Full Circle: An Interview with Michaela May
The stories behind musical backgrounds usually start with a
musical home. Dad played guitar, mom played classic rock albums on the record
player. The child picked up their first instrument at a young age or was
singing before they could even talk. With Michaela May, the idea of a career in
music was never even considered.
Michaela’s love for music really hit during university and
after she received her degree, she went on to pursue a career in it. That love
of music brought her to London, where a showcase left her face-to-face with
Simon Ellis. As the musical director and songwriter for acts such as Britney
Spears, S Club 7 and the Spice Girls, gaining the attention of Simon Ellis was
no simple feat. Michaela was then signed to an indie label where her song
“Never Gonna Give In” gained attention in other countries. However, as the pair
were songwriting together, the record label went into liquidation. “It was a
huge disappointment for me… you sort of think that you’re on this path and
knowing what I know now, it was all just smoke and mirrors,” Michaela said.
“The indie label was nothing; it was just a capacity to hold it. I got really
disappointed and I took a step back and thought maybe my ace card was my
songwriting.”
Songwriting always felt like the easiest aspect for her. She
never believed that her voice was as unique as other women in her genre but she
did believe that songwriting was where she belonged after this bump in the road.
“My confidence was really deterred as far as an artists’ perspective,” she
said. “I thought maybe my path was writing for other people, and I became very
ok with it.”
Moving from across
the pond to Los Angeles, Michaela began songwriting with others and pitching
the finished product to artists. Through this she was really able to improve
her craft as well as learn and work with other incredibly talented individuals.
It was almost less stressful of an environment because she wasn’t putting
herself out there personally. However, there came a moment where everything was
finally put into perspective for her. After pitching her songs for Selena Gomez’s
latest record, the ultimate “no” from Selena’s camp really proved to the people
that Michaela was working with that these songs belonged to her – and that she
should be the one singing them.
The much-needed wakeup call sent her back to Toronto, where
it all began. It was her own fear of failure holding her back from stepping
back into the performing world and once she got that affirmation that she
needed to be the voice behind these songs, everything fell into place.
A six-song EP chock full of Michaela’s influences is set to
be released this year with an empowering message. Each song is incredibly
personal but also holds a deeper meaning of strength. There’s a real range of emotion and different
types of sounds on each track; whether the song has an electro or Euro vibe,
the record is meant to be a mix of her experiences and a sense of empowerment. “Once
you really decide on your path and decide to go after your passion, you become
super focused. I think there needs to be strength to that,” she said. “I wanted
a common thread of catchy pop songs but I also wanted some variety and the
tempos and I think people will be pleasantly surprised with the variation
that’s on there.”
By pushing the boundaries and experimenting in different
aspects of the music industry, Michaela May really found herself through years
of trial and error. From Toronto to London to LA and back again, any setbacks
were merely stepping stones now. “No matter how you’re deterred, you always
find a way to your passion – wherever that is. It’s really funny how it’s come
full circle.”
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