From the Smog of London to the Vibrant Melbourne Music Scene: An Exclusive Interview with Miguel

Miguel, a country boy from the southwest of England, found his creative identity amidst the smog of London. Grappling with heartbreak and life's unpredictable twists, he was drawn to the shores of Australia with a guitar and a pocketful of songs. Starting from open-mic nights along the Australian east coast, Miguel quickly immersed himself in Melbourne's vibrant music scene. His debut track "Paint" and the BBC Introducing-picked "Sweet Honey" marked his arrival, followed by the energetic "Impossible to Be" and the heartfelt "Happy." Now, with a new EP on the horizon, Miguel continues to captivate audiences with his Nashville-inspired storytelling and soulful sound. Join us as we dive into the journey of this rising artist and his musical evolution.

1. Miguel, your journey from the South-West of England to Melbourne is quite remarkable. Can you share how the transition from London to Australia has influenced your music and artistic vision?

It was the collateral damage of heartbreak and the vertigo of dramatic plot-twist that sent me spinning into Australian orbit initially - and it was a stroke of serendipitous luck that Melbourne happens to cradle one of the most vibrant musical scenes on planet earth.

London & Bristol were my home for a decade. I’d gathered the perception that Bristol was a place where people made stuff and London was a place where people showed stuff. There’s nothing wrong with an elaborate display of show and tell, but for myself personally, I prefer to live in an environment where people are content with making and creating; who then pick and choose their moments to show off. I find it to be a far more wholesome, sustainable and authentic space to exist, and it was the reason I fell in love with Bristol Initially. Melbourne, Australia has the exact same energy - just stretch it out by a few square kilometres, dose it with stimulants, exceptional coffee and round out the vowels a little more. 

There's such a high respect for musical story-telling here, and a dedication to the craft which envelops you by proxy. I currently exist right in the atrium of Melbourne’s musical heartbeat. The Northside is riddled with music venues and creative spaces. I could hurl a boomerang out the window and hit 7 jazz musicians mid-solo, graze the shoulder of 5 infusion bands, knock a frontman unconscious and interrupt the romantic meal of 5 different cuisines before it came hurtling back, doused in craft beer and draped in synthetic drug baggies. 

2. Your music blends various influences, from country and blues to Nashville and soul. How do you navigate these different genres to create a cohesive sound that reflects your unique style? 

Someone told me that Nirvana was just Kurt Cobain trying to sound like the Pixies. And he ended up creating a new genre. How beautiful is that? I like to think that most of the magic is happening subconsciously which is why it's so important to extract internally and allow that to be a compass for your expression. I find that people tell me what my genre is before I've really thought about it. I follow my own excitement. There are countless beginnings of songs that whither or fizzle out because they don't grab my excitement for long enough. If you’re hearing a song it's because it was able to climb the rungs of my excitement for long enough to will itself into existence.

I've always been mesmerised by the story-telling and lyricism of pure country music. Blues guitar holds the most weight and articulation of almost any sound and the best songs ever written are soul. I worship at the altar of those genres and my sound will inevitably bounce between them. 

3. Your latest single, 'Impossible to Be,' captures a vibrant and energetic essence. What was the inspiration behind this track, and how does it represent your growth as an artist?

‘Impossible to Be’ represents a crossroads between my disillusionment with contemporary single life and my arrival on Melbourne’s live music circuit. Modern dating is flying dangerously close to rapid-fire, dopamine-thirsty, quick-fix ego boosts that cycle on a day to day basis. The loop has chased its own tail and closed in on itself to the point where its purpose is unrecognisable. Quirks are ‘flaws,’ ‘ghosting’ is part of the common vernacular and people hoist red flags before they can hold a full conversation. Over time the cravings for true substance and deeper connection will inevitably fester. Falling victim to this myself I began to wonder whether I’d ever actually stumble across my person and whether I could disentangle myself from this aspect of our culture. I think the song was in part my attempt at manifesting that person in my life. And guess what… It bloody well worked. I should probably write a song about money next… 

4. You mentioned that 'Happy' was a message to show that guys can write break-up songs too. How do personal experiences and relationships shape your songwriting process?

Relationships can give us both the most intense euphoria and unbearable pain in equal measure and both are rocket fuel for creativity. There’s an incredible wave of feminine relationship commentary in music right now, and rightfully so. I can only applaud Taylor Swift for her impact. I think that we’re in a time where masculinity is lacking its self-awareness and has somewhat retracted its voice in fear of saying something wrong. 

After a flourish of ‘F*ck You’ songs that arrived post break-up, I eventually realised it was fine to say that, you know what, it's ‘Hard to be happier without you.' After emptying the cannon, It was that simple sentence that ultimately offered the most therapeutic relief and therefore earned its place in the chorus. 

I’m aware of guys out there who don’t have an outlet enough to vent their feelings and the damage that can do. Pouring things into my guitar has saved me on many occasion. The messages I now receive from people who have listened adds to the rocket fuel and Inspires me to keep going. I’m proud to throw ‘Happy’ into the ring as a man who took the hard edges of a break-up on the chin without a full-blown retaliation. 

5. You’re currently working on a three-song EP. Can you give us a sneak peek into what fans can expect from this upcoming release and how it will differ from your previous work?

In a sentence: More intimacy, closer to the truth, better shapes, richer colours and deeper feelings. I’m aware that I'm building my catalogue and I’m relishing every single moment of it. 

There's an interplay between structure, truth and feeling when I’m writing songs. As long as I’m bettering myself in at least one of these dimensions then the process is alive and kicking. Sometimes two are in play simultaneously; during which I'm probably going to be late to wherever I need to be. Sometimes I'll conjure something that finds new territory in all 3 areas and that’s when I start losing sleep.

There’s a song on this new EP called ‘My Friend” which I think is the best song I’ve written to date because of its audible growth in every area. And I have a sneaking suspicion that it comes from the world of a future album.