New Release – Nothing To Die For by The John Michie Collective

New Release – Nothing To Die For by The John Michie Collective

The John Michie Collective has a new single ‘Nothing To Die For’ coming up on 29 January. You can pre-save now and be the first to hear it on release day. This is what John had to say about his new single:

“I wrote this song properly about two years ago upstairs in my bedroom in Morpeth, when I was putting together my debut album High Vibrations… It’s a tiny room with white walls and jammed full of shoes, so not a zen environment for songwriting. That is in terms of lyrics and chord progression being fixed. The songwriting was done in about 30 minutes on my acoustic guitar. Like most of my tunes though, it has been floating in my head for a number of years like a cloud. Nothing was tangible, but I knew it was there.”

“The song has had around 7 different mixes with slightly different instruments in the mix with synths being the last piece in the puzzle. I think you can definitely tell the song is a bit of a hotchpotch due to how it evolves over the five minutes. Like all of my current songs, the one that is out now is the one that was born out of hiding some really, really nasty engineering errors. Due to a severe lack of equipment and the environment I am in it couldn’t be “redone” as well so it has been a case of this song will sound half decent even if I need to saw off my left arm with a pencil. I am happy though and feel the tune has something about it.”

“The song was kinda inspired out of a couple of things. I think I had it in the back of my head that I needed a song that could potentially be an anthem. I think all albums need that accessible song… The one that, if you do get to the Glastonbury Pyramid stage, even the people standing at the toilets by the Worthy FM radio are singing. So, the chorus had to potentially be massive. I was actually worrying about writing another “anthem” after this one for album two, but that came really easy…. Phew!”

“The other thing was a deliberate attempt to use opposites in a song. I think I was listening to ‘Hello, Goodbye’ a lot around then and liked how Macca had played with that. That’s where the “live” and “die” thing comes from. I also didn’t want it to be a depressing song, so the love theme comes in about how someone can be the reason for why you live… and if you are a match and together you can literally have that feeling of “ruling the world” – or being in control because things are good.”

“But I do have to add that as with all my songs they are about no one. I don’t write like that, so I am sorry ladies.”

“Releasing a new track is always an anti-climax in a weird way. I am in a sense panicking continuously to make an impact with my music. I always have this feeling that people’s attention spans are short and they kinda like buying the brands they are used to. It is a lot to ask someone as well to stop what they are doing and make time for your music…sit there and actually listen with an unbiased open mind about the music… totally forgetting the character of me and also not judging the way it has been made. I always feel I don’t have enough time to get people on board of the release day bus, but also am conflicted about feeling it has been too long since my last release. This is probably something most indies feel, I don’t know, but it is hard building that momentum with no budget, power or machine to help.”

“I guess once the song is up… there is a sense of relief that it is over. I can see why musicians use the term that making and releasing music is like giving birth as there is all this expectation for the arrival. These songs I have had done now for coming up for a year so they are in a way ancient history. I had a look yesterday and found there is a 20% chunk of my next album done as well which just needs touching up… so it will be the same feeling with that. I guess the excitement though is when your music has been up for 3 months and some random person you have never spoken to messages you on Twitter and says they have enjoyed the songs. That is what makes the whole musical process worth it. Someone has been reached by your music and it’s a great feeling. I think this is why Shazams are held in greater esteem by musicians than streaming numbers!”

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