Vancouver singer-songwriter Michaela Slinger, who is getting ready to release her new single “Don’t Wait” on October 22. Her second release since signing to 604 Records. Infectious yet soothing, Michaela Slinger combines youthful, energetic, and harmony-rich melodies with old soul lyricism — think Maggie Rogers meets Joni Mitchell. We had a chance to delve a little deeper into this emerging artist.
Who is Michaela Slinger? I’m a 24-year-old musician and songwriter signed with 604 Records and based in Vancouver, BC.
Do you have an education in music? I grew up doing musical theatre and in voice and piano lessons. I did basic music theory (in retrospect, I wish I’d stuck with it), and then in high school was lucky enough to take Guitar 10 and Music Composition 11, which taught me some recording fundamentals. I didn’t focus on music in university, though! I’d say my education and learning has been mostly from doing music, rather than studying it.
It must’ve been pretty scary singing the anthem at an NBA game? That was a wild experience, for sure! But I think the beauty of singing the anthem at three years old is that I wasn’t super conscious of what was happening, and I also didn’t have any of the social pressures of impressing people internalized yet. I think I’d be way more nervous now.
When did you realize that music was your future? I think I knew from a very young age that music and performing were central parts of my life. As I mentioned, I did a ton of theatre and fundraiser performances and music competitions growing up, but the key was that I loved all those extracurricular activities and kept doing them when I had downtime at home. I think kids are often signed up for lots of activities that start to feel like an obligation, but in my free time I’d still be writing songs for the elementary school band I was in, inviting friends over to create dance numbers and music videos on iMovie, and recording mock interview shows with my sister on a tape recorder.
You recently signed to 604 Records. How has that helped your career?Immensely! I feel so grateful to be a part of the 604 team and to have their support. They’ve helped me in every way possible. There is so much that goes into creating and releasing music well, but often, as an independent artist, you may not have the skillset or money to achieve it all. Knowing that 604 is putting energy and resources into my project, and having team members with expertise in things like marketing, content creation, business planning—I learn and grow as an artist and entrepreneur daily with them.
Tell us about your brand new single “Don’t Wait”. I wrote the initial idea for Don’t Wait in my living room the day before I flew out to Toronto for my first time to do a 2 month music and business program. It was a big step in taking my music career seriously, and I was musing about the responsibility that comes from having someone love me and support me as I chase my big (but uncertain) dreams. It’s amazing and special to find a person like that, but it’s also intense—you want them to flourish and take risks, too, but they often provide stability for the relationship, and really loving someone means you don’t want to hold them back.
With the world wide pandemic raging, what does the future hold for Michaela Slinger? It feels a bit surreal to be saying this, but I’m planning the remainder of my singles off this album as well as the full release of my debut record with 604 Records. I kept being really impatient and so eager to put things out, and now that there are actually dates getting put in my calendar, there are some excited nerves happening! Lots of photo shoots, video shoots, concept talks, marketing planning, and so on. I’m still writing when I can, too.
We are always interested in what artists are listening to for inspiration. What is on Michaela Slinger’s playlist?
Right now, I’m blown away by Stephen, a new track from local hip-hop artist Prado. So infectious and with a great video, too. Other than that, I spent some time recently with Laura Marling’s album—she’s an artist I’ve heard about but never listened to much. Yesterday, I went for a walk and listened to Empress Of’s album again. The playlist is ever-evolving!
