Beyond the Charts: Michael Stover on Faith, Independence, and Building the MTS Family

Since founding MTS Management Group in 2010, Michael Stover has built one of independent music’s most diverse and persistent artist rosters. Working through MTS Management Group and MTS Records, the Pittsburgh-based publicist, label owner, songwriter, and producer has helped artists secure international press, radio airplay, chart placements, and industry recognition without forcing them into a single musical category.

That diversity is captured in Stover’s Spotify playlist, Best Indie on the Planet, which moves freely between country, rock, blues, hip-hop, pop, Americana, folk, electronic music and contemporary Christian sounds. The collection currently features 28 songs and nearly two hours of music, offering a revealing portrait of the artists and stories that have shaped the MTS journey. Listen to the playlist on Spotify.

In this conversation, Stover discusses his personal path, the changing music business, and the values that continue to guide his work.

You founded MTS Management Group in 2010. What inspired you to build your own company instead of following a more conventional industry path?

I had already spent years writing songs, producing music, and learning how the business worked. I studied Music and Video Business at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, won the Billboard Song Contest twice, and experienced some exciting moments as an artist and songwriter. At the same time, I saw how many gifted independent artists were being overlooked because they didn’t have major-label money or connections.

MTS grew out of the belief that talent and determination should still matter. Artists like Richard Lynch, Miss Freddye, Jeremy Parsons, and Gary Pratt represent what attracted me to this work in the first place. They are hardworking people with genuine stories to tell. They aren’t trying to become manufactured versions of someone else. My role is to help the rest of the world hear what makes them special.

Your roster stretches across an unusually wide range of genres. Has that diversity been intentional?

Absolutely. I have never believed that great music should be limited by genre. The Perfect Storm can deliver melodic pop-rock, while Noble Hops brings a harder-edged, blue-collar energy. Pam Ross blends country, Americana, and rock, and Dust and Grace approaches country rock from an entirely different emotional direction. Then you have Elvira Kalnik exploring electronic and dance music, ARGYRO creating atmospheric pop, and Shweta Harve writing songs with a thoughtful, almost philosophical quality.

Those artists may sound very different, but they share authenticity. That matters more to me than whether a song fits perfectly inside a particular radio format. MTS has always been about finding music that connects, regardless of the label someone places on it.

How has your personal journey influenced the way you work with artists?

My Christian faith and my sobriety have shaped everything. They have taught me gratitude, patience, and the importance of treating people with compassion. This business can be difficult. There are disappointments, financial pressures, and moments when talented people wonder whether anyone is listening. I understand what it means to struggle, rebuild, and keep moving forward.

That is one reason I connect so strongly with artists whose music carries a message. DPB uses positive hip-hop to speak about faith, confidence, and purpose. Eddy Mann writes music that brings encouragement and spiritual reflection into everyday life. Ananda Xenia Shakti and Love Power the Band approach music as an expression of devotion, connection, and transformation. Alex Krawczyk writes with tremendous empathy and reminds people that they are not alone. Those messages are important to me personally.

What do you look for when deciding whether you want to work with an artist?

The first thing is the music, but the person behind it matters just as much. I look for commitment, honesty, and a willingness to work. A great recording may get my attention, but character and consistency are what build a lasting relationship.

Robert Ross is a great example of someone who respects country music’s traditions while bringing his own life experience to the songs. Eleyet McConnell has a powerful sound, but there is also real emotional depth behind that power. CattSue is willing to write from vulnerable places. Ashley Puckett has the voice and presence to connect with contemporary country audiences, while See Your Shadow brings a distinctive creative vision and an understanding of classic storytelling.

I want artists who know who they are—or who are at least willing to do the work required to discover it.

Has streaming made it easier or harder for independent artists to establish themselves?

It has done both. Streaming gives artists an opportunity to reach listeners anywhere in the world, but it has also created an overwhelming amount of competition. Releasing a song is easy. Getting someone to care about it is the difficult part.

That is why presentation and storytelling are so important. Bob Augustine, also known as Folk-IndieBob, has a warm and personal approach that makes listeners feel as though they are hearing a story from someone they know. Harry Kappen writes intelligent rock songs that engage with the world around him. Cathleen Ireland combines music with striking visual storytelling and an award-winning body of video work. Novai moves between R&B, pop, gospel and Adult Contemporary without losing her identity.

Streaming can introduce those artists to new audiences, but it still takes publicity, radio, social media, live performance and consistent branding to turn one listen into a real relationship.

What do you believe independent artists can offer that major-label releases sometimes cannot?

Freedom. Independent artists can take chances. They can release a seven-minute spiritual rock track, write about grief without trying to turn it into a three-minute cliché, or combine genres that a major label might consider incompatible.

Ananda Xenia Shakti and Love Power the Band can create something as expansive as “Devotion.” Cello can bring his experiences with autism and ADHD into music that is personal, vulnerable, and socially meaningful. Cathleen Ireland can turn the pain of being blocked or ghosted into an R&B-pop statement like “Do You Care.”

None of those songs feel like they were created by a committee. That freedom is one of independent music’s greatest strengths.

You are also an artist yourself. Does recording as Michael St. Over and performing with Ashes Awaken change how you relate to your clients?

It definitely does. Being an artist keeps me humble because I experience the same uncertainty that my clients do. I know what it feels like to release a song that comes from a deeply personal place and then wait for the first review, radio add, or listener response.

Ashes Awaken allows me to express my faith through heavier Christian rock, while Michael St. Over gives me another outlet for personal songwriting. I appreciate the courage required to create something outside the expected boundaries. I am not only promoting artists from the other side of a desk. I am walking through many of the same emotions.

After working in the business for so long, how do you define success today?

Charts and awards are meaningful. I am proud that MTS artists have earned Billboard placements, topped international iTunes charts, and achieved extensive independent radio success. Those accomplishments create opportunities and validate the work everyone has put into a campaign.

But success is also hearing that a song helped someone through a difficult night. It is watching Miss Freddye continue to inspire people after surviving cancer and COVID. It is seeing Richard Lynch honor family, tradition, and faith through his music. It is helping DPB carry an uplifting message into hip-hop, schools, communities, and even the gaming world. It is watching Gary Pratt and Kate Szallar capture the excitement of love in a song that makes people smile.

Numbers matter in this business, but impact lasts longer than a chart position.

What has your roster taught you about leadership?

It has taught me that leadership begins with listening. Every artist has different goals, strengths, and fears. You cannot manage everyone with the same template.

Jeremy Parsons has built his career through constant live performance and songs that reflect personal growth. Noble Hops has developed its audience through an extraordinary grassroots touring schedule. Alex Krawczyk has connected internationally while maintaining a gentle, understated presence. Elvira Kalnik brings a global and theatrical sensibility to electronic music. The Perfect Storm succeeds through collaboration, musicianship, and strong ensemble chemistry.

My responsibility is to understand what makes each artist distinctive and then build a strategy around that. Leadership is not about making artists follow my personality. It is about helping them become more fully themselves.

When you listen to the playlist as a complete collection, what does it tell you about MTS and your own journey?

It sounds like perseverance. “When the Road Is Uneven” by Alex Krawczyk, “Four Leaf Clover” by Bob Augustine, and “Good Samaritans” by Harry Kappen all reflect different kinds of hope. “Wait for Me” by Richard Lynch, “A Whisper on the Wind” by CattSue, and “Your Eyes” by Eleyet McConnell show how music can preserve love, memory, and loss. “God Mode” by DPB, “We Are” by Eddy Mann, and “Hallelujah” by Ashes Awaken speak to faith and identity.

Then there is the pure personality of songs like Gary Pratt and Kate Szallar’s “4th of July,” ARGYRO’s “Cool Shades,” Elvira Kalnik’s “Summer Time,” See Your Shadow’s “Another Saturday,” and Robert Ross’s “For You Girl.” Pam Ross, Ashley Puckett, Shweta Harve, Novai, Cello, Miss Freddye, Jeremy Parsons, The Perfect Storm, Noble Hops, Dust and Grace, Cathleen Ireland, Billy Ray Rock, Ananda Xenia Shakti, and Love Power the Band each contribute another color to the picture.

The playlist reminds me that MTS was never built around one sound. It was built around people—people with talent, determination, flaws, faith, dreams, and stories worth sharing. My own journey has been filled with unexpected turns, but every one of these artists has become part of that story. When I hear the playlist from beginning to end, I hear a family that refused to wait for the mainstream music business to give it permission to matter.