Welcome back friends! Today we are joined by Rock music connoisseur Sanjay Michael on the arrival of his debut single ‘Rocking into Midnight’ ahead of his debut album of the same name! Exciting times are ahead for Sanjay and we catch up with him below to find out more!
What would you say first sparked your interest in music/who inspired you to make music?
I guess my interest first came from my father, who introduced me to rock and electric blues albums from BB King, John Fogerty and the Eagles. We would always have the radio on in the house growing up… I learned classical piano and guitar but they didn’t do anything for me so I naturally just got a lot of exposure to commercial music the same way everyone else did – the radio and MTV.
How would you describe the music you are currently creating?
Rock ‘N’ Roll… or just classic rock!
I take the basic elements of good electric guitar rhythm and infuse it with whatever blues licks I think will work.
What does your creative process look like?
I usually spend some time every day just relaxing and fooling around with the guitar. When I stumble upon a riff I like (I mean, when I end up hitting it hard with my right hand!) I just start singing to myself and if the words connect with the guitar, that becomes the chorus.
I’ll then take my time and work the lyrics around it, constantly modifying it until I get it right… but the chorus has to have that raw emotion to it.
Who would you most like to collaborate with? (let’s send it out to the universe and make it happen!)
- Greta van Fleet – They’ve rejuvenated rock with their Led Zeppelin ‘rebirth.’ Even though our styles may be slightly different I think we have the same attitude, so we should start with harmonizing some riffs and go from there.
- Justin Johnson – One of the most entertaining slide guitar players out there… I think his bottleneck blues and my power chords would complement each other nicely.
- Taylor Swift – No, not for songs!… She’s getting into film directing, and with her massive experience appearing in music videos I would love to have her direct one of two of mine.
What is the one message you would like to send out to your fans?
In this world of pop and K-pop, don’t lose hope!… The arena-shaking rock music we crave is just around the corner.
I will always try to create the best music I can for my fans’ entertainment but I’ll do it my way, otherwise there’s no connection that’s uniquely ours.
What’s your top tip to rejuvenate your creativity/get over a writer’s block?
Forget about it for now, watch something funny on TV and have a good night’s sleep.
What’s next for you, what do we have to look forward to/ what are you currently working on?
My first album, Rocking Into Midnight, will be released on July 7 and I’m looking forward to live performances to showcase the songs. That’s my first priority and it’s a good time as the Singapore live music scene is starting to get back on track now.
I’m planning to record an EP later this year, tentatively to be released early next year… This will be a good bridge to the next full album I’ve got planned, with the music already set and the lyrics getting finalized.
So I’ll be concentrating on the basics of stage and studio, and there should hopefully be a lot of behind-the-scenes treats for my fans!
Listen to ‘Rocking into Midnight’ below:
Keep up with Sanjay:
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