From his first three tracks out of the gate, Montreal popster Miko doesn’t seem to be having the best time. Debut ‘Crushes’ is a moody, laidback bop about the downsides of having a crush; ‘Credit Cards & Broken Hearts’ laments spending all your money on bullshit, livin’ like a super star; and his latest, ‘I Wasn’t Made To Fall In Love’ sees wrestling with intimacy issues. Regularly lending his songwriting talents to co-writes with up-and-comers like Soran, Mike Clay (Clay & Friends) and Geoffroy, he’s a lot going on, and a lot coming up. Get to know the rising artist a little better via our handy Q&A.
Hi Miko, how’s it going? What are you up to today?
Nothing much, I’m currently living in my friend’s basement. Making music and looking for an apartment.
What first sparked your interest in music?
I come from a family of musicians, my parents put me in guitar lessons and I hated it. I went to a few classes and cried. Around the age of 14, I had a few homies who played the guitar who taught me the basics. I got hooked right away and never stopped ever since. Everything I know today I learned from my friends and YouTube.
How did you get into writing with other musicians?
I don’t know. It’s just something we did for fun, like playing video games or watching TV.
Is writing for other people a very different process from writing for yourself?
Of course. I’m good at writing music and producing for other people. Not so much at writing lyrics. Writing is something I like to keep to myself. I think my greatest skill when writing music with others is making sure that the session is effortless and fun for everyone. It’s all about the energy in the room. It’s totally different from writing music for yourself.
What topics do you most enjoy writing songs about?
I like to write about everyday life, but I try not to limit myself to a particular theme when writing. I like songs that don’t mean what you think they do.
What are you working on at the moment?
Honestly, I’m perfecting my craft and finding my own sound. Working on my own music and some of the homies stuff as well. I’m constantly making new music. I have my own studio space, so it’s super easy to make music whenever I want to.
What’s on your music career bucket list, do you have any specific goals? Have you ticked anything off yet?
I don’t really have any specific goals like reaching a certain number of streams or being on the cover of some magazine. Those goals are completely meaningless to me. I much rather have general goals like getting better at my craft, staying true to myself or impacting people’s lives through my music.
Who do you think is the most exciting band or musician around right now?
Michael Newbauer.
Tell us a secret about yourself?
I like reading books while listening to classical music.
What are your hopes for 2021?
World peace.
