Mitch: Your latest single, ‘Bite My Tongue’, just came out on September 18. Do you mind sharing a bit about the track and what inspired it?
Michael: Yeah, I’m super pumped about it. It’s been fun to play. Playing it for the first time in arenas with Noah Kahan is a little nerve-wracking, though.
It’s a song I wrote a few months ago. It came together pretty quickly. It’s kind of about when things feel like they’ve hit the fan and you’re at a low point. You just want to pretend it doesn’t exist, which is a bad habit of mine.
I really like the way it all came together and the instruments on it. It was done in Colorado. Me and another guy just played everything on it in a few days. It was a super fun process, and it’s been a blast to watch it come to life here.
Mitch: What do you hope people feel while listening?
Michael: Number one, I hope they just like the song in general, the instruments and the melodies. I hope people understand where I’m coming from in the song. If people relate to any part of it, whether it’s the whole song or just bits and pieces, that’s always the hope as a songwriter.
Mitch: If the track was playing in a movie scene, what would the scene look and feel like?
Michael: I imagine it as some kind of emotional breakup and somebody’s driving home alone and just pondering life. It’s dark and there’s probably some rain in there too.
Mitch: How would you describe your sound and style without using any genres?
Michael: I feel like it’s honestly kind of simple. It’s just guitars and mandolins and simple songwriting vibes. I hope that it feels familiar and emotional in a way, and that it’s something people can relate to. Without using genres, it’s very close to Noah Kahan and The Lumineers. That’s kind of the vibe of the music.
Mitch: You’re currently playing arenas around Australia and New Zealand, opening for Noah Kahan. How has the tour been so far?
Michael: Yeah, it’s been so fun. It’s been a dream. I’ve done some shows with Noah before and it’s always amazing. His band is so good and the show is incredible. I’ve wanted to do a proper tour with him for so long, and the fact that it finally happened is a dream come true.
I’ve gotten the opportunity to come down here before and play some headline shows, and I just had so much fun. The crowds are so engaging and fun down here. We’ve also been having so much fun hanging out in the cities, exploring and doing new things.
Playing for that many people, especially that many nights in a row, is pretty wild. It’s insane to see the reach that Noah’s music has. It’s really a dream come true kind of tour. It’s been so fun.
Mitch: What’s been your favourite experience in Australia so far?
Michael: The very first time I came down here, we did a lot of fun things. Playing a headline show and seeing people sing along to your songs, probably as far as I can possibly get from my hometown, was pretty wild. Seeing that is like a ‘pinch me’ moment. I can’t believe the songs I wrote in my bedroom have come all the way to Australia.
But also, last year we went to a wildlife sanctuary and fed kangaroos and koalas. So that’s up there with playing arenas for me.
Mitch: Can Australia expect you back here anytime soon for your own shows?
Michael: Yeah, I would love to. That would be so fun. I’m going to go back and work on finishing up another album, and I think after that’s done, I would love to come back and play some more shows and spend another good long chunk of time down here. It’s not easy to get here, so once you get here, you kind of want to stay.
Mitch: You’ve done some pretty incredible things already. You’ve made your Grand Ole Opry debut, performed on Jimmy Kimmel and Seth Meyers, shared the stage with the Jonas Brothers and sold thousands of tickets to your own shows. What’s something you’ve achieved that your younger self would never believe?
Michael: I really feel so lucky that I’ve gotten to do so many cool things in the past year and a half. I’m just really grateful for a lot of those opportunities.
Just standing on the stage of an arena, seeing people’s lights go up and singing to that many people. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to that. I don’t think that’ll ever feel normal to me.
But I think one of the biggest pinch-me moments, and probably the thing I’d been most nervous for, was when we played on live TV. Jimmy Kimmel was pretty wild because you’re just thrown out on live TV and you’re like, “Oh, dear God, I hope this goes well.” So that was a big one because it was such a unique experience.
Mitch: What’s the best way for people to support you?
Michael: I think just streaming the music on Spotify or whatever. I try to keep up to date with social media, posting and interacting on TikTok and Instagram. I try to be open and honest, put myself out there, connect with people and read messages and stuff like that.
Also, just coming to live shows. I think at the end of the day, the live show is still the most special way for artists and fans to share things and have those unique moments together. That’s always my favourite.
Mitch: What can fans expect from you next?
Michael: I’m working on another album, so I’m going to go back and try to wrap up a few more songs.
Then hopefully at the top or middle of next year, I’ll get back out on the road and start playing some more headline shows. I’ve done a lot of opening up for bands this year, which has been amazing, but I think next year I’m going to try to play some more headline tours.
RAPID FIRE QUESTIONS!!
Mitch: Favourite lyric from ‘Bite My Tongue’?
Michael: I think it’s just the first line of the chorus, “What am I going to do after?” I think I have that thought a lot with my anxiety. I’m just like, “What am I going to do with this?” I feel like I’m constantly going through that line of logic in my head.
Mitch: First album you bought?
Michael: The first album I actually bought with my own money was probably one of Coldplay’s first albums. It might’ve been ‘A Rush of Blood to the Head’ or ‘X&Y’.
Mitch: Go-to karaoke song?
Michael: I feel like for karaoke, if you really take karaoke seriously, you can come across as kind of insane. So I go for the humorous route and I try to do the weirdest country song, like Alan Jackson, fake voice, fake country, cowboy hat kind of energy.
Mitch: You’re forming a supergroup! Who are the three other artists you’re inviting in?
Michael: I don’t want to sing so we need a really, really good singer. I think we’re going with Olivia Rodrigo as our singer. She’s got the star power.
And then we’re going to add Noah Kahan in there. He’ll sit in the back and play guitar with me, I guess. And then we’re going to add Wesley Schultz, lead singer of The Lumineers. Us three. And then Olivia Rodrigo is going to be our front person. She’s going to bring the energy.