Issue 101 / July 2019

SPOTLIGHT
MICHAEL ALDAG
A rising star who is managing to merge classic Scouse songwriting with the freshness of contemporary
electronic production. You heard him here first.
If you had to describe your music in a sentence, what would
you say?
It’s anthemic electro-pop. It can range from heartfelt ballads to
guitar driven anthems. My aim is to have people screaming at the
top of their lungs, and then sobbing, within the same set.
How did you get into music?
As soon as I came to the harsh realisation, when I was about
seven years old, that I wasn’t going to play up front for England,
I really focused on it. I started writing when I was 14. The first
song I wrote was a tribute to the victims of the Hillsborough
disaster, as it was around the time of the inquest that found they
were unlawfully killed.
Can you pinpoint a live gig or a piece of music that initially
inspired you?
My dad used to play The Killers a lot. I remember listening to
them in the car on the way back from my nan’s and it gave me
this feeling of vast awesomeness and emotion. Like you could cry
but you wouldn’t know why you were crying. I was lucky enough
to see them two years ago in the Echo Arena and I’ve never felt
jealousy like it in my life. I just wanted to be Brandon Flowers. I
still do.
Why is music important to you?
It’s crazy the fact that you can be sat there, hear something, and
then three and a half minutes later your mood has changed. And
that’s something anyone can experience. I think writing is one of
the best outlets: a lot of the time I’ll write a song in a rush, listen
back to it and it’ll outline events
in my life and feelings that I didn’t
necessarily know I had. That’s special.
Then sharing what you’ve made
with other people who might relate
to something that you’ve written,
alone in your bedroom, creates a
connection that we can sometimes
overlook but is amazing.
What does your favourite song to
perform live say about you?
I have a song called OKAY and it has
an energy about it that people seem
to respond to. It’s basically a confession of all my insecurities and
flaws and it’s a strangely liberating feeling getting to sing them
out to a room full of strangers. It has a cool synth line on it as
well, so that helps.
What do you think is the overriding influence on your
songwriting?
Definitely a mixture of influences and art, but the majority of the
time it’s my own emotions. I think writing about current affairs
is very important, though; I’m trying to do it more. As artists we
have a unique platform with which we can do a lot of good, so
we should try to.
Do you have a favourite venue you’ve performed in? If so, what
makes it special?
“As artists we have
a unique platform
with which we can
do a lot of good, so
we should try to”
I recently played a new electronic
set at Constellations for Sound City
as a part of Levi’s Music Project.
Debuting songs that you’ve produced
over months is always exciting,
if not nerve-wracking. Levi’s had
personalised the venue for us artists
and created graphic design to play
as a backdrop while we performed. It
was grand.
Can you recommend an artist, band
or album that Bido Lito! readers
might not have heard?
There’s this guy called Jimothy Lacoste who I’ve only just
discovered. He has an 80s feel and does some funny songs.
It’s worth watching his videos because his dance moves are
something else.
If you could support any artist in the future, who would it be?
It’ll come as no surprise after my earlier fanboying, that it would
be a dream to support The Killers. Bastille as well. They’re both
great bands who’ve influenced me a lot.
soundcloud.com/michael-aldag
Michael Aldag is one of the new cohort of Merseyrail Sound
Station artists who will be performing live at Liverpool Central
station on Friday 26th July.
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