A Conversation With Michael Aldag
A Conversation With Michael Aldag
Rising breakthrough artist Michael Aldag has had a very successful couple of years since signing to UK-based record label 3 Beat in 2021. His anthemic pop songs with deeply relatable lyrics have caught the attention of BBC Radio 1‘s Jack Saunders who hailed Michael’s song “BLEAK” his tune of the week and commented, “Michael Aldag is as real as they get. His words, at the moment, are my bible. In a world full of deception, Michael Aldag stands tall”. Michael’s most recent single “POLAROID” was also named BBC Introducing’s Track of the Week In January.
Michael prides himself as an artist who speaks heavily to the Gen Z audience, he says “My music’s for anybody who feels slightly-to-constantly overwhelmed and unsure of who they are, flailing around in this massive ridiculous world.” His music is sometimes conveyed within his online personality on the world’s largest social media platform TikTok, where he currently has over 750k followers and counting. “I’m definitely not a TikToker or an influencer,” Michael says, “It’s a useful platform and my songs have got some humour in them as well so the two things are not worlds apart.”
The young artist shows no sign of slowing down, last year he supported two of the UK’s biggest musical acts Bastille, and George Ezra and supported up-and-coming sensation Caity Baser, as well as selling out his own UK headline tour. He’s hitting the road again in May with more dates at bigger venues as his legion of fans continues to grow.
NSGs Billy Vitch caught up with Michael for a chat about his life, music and his amazing career to date.
BV: Good afternoon. And how are you, what have you been up to today and how’s that going?
MA: I went to go see my friend Harry, who also plays guitar for me, we just got some food. And then I’ve just been doing meetings. It’s been a good day so far.
BV: Is Harry the dude that you did the ‘little guitar solo in Liverpool‘ with the backdrop of the cathedral with?
MA: Yeh, that’s him.
BV: So where did you grow up and what was your childhood like, Was music something you were into from a young age?
MA: Yeah, definitely. I grew up on the Wirral in West Kirby. I’m a bit of a wool, LOL. I am down South for the moment but usually, I’m based in Liverpool. Regarding music, I’ve been singing since I was seven, in the school choir and then just in various choirs, and then started writing music when I was 14, and then producing when I was 16. And just kept going.
BV: How did you start music professionally and when did you realise you could do this, like was it something that you believed you could do professionally?
MA: When did I start doing it professionally? I suppose the groundwork for it starts when you start, do you know what I mean? Professionally it’s kind of a weird thing with music because it’s not like doing law or something where you’re out of uni and you get a contract. In some ways, it is because I’ve signed a record deal. So I guess that’s when you would quote/unquote, call it professional.
BV: Like you’re just doing it for the love it for a long time aren’t you?
MA: Yeah and I still am you know, I only do it because I love it and if I ever didn’t then I would stop and do something else. but yeah, I got my record deal in 2021 but I’ve been gigging since I was 14 around Liverpool and stuff.
BV: It’s a long journey, isn’t it?
MA: Yeah, very long, the groundwork starts a long time before being signed but you know, it’s different for everyone. Some people start when they’re like 23 and pop immediately but it is what it is.
BV: Your song “Bleak” is a deep and very introspective song I think. What is it about?
MA: Without sugarcoating it, it’s about suicide and suicidal thoughts, really and mental health and stuff. I actually wrote that song a year ago yesterday I think, I got a little notification on my phone like a memory came up. So yeah, it’s about how you deal with that and the people who stick around through those times. It was quite a tough period for me and as ever, I deal with a lot of it in my music.
BV: Talking about that song I also notice that all of your songs are deep and introspective. I find that really brave as well, in this day and age. Do you find it therapeutic to write about these types of emotions, like mental health?
MA: I do yeah, it’s an outlet and I find that making music is cathartic and a lot of the times when I feel like I can’t get heard, for whatever reason, I’ll put it in a song and it usually gets my point across. So that’s what happened with “Bleak”, I felt like maybe people weren’t listening to me and whatever, and then put it in a song and it gets listened to. I think that’s the same with a lot of my songs. I’m glad you picked up on that. Thank you.
BV: Like at the moment, I find that the world can be a very lonely place, and people aren’t being listened to in general, and people are happy to say, how are you? But as soon as you start telling them how you actually are, it’s like, okay…
MA: yeah, definitely. That’s a huge thing, right? And social media is so fleeting, as well. So a lot of the activism that’s done on there is very performative. And not actually useful. In a deeper sense. I mean, it’s quite easy to repost somebody else’s story about, you know, support mental health or support whatever it might be. the x political cause etc. So I think there is that thing of people feeling like they’re on the surface, getting these issues dealt with, but they’re just kind of ticking a box. And the problem remains unsolved. And it will resurface.
BV: Yeah, of course. I think the lack of government funding for Mental Health Services is massively impactful on this issue in this day and age. Mental health is probably one of the biggest illnesses around at the moment, but it’s one of the least talked about or supported as well.
MA: I think you’re right, the lack of government funding, not just for that, but for everything else, you know, from the hospitals to the train strikes for everything, that all then contributes to poor mental health. You know, it’s not just an isolated thing and that contributes to the circumstances that people find themselves in that then lead to them having declining mental health.
BV: Without making assumptions, I get the feeling from your Instagram videos, that you’re quite introverted. Does this make it hard for you to put yourself out there so much? And does it affect your mental health? Being in the public eye as much as you are now?
MA: I think it did when I initially gained followers. Like when you’re on an upward trajectory, and everything’s going great, it’s fine. But then once you have that initial rise, you’re going to naturally peak and then you’re going to go back down. And then you know, it’s up to you to try and come back up or not, you just gotta keep trying but it’s not a meritocracy you know, it’s not always up to you, a lot of things are out of your control, that also add to that, whether it be the algorithm or you know, whatever style of content is going in and out of fashion. So when I first encountered all those issues, yeah, it did impact me a lot because without noticing it my self-worth had become entwined with the number of followers that I had or the wrong people following me. With social media it happens to everyone now because you think, why did this not get liked or listened to? Like I put my heart and soul into this so why is it not being reciprocated with praise from other people, but as I said, it’s not always that simple. And you just have to kind of stick to your guns and detach yourself from that otherwise you will just spiral up and down with it. And the great times will be great, but you won’t really know yourself. You’ll just be a vessel.
BV: yeah, I see your point. I think one of the problems we still have in society at the moment is that a lot of people view music, media, film and TV as these brilliant outlets to watch and to, you know, partake in as a participant. But then when you’re actually trying to do it professionally, the lack of support doesn’t really reflect that?
MA: yeah, I get what you mean. Like, there’s a perception of creative industries that makes people think it must be so glamorous, but it’s not and for those people who are doing well in it, chances are, it’s probably really tough for them and they don’t have a lot of people to talk to about it either. You can see that with loads of people. It can be very detrimental. But it can also be very useful too because it forces you to kind of find a way to cope with the bad as well as the good.
BV: Do you think you have to be careful in what you say? Like do you have to filter yourself?
MA: I don’t think I filter myself. I would say that sometimes I try and stay away from stuff that I talked about before like, performative activism or stuff that I perceive to be performative activism, which is like, you know, like racism, for example. A worldwide systemic issue. If I post one story/repost something, like something on my Instagram story about it. Yeah, it’s good and it might spread the word to a point but it’s not enough, you know what I mean.
BV: Like using slogans like, F**k the Tories and things, to me always looks really disingenuous and just a good marketing ploy.
MA: Yes, exactly that, and I have felt the very same thing with that slogan. It kind of just becomes exactly what you just said a ‘slogan’ that loses its actual meaning and becomes a way for people to feel like they’re doing something when they’re not actually doing something to change things at all. So going back to what you asked, Do I censor myself? No, I don’t censor myself. Do I try and stay away from stuff like that forms of activism? That is the one thing that I’m careful about. I never actually go on social media and think Oh, I better not say that. Or I better not say this. although I am a bit cautious as to how much of myself I share. I guess.
(Michael Aldag)
BV: Vocally you have a really unique and beautiful voice. Do you like your voice? I mean, some artists hate their own voices and some artists like their own voices.
MA: I mean, mostly I do and for the most part, I’ve learned to get on with it. You know what I mean because it is what it is. So I don’t get that hung up on it. But I think when I was younger, and when you start out you definitely are. But do I like it? Yeah, I like it. And I work all the time to try and get it better. I warm up all the time. And I’ve just recently had my tonsils taken out. Because I had tonsillitis all the time. And it’s changed my voice a touch. So it’s really interesting.
BV: Was that something you were scared about when you actually knew you were going to have the operation because obviously, you know it could affect your vocals?
MA: Honestly I try not to think about that stuff as much as possible because once I’d made the decision to go through with it there was no point in worrying about it. The reason I got them out was that I was having tonsillitis so much that I was having to cancel writing sessions, tours and stuff like that because of it and I thought “I can’t keep on like that“. So once I made the decision I probably was scared but I just stopped myself from thinking about it. And luckily it’s been great so far.
BV: The UK is not in the best shape of late is it? I mean, politically, we’re in a right mess. What do you think some of the fundamental problems are? And do you have a solution? You don’t have to answer this, LOL.
MA: I think this is a good place to talk about it, right? Where it’s a more long form, and we can actually have a better discussion. I don’t have the answer and I don’t think any one person has the answer but I think the Government are very self-serving. And like you said before, the funds aren’t reaching where they need to and the levelling up, again, was just the slogan and being from the North but also spending time in the South, the disparity in wealth between the two is stark, very stark, and the difference in services between the areas is really noticeable. The North/South divide is a real, real thing. And, that’s not to say that people don’t struggle in the South as well, because they obviously do. But I just think that because of my situation, seeing both of them quite regularly it’s always at the forefront of my mind that however much devolution has gone on from the Blair years. It’s not working now, you know? And I feel like a lot of people feel it. Liverpool is notorious for feeling cut off from the rest of the UK but I think that if you go to Manchester, you’ll get a similar answer, you go to Newcastle you’ll probably get the same and definitely in Scotland. And I think that isn’t being addressed by the government. And yeah, just generally, there’s a lot of sleaze.
BV: Historically this has gone on for a long time hasn’t it? Do you feel any sense of pride coming from the North?
MA: Yeah, completely. I think more so as I’ve grown up and gone further afield because when you’re younger, you don’t have a bigger picture of, you know, where you’re from, because all the people you know, are from the same place. So, it’s only when you venture outside of that group of people that you realise what makes where you are from special. And I think I’m learning that all the time. And I’m definitely proud to be from the North and I think it’s got some amazing things and the people are great. there’s a lot of grit and determination in the North and it’s special here. I think there’s a kind of do-it-yourself attitude, which I definitely harbour in my day-to-day life and I’m grateful for that.
BV: If you could sit down for dinner with any three people from history past or present. Who would they be and why?
MA: That’s a really hard question. It depends on what type of dinner you go for. If you’re going for a chilled dinner or a formal one.
BV: Ok, what’s your favourite dinner then?
MA: The dinner grandma makes, it’s chicken with potato croquettes and carrots and broccoli.
BV: Who would you invite to that meal at your gran’s then lol?
MA: People with good manners probably. Maybe Paul McCartney I think she’d like that and maybe Roy Orbison as well because she loves them both.
BV: What is your mission? What do you want to achieve in life and in your music?
MA: Do you know what? As a personal thing, I would just love to make a living out of going around and playing my songs live to as many people as I can. That has been my dream for as long as I can remember. And if I can do that regularly, then I’ll be happy. I would like to do an arena tour at some point. But as I said, I just get to keep playing my music, and I’m happy as well. I think my mission if I had a message to give to people, I don’t know really, because it’ll change as I get older. I could say now, because a lot of my stuff is based on mental health, that it’s kind of geared around that. But you know, who knows what I’ll be writing in the next year or two years.
BV: You talk a lot about your own mental health and stuff and it’s something that comes across as really genuine, “which I think a lot of people are lacking on social media”, the genuine aspect, like you can really tell that you actually go through this stuff. As a musician and as an artist, does it impact your productivity and does it affect you, especially with anxiety and depression, gigging and performing?
MA: Possibly Yeah, I think so. So for me, when I kind of get upset is when I feel like I’m out have control of my career because there are a lot more people involved now. And when I feel like, it’s not going the way I want it to, then my mental health starts to decline. But I wouldn’t say that it’s to the point where I’m anxious. I don’t think I struggle with anxiety. Really. I think that I just struggle with expectations that I have of myself and not living up to them, which I think it’s very common, not just in music but in any line of work.
BV: It’s part of the human condition isn’t it? That constant negative voice that’s always saying your shit, who do you think you are? You should not be here. One day, someone’s gonna find out that you’re not meant to be here.
MA: Yeah. Well, that’s it exactly. I think there’s a bit of that, but really, I don’t think it inhibits my job. I think that it is weird because they feed into each other, right? Because I write about it. So it seems to be what I write about a lot. But my music is strangely the one thing that I love undyingly and so that’s the one kind of constant that I can keep coming back to, whilst anything else like kind of wavers.
BV: What’s the rest of 2023 looking like for you, new music, tours and what are looking forward to the most?
MA: I’ve got lots of new music. Hopefully, I’ll get to release it all depends on a few things and whatnot. But I’ve got a lot of new music that I want to share with everyone. And tours? I’ve got some headline shows on sale at the moment. Manchester, Birmingham and London although Manchester sold out, there are still tickets for Birmingham and London in May. And then a couple of festivals in summer. I’ll also be playing ‘Sound City‘ in Liverpool which will be cool and ‘Secret Garden Party‘ too.
BV: If you had one wish, what would it be? And why?
MA: World peace? But seriously, just for my family and friends to be ok and healthy.
BV: What would be a perfect day for you, from getting up in the morning, to going to bed at night?
MA: I would get up and stretch, I would do work out, I’d go for a run, come back and eat. And I would write a song in the middle of the day. And then in the night, I’d do a gig. And I’d be with my band, who I love and then after the gig, we’d just go back and chill in the hotel, and then go to sleep and then do it again.
BV: It’s been an absolute pleasure talking with you, thank you so much for your time, anything you’d like to add?
MA: it was a real pleasure to talk to you too so thank you for your time.
Praise for Michael Aldag
“In a world of fabrication, it’s the least we deserve to have an artist that truly breathes reality in their music. An artist that is not afraid to communicate their emotions. No clout chasing here.” – Jack Saunders, BBC Radio 1
“Michael Aldag is the tenacious newcomer shattering social media perfectionism with quick and unflinching lyrical honesty” – Notion Magazine
“Part The Killers/The 1975-like anthemic declamation, part lo-fi bedroom-pop introspection” – The Sunday Times
Tour Dates
1st May – Hare and hounds – Birmingham
2nd May – Deaf Institute – Manchester
3rd May – The Garage – London
To follow Michael Aldag on social media click on the links below
Spotify/Facebook/Website/Youtube
