Johnnie Mikel is a fast rising singer/songwriter based in Los Angeles, who has recently released his new EP ‘Night Of Your Life. The record dropped on the 2nd of this month to rave reviews and Mikel is quickly building up a strong fanbase.
Here we speak exclusively to Johnnie Mikel about his latest music, inspirations, future goals and much, much more;
Growing up who inspired your love of music?
I’m one of the few musical people in my family, although my dad played a lot of his old records when I was growing up. I have several memories of the Beatles and Aerosmith playing in our house. Early on, I loved music and dancing around the house and I feel like some of those early influences may have inspired me to get more involved with music.
Who are your musical icons?
I love iconic dance artists like Britney Spears and innovative ones like David Bowie. They’re some of my favorites!
So, What would be your dream collaboration?
Once again, it would have to be Britney!
How would you describe your personal sound to new listeners?
I think my music has a big and up-tempo pop vibe with a lot of rhythmic and electro influences. I love having a great message mixed with an awesome beat. Purposeful and grandiose pop is definitely how I would describe my sound.
You have recently released your new EP ‘Night Of Your Life’ what can fans expect from the record?
Just like the title says, I think the EP sounds and feels like an amazing night out! It’s definitely very dance-y and every song has such a different and cool vibe, but it all fits together so nicely to tell this one story. I would tell everyone to expect to have a good time while listening to it.
When writing new material where do you look to for inspiration?
I receive inspiration all over the place! I have such a creative mind, so sometimes a simple conversation or comment can get me thinking and creating. Most of my own music is very personal to me and is based off of experience. I’m also very influenced by other artists and love hearing what others are creating and feeding off of that energy. Fashion, television, and books are also great places to look for more inspiration.
Do you have any touring plans lined up for this year?
I’m currently working on that and can’t wait to announce my plans! For the past year, I’ve been working super hard in the studio defining my sound. I can’t wait to hit the stage again and get to share my latest material with my fans. I feel like the upcoming shows will be insane.
Can we expect a full album from you soon?
I’m definitely going to be releasing a lot more material in 2018, although I’m probably keeping it to singles and EPs at this point. I almost have too many songs for an album that I want to release and feel so passionately about and I’m hoping to drop them all over the next several months.
What are your long term career goals?
I really want to keep doing what I’m doing, but on a larger scale. I’d love to have a large-scale headlining tour of my own one day. That’s probably one of my biggest goals as an artist!
Make sure you follow Johnnie on Twitter @johnniemikel to keep up to date with all his latest music and tour news!
Did you enjoy our exclusive interview with Johnnie Mikel? Let us know your thoughts over on Twitter @CelebMix.