original music.

After moving to the US, Paul joined the song writer’s association of Washington DC and worked with other singer/song writers, helping them refine and record original material in his project studio.

Paul now lives near Asbury Park, NJ and plays with a local cover band at venues along the Jersey Shore.  He and Maik Lankau met through work in 2012 and do their best to play/record together whenever they can.

Phil Sinclair

A bass player and songwriter. Phil began playing bass at 12 years old in junior high school in the orchestra. He is trained on the upright bass. It wasn't long until his dad bought him an electric bass. Soon after, he started his own original rock band called Vision with some friends. He wrote all the songs. He then began to play in a Heavy Metal band called Syanide where he co wrote the songs as well as background vocals. Syanide changed their name to Rising where they played progressive metal and had some underground success. In 1988, Phil then joined commercial rock band called Stormwarning. He co wrote some of the songs and they also enjoyed some success and radio play as well.

In 1990, Phil then joined a Christian Rock band called Glory. He co-wrote many of the songs as well as arrange the background vocals. Glory enjoyed some success in the Christian Rock circuit as well as some radio play. “Know How It Feels” was played on several Christian radio stations. In 2000, Phil recorded a CD with a grunge pop band named Slate. Turning his priority towards his family, Phil gave up touring the circuit with bands and played bass on his worship team in church. Now that his children are grown, he does session work. His latest is on an album by Christian artist Fred David Kenney, Jr. and currently with Maik Lankau. Phil plays with both artists when available. He really enjoys playing worship with Maik. "I've been waiting for years to play with someone who can sing like Maik and who's music style is totally energetic and completely my style." On his spare time, Phil is currently working on a self produced home recording project called Smooth Decision. He plays bass, keyboards and sings background vocals as well as writing the songs. He resides in Tom's River NJ with his wife of 26 years. They have a daughter who is married and two sons together.

James Marshall

James Marshall is a seasoned drummer with over 20 years of experience perfecting his craft. Drawing inspirations from a diverse range of drummers, he has developed a unique style that captivates audiences across genres. Specializing in gospel music, James’s dynamic rhythm and unwavering precision have earned him respect in the industry. However, his ability to seamlessly transition between styles makes him a sought-after asset for any music project. With a passion for creating unforgettable beats and a commitment to musical excellence, James Marshall is the drummer you need to elevate your sound to new heights.