INTERVIEW: Micah Willis releases new single

Originally hailing from Salt Lake City, artist Micah Willis has been immersed in the world of music since childhood. With a father who’s a professional blues musician, Micah’s journey began with creating melodies alongside his dad, evolving into performances with a children’s choir and appearances at prestigious venues like Carnegie Hall.

Now, dividing his time between Salt Lake City and Los Angeles, Micah is a talented artist in his own right, making an impact as a singer-songwriter, musician and actor. Having collaborated with the likes of Neon Trees and Maroon 5’s James Valentine, Micah’s musical talent has earned him four Downbeat Magazine awards and a spot on the hit Disney TV show, Andi Mack. Influenced by a diverse range of artists from Miguel to Fleetwood Mac, Micah infuses elements of pop, funk and hip hop into his performances, thrilling audiences with his energy and magnetic stage presence.

First making his artistic entrance back in 2015 with the single “Love It” with OhJack, he’s since shared an impressive catalogue of music across several singles, two EPs and his full-length record, the 2022 album Who The Hell Is Micah Willis. Along the way, he’s also linked up with artists such as austin payne, Cody Himself and Kenny Neal on collaborative releases.

His latest single, “Brand New,” shakes with an irresistible energy, exploring themes of heartache, infidelity and longing. With its shimmering electronic pop sound, “Brand New” invites listeners to join the artist on a cathartic journey, cutting across emotions of melancholy and hope.

On “Brand New,” Micah Willis casts an energising and instantly catchy sound of punchy rhythms, vibrant synth tones and compelling vocal leads. Brought in by the dreamy blend of silky vocalisations and intricate guitar plucks, the track launches with stabbing bass synth notes and a snapping beat as Micah’s voice dance above to craft an infectious sound.

Flowing with smooth ebb and flow as the drums drop out, the chorus erupts with shimmering pop energy as his vocals ride above the invigorating arrangement, resulting in a stunning sound with radio-ready appeal. It’s a superb showcase of his songwriting talent and vocal performance panache that’s sure to win over fans around the world.

We caught up with Micah Willis to find out more about his musical journey so far, his new single “Brand New” and what he’s got lined up for the future. Check out our interview with Micah below.

Hey Micah, how’s things?

Hi! Things are fantastic! Thank you for having me!

What’s your earliest memory of making music?

I never stopped making sounds or singing when I was a little kid. I always had an idea or song stuck in my head. But I do remember using our home stereo and singing over a song and recording it on our boombox on a tape.

Which artists do you draw most inspiration from?

It seems to change everyday. I don’t think there is a specific artist I go to trying to find inspiration. I go to a lot of shows with my band mates and sometimes I won’t even know the band. But I’ll get hooked on a few of their songs and draw inspiration from them. One of those artists now is Dora Jar.

How else do you find inspiration for your music?

Everyday life and specific instances. With my new song”Brand New” it came from a place of disappointment when they became uninterested in our relationship and I knew it was because they met someone else. That feeling is something that can easily be translated into a song.

What’s been your highlight of the year so far?

This year has been so fun and it is going by so fast. I would say the highlight was opening for Dirty Loops. The band is made up of some really high caliber musicians. A lot of the time over half of the audience they play for are musicians. So it was definitely intimidating knowing how many musicians were in the crowd, but it was such a fun show and I met some really great people that night.

What do you love about the Salt Lake City and LA music scenes?

In LA there is an energy that you don’t get anyone else. It tends to light a fire under you. In Salt Lake there are so many diverse musical groups and everyone is super supportive. I’ve played in some cities where there tends to be a lot of competition, I haven’t experienced that in Salt Lake.

What would you say is the perfect setting for listeners to enjoy your sound?

I would say a live show. It’s so fun playing these records live because the band adds so much to it. It’s fun to put a twist on these songs that the audience might not expect.

How has your own style and sound evolved since you started out?

I feel like my sound is always evolving. When I started out I was making music that I thought people wanted to hear me make. Right now, I make music that I want to make. It’s is so rewarding having that freedom.

Has your production process changed much too?

I feel like it hasn’t changed much, but there are just little things I like doing when creating a song. I’ve been working with my main producer Chance Clift for so long that he knows the sound I am going for without me having to explain it. Jaxon Garrick produced Brand New and we have similar taste in music and took a lot of inspiration from some of our favorite artists so the process was pretty seamless.

Who would be your dream artist to collaborate with?

Right now it would be Poppy. None of my music sounds anything g close to what she makes but I think it would be a cool collaboration.

How did you find making your new single “Brand New”?

The chorus came to me first and Jaxon and I used that as the core ingredient to craft the song around. We were able to write it pretty quick. Like I said, this song speaks about a very specific feeling in a very specific moment so it was easy to pull from that experience.

What message did you want to get across with this release?

I think it is more about the feeling than the message with this song. I want the listener to enjoy listening to it. Part of the reason I love music so much is you could play the same song for two different people and they could both enjoy it for different reasons. It might make one person happy because of the melody, it may make the other melancholy because of the lyrics.

What artist have you been listening to most recently?

Right now I’ve been listening to The Neighbourhood, Everything Everything, and Blood Orange. My friend and I just started a new shared playlist because I love every song she shows me and we have just been adding to it. There have been some really cool artists that I’ve found from having that shared playlist. Gregory Alan Isakov, quinnie, Lavender Diamond just to name a few.

What’s the main thing you want people to get out of listening to your music?

I don’t think there is something I’m hoping people get out of my music. Music is so subjective so I just like hearing people’s interpretations of my songs.

What’s been your favourite live performance so far?

Each show is so beautiful in its own way. So I always say my favourite show was my last one!

Who would be 3 artists to headline your dream festival? And where would it be?

As of right now it would have to be Poppy, Jason Isbell, and T-Pain in Telluride Colorado. Not sure how that’s gonna work because they are all on opposite ends of the musical spectrum but hey crazier things have happened!

Do you have any advice for a new artist wanting to follow your footsteps?

My only advice would be to not let what other people think hinder you from making what you want.

Finally, what do you have lined up for the rest of 2024?

I have some really exciting projects coming up this year. One that I am most excited about is a song I am doing with my dad. I can’t go too much into it but I think the fans and listeners will like what they hear!

Listen to Brand New below