As one fifth of Embrace, Mike Heaton toured the world, playing to sell-out crowds and releasing hit albums.

After taking a break to pursue solo projects, Mike and the rest of Embrace are about to start writing new material. But drummer Mike is also using his experience of the music industry to help local bands get started, working with them on all aspects of the business, from songwriting to promotional material.

He’s been working with Bradford Council, Leeds City Council and North Yorkshire County Council on music development initiatives, mentoring bands and helping them develop careers in the industry.

And when he’s not nurturing new music talent, or teaching at his drumming school, Mike is running his club, The Hop. The Wakefield venue offers up-and-coming bands the chance to perform.

“The idea is to attract new talent and small touring bands,” says Mike. “There are so many great young bands out there – the music scene is thriving in West Yorkshire – and they need somewhere accessible to play. We supply a great venue and it’s up to the bands to get people coming in. When we started out with Embrace we’d drag everyone along to gigs – friends, family, people we met on the street. You have to build your own fanbase.”

With an upstairs and downstairs bar/performance area and a seated chill-out area, The Hop is attracting a mixed crowd of music-lovers and real ale drinkers. Mike co-owns the club with Jamie Lawson, managing director of Yorkshire’s Ossett Brewery. “We have a range of real ales and rotating guest ales as well as continental lagers,” says Mike. “There’s a younger crowd getting into real ales now. We plan to extend and open a dining area, we’ve got lots of ideas for food – from Thai to Mongolian!”

The focus on music and comedy is reflected in the decor; a striking mosaic is made up of 3,000 album cover designs and on other walls there are portraits of comedians and artwork from bands.

“Opening a club was the last thing on my mind but while I was on holiday last year I got a text from Jamie about this empty building he’d found,” says Mike. “He took me there and even though it was a run-down shell, I knew it could be amazing.”

Within a few months the building had been transformed into a stylish venue. Since opening last year, The Hop has expanded its programme of live music and comedy; there’s a monthly Northern Soul night called Landslide, Luv Dub, a trance/electronica dance night, and monthly comedy nights compered by Leeds comic Silky. A regular session called Sticky Shoes is open to under-18s, enabling younger audiences to enjoy live music, and there’s a dance school with classes in salsa and street dance, led by Jamie’s sister Julia Lawson. “We’re taking small steps, it’s going down well,” says Mike. “We’ve had some cracking sell-out comedy nights, with names like Rob Dearing and John Cooper Clarke. And we had The Rumble Strips here recently. We’re going for varied music; we don’t want to be pigeon-holed as an indie venue. We’re launching an open mic acoustic night and we’ve had enquiries from someone wanting to put on a jazz/chamber music evening, which would be great!

“We’ve got dressing rooms for the acts. That was something I felt was important, having played at some venues with Embrace in the early days where we were lucky to have a pokey room to throw our coats down!”

This autumn the club is holding a Battle of the Bands contest, with the winner playing alongside two signed rock bands in October. “We’re organising it with Rebel Management, run by Bradford band White Light Parade,” says Mike. “They’re supplying equipment and the use of a recording studio. It’s a great chance for rising bands to get their name known.

“We’re looking for promoters who want to put bands on. Both floors are soundproofed so there can be something subtle going on upstairs while a band rocks away downstairs. The upstairs venue is available for hire for private events and gigs.”

Mike is involved with a drop-in centre at the Jam On Top rehearsal studio in Keighley, where musicians seek advice. “I watch them rehearse, they pick my brains,” he says. He has brought the venture to his club, where the first ‘Jam at the Hop’ session was recently held. “They brought four bands and a coachload of people over, we’re planning to do it every two months,” says Mike.

“Bands need experience of playing live but don’t have much money, starting out. We need to collectively nurture our region’s bands. There’s talent out there, it’s exciting seeing it come through. It’s about time we had another big band.”

Mike, of Liversedge, started mentoring after hearing about North Yorkshire County Council’s music scheme through a band supporting Embrace. “I was assigned to mentor Eskimo Sandwich, a band aged between 13 and 19. I took to the process of sharing my skills and experience, handing over my knowledge of the industry and giving practical support,” he says. “You get a bit jaded when you’ve been in the music business for years, but working with young bands feels fresh and rewarding. I’m giving something back.”

He says playing in a band is more than rock ‘n’ roll. “Working together as a band develops life skills – teamwork, confidence, discipline and motivation,” says Mike. “I help bands form their vision, create songs, perform live, record a demo. We work in a Bradford recording studio, I get them familiarised with the recording process. We look at designing artwork for record covers, photo-shoots and filming videos.”

Mike listens to bands rehearse, whether it’s in the back room of a pub or a garage. “I look at where they’re at and help them move forward. We look at what’s taken for granted in a band; things like playing as a tight unit and playing in time. That all has to be learned and practised.

“And we look at promotion, getting yourself out there and in the press. Being in a band isn’t just about performing and looking cool, it’s about agents, managers, promoters, image, lighting, sound control. I’m wary of spoonfeeding bands – what I do is give them tools to use themselves.

“When I joined Embrace we started out on sheer determination – but we’d have got there quicker if we’d known more about the business.” Mike also visits schools and colleges, talking about career opportunities in the music industry. “Young people need to be aware of the job opportunities it offers. Musicians need to see music as a career rather than a hobby,” he says. “Music is good for children’s academic and social development, but there’s a drop-off in music from primary to secondary schools. Children learn basic instruments at primary school, and sing together, but after that there isn’t so much focus on music. It’s not seen as a proper subject, unless you play an instrument. But music can help kids who aren’t necessarily academic – it can reach disengaged young people.”

After taking a break from Embrace, Mike is looking forward to working with the lads again.

The band – also comprised of frontman Danny McNamara, keyboardist Mickey Dale, and guitarists Rick McNamara and Steve Firth – burst onto the music scene in 1998 with debut album The Good Will Out which topped the charts. In 2004, the band returned to the music scene, after a three-year hiatus, with hit single Gravity and double platinum-selling album Out Of Nothing, which went to No.1. In 2006, Embrace scored their hat-trick of No.1 albums with This New Day.

Also that year, the band was chosen by the Football Association to record the official England World Cup 2006 song, World At Your Feet, topping their remarkable comeback.

“After 10 years together we needed a break,” says Mike. “We’ve all been doing our own thing; Danny runs a club in Manchester, Mickey is working with Bradford band Talk to Angels, Rick is producing and Steve is pursuing other interests. It’s been good to do other things but now we’re chomping at the bit to get going again. The wheels are in motion.”