Where are you currently based?
I’m based in Vancouver, BC. I grew up just outside of the city in a small suburb called Port Moody. It’s a pretty beautiful place to be.
How did you first start playing music?
My parents tell me that I’ve been singing since I could talk. Music and singing and performance have honestly felt innate since I can remember. I was constantly performing as a kid, and started doing musical theatre, voice, dance, and piano lessons around age five, and I started writing songs in elementary school in a sparkly pink notebook (which I recently found, and was incredible).
What’s been happening recently?
I’ve been busy! I’ve gone on four writing trips to Nashville and LA in the past eight months for writing and networking. I played my first acoustic shows in LA, Boston, and Philadelphia, and with a full band in Toronto. I wrote my forthcoming EP between those trips and writing sessions at home in Vancouver.
Your new single “Just This Once” is out now! How did this song come about and what do you hope new fans take away from it?
This is the first single off my sophomore EP. I think the song captures a desire for freedom that I couldn’t indulge during the pandemic, and the lyrics tell that story of frustration around wanting someone I love to be straight up, rather than trying to tiptoe around underlying issues. At that point in COVID, I think everyone was kind-of exploding and re-evaluating their life, and I totally had that hunger for complete honesty. I thought, “If we actually don’t know how tomorrow will look, you might as well get everything out of the shadows and into the light.” I hope it makes listeners want to run or dance or fly or speed in a boat across a wide open body of water. To me, it gives a feeling of catharsis.
Where and when did you record/produce/master and who did you work with?
‘Just This Once’ was the first song I wrote with Ryan Stewart on the first day we met, and he’s now producing my whole EP. It came fairly quickly, and I was obsessed with it from the first demo. We worked out of his home studio in North Vancouver.
How did you approach the recording process?
This time around, I’m working on being less fixated on “perfection” or “sounding great” as the primary motivation when I’m in the vocal booth. It’s a very fun but vulnerable place. I’m learning how to just be present and feel the music and emotion and lyrics on the mic.
What does this single mean to you?
It definitely sets the stage for my next era of music, and I think it captures the spirit of this next project, which is at the intersection of pop, indie and singer-songwriter.
Who are you listening to at the moment?
Harry’s House is on repeat.
What do you like to do away from music?
I love getting active—I bike, lift weights, swim, hike in the summer, and get out for walks as much as I can. I have an incredible group of friends and my whole family at home, too, so usually weekends have some kind of wonderful shared meal with great conversation. And I read lots!
What’s planned for the remainder of 2022?
I have a bunch of summer shows coming up at home in Canada, and I’m working on tour plans for the fall and spring before my EP is out.
Favourite food and place to hangout?
No joke, I love all food, but a few standouts are sushi (a must if you’re from Vancouver), authentic Italian pasta, and Greek food (I love olives and moussaka and roasted potatoes). I love being outside whenever possible—to me, a favourite place to hang out includes good people by my side!
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Website: www.michaelaslinger.com