A Quick Chat with Michael Day
Can you tell me a bit about your inspiration for your single ‘’Psych or the Priest?’
Psych or the Priest came from going through a rough couple of years. With two predominant themes, anxiety and depression, and being unsure if I was the victim or the culprit. I really struggled with motivation for life and to do things. I was listening to Gregory Alan Isakov and really wanted to write a song similar to his vibe and so I started creating ‘Psych or the Priest’. He always has this beautiful melancholic feel with descending progressions that I tried to imitate that. And then I really just wanted to play the harmonica with a song, so this is the first one.
What are your influences and how do they affect your songwriting?
Any Alt Folk/Indie/Folk/SingerSongwriter Artists, especially from Perth, are big inspirations at the moment. To name a few, Jacob Wylde, Riley Pearce, Jordy Maxwell, Michael Dunstan, Kat Wilson, Joan & the Giants, Angie Coleman, Raymondouu, Darcy Haven, Anna Schneider, Ghost Care, Lucas Jones. There’s so many!
Beyond the local Scene are Angus and Julia Stone, The Lumineers, Gregory Alan Isakov, Josh Pyke, Mumford and Sons, Garrett Kato, and The Paper Kites.
My current understanding of how these artists affect my songwriting, I think, is in the way they compose melodies and chord progressions. As mentioned before, I tried to imitate Gregory Alan Isakov’s chord progressions for ‘Psych’. My latest writing is influenced melodically by Jacob Wylde, Riley Pearce and Angus and Julia Stone. The more I listen to artists, the more I subconsciously take on something that they do. Chateau by Angus and Julia Stone has been on repeat for the last few months, I’ve really been loving hearing how this song sort of goes nowhere dynamically, it sits on this plateau but there’s so much going on. I’ve been trying to write a few songs recently with a similar vibe. I like to pick things that I enjoy in a piece and try to create something from that one idea.
What’s the creative process like for you?
I usually start with chord progressions normally with a riff of some kind. I end up either in a verse or chorus and try to flesh out the piece from there. I like to sing random melodies over the progression and just see what grips me. And then, I’ll add lyrics later. Sometimes however, on that less often occurrence, I’ll get a melody stuck in my head and will create everything off that.
If you could change something about the Australian music industry what would it be?
My petty thing is I’m a nana and don’t want to be out past like 10pm. So making gigs during the afternoon/evening more normal would be amazing hah!
I think my big one, which I think is changing more and more, is that we would start listening to local music more as a society because it’s bloody awesome! And I guess going along with that, is that radio and TV stations, movie makers and businesses, big and small, would start using local Australian music in their businesses. I think America is as big as it is because everyone invested in the local scene early on. I think for Australia, we need to stop chasing America and actually start being creative and investing in our own industry. It’s my pet peeve with Australia, we import everything from elsewhere rather than being creative people and investing in our own creativity, I think we do that across the board. If we keep doing that, Australia will be a pretty grey place to live.
What do you think life would be like for you if you didn’t have music as an outlet?
It would objectively be easier to make a career and feel some sort of ‘yes what I’m doing is valuable’, I think this comes back to the cultural thing above. In my experience of Perth, If you’re not ‘working hard’ in manual labor, or working in an academic field, or doing something that earns a significant amount of money, doubt is cast over the value of that thing that you’re doing. And this isn’t just unique to the music and creative industry. I think as a culture we need to look at what we say has and doesn’t have value. I think, if what we deem worthy is based on money or status, I think we’re using the wrong measure. All of that to say, If I didn’t have music as an outlet, life could be simpler. But I don't know if I could not make music. I tried it and it was no good.
Is there anyone you would like to collaborate with? Why?
Julia Stone is currently on my radar, having seen her featured on a bunch of Artists songs recently. I love her voice, it fits so well with folk music and it’d just be a dream to collab with her!
Gregory Alan Isakov would be another I’d also love to experience creating music with.
What’s your advice to young people who want to make a career for themselves in the industry?
Work on creating good songs and make lots of them. Go to an experienced producer who can actually help you create the work and keep the work to a high standard. Be organized. Gather all your assets and then give yourself 3 months to set up the release and launch. You have to back your own music, this can be really hard if it’s just you, so find the people who will give you hard critical feedback so if they say ‘yes it’s good’, you know it is because they have previously said no that song or part wasn’t good. You want honest people around you, not yes men.
Who’s the most interesting person you’ve worked with/met?
Andy Lawson is my Audio Engineer and he is just a gun! He’s a super lovely human with a lovely family, he’s friendly and genuinely good at what he does. He’s worked with many people in the industry and I love to see him work and pick his brains where I can.
Favourite hangover cure?
Controversial, but I’ve never been drunk. Pretty weird, I know. But a breakfast wrap or breakfast burger is always a go to, to get me up and running.
Any plans for a tour on the cards?
I’ve been doing some mini solo tours down to Albany, WA. Going into next year I am planning on extending my tours, I’d like to do the coast of WA. And then, I’m hoping to touch the Eastern shores at some point in the next year or two. Other countries are also on the table, but just planning when. I think I’d like to get a bunch more music out first.