michael cassidy is a singer songwriter from paisley who played some memorable
gigs for amaSing at the 2013 festival with his amaSing catchy folk music with a
focus on melody. he has gigged extensively and supported other uk artistes such
as ben howard. his debut album will be released next year...
we can't wait!!
michael has spared some time to have a good ol'
catch up with amaSing. read on to learn how michael found his amaSing
experience, what inspires his songwriting and his thoughts on the
benefits that would come from having wings.
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how was your experience playing at the amaSing festival 2013?
that was a thoroughly enjoyable couple of days.
we played two gigs and we seemed to go down really well with the crowd so I can't really ask for more! the full band gig was especially fun because it just felt like everyone in the room was having a brilliant time and that really is what's it's all about for me.
what have you been up to since amaSing 2013?
i have been gigging loads all over the place. i am just about to travel down to
cornwall for a few gigs there over the weekend. i also released another single
everybody's scared which got some great coverage on the radio so that has been
massive for me.
we are excited for your debut album being released this year, how would you describe it to us in 5 words?
personal. big. quiet. uplifting. folk.
how does your songwriting process start?
it usually starts with a wee phrase I hear or see written down which usually triggers
an idea forlyrics, also just sitting at the piano or guitar and playing some chords and I
usually find a little path I like. when I find a nice path I like to walk down
it for hours.
who have been your biggest musical influences?
i am a huge rufus wainwright fan and love pretty much everything he has ever put
out. i love his voice and the different styles he seems to master so
effortlessly. i am also massive fan of his mother and aunt who are called the
mcgarrigle sisters. I am also a huge fan of randy newman who is one of the greatest song
writers ever!
where did the michael cassidy logo come from?
i work with a couple of artists. one is an artist down south called paddy Schmidt who created the artwork for my first ep. we really wanted to go for a dock feel with lots of sea artifacts used
in the artwork. this for some reason seems to match my work perfectly. my online
and album stuff is created by an artist from edinburgh called robbie porter. i absolutely love his stuff and can't wait for you to see the album cover when it comes
out!
what advice would you give to upcoming musicians in scotland?
get out and play.
don't get involved in pay to play situations. put your own gigs on but remember to really
hone your performance and song writing skills before you expect to pack out any
venue also play loads of open mics and build your confidence and stage patter
from there.
if you could be an animal for a day what would you be?
i would be an eagle because if you think about it that would be an incredible
day. if I chose something like a lion or cheetah yeah I would be fast and
powerful but there would be a lot of lying around. An eagle could jump off a big
mountain and spend all day gliding slowly down to the ground, WOW. if i was an
eagle based in stranraer i could fly over to ireland for free and not have to
pay the extortionate ferry prices.
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