Gavin Mikhail Interview and Song Debut

You may recall that we recently made an announcement about how Musicnotes and Tunecore teamed up to offer sheet music. Gavin Mikhail, the most recent songwriter to be featured in our Songwriter Spotlight, is one of the Tunecore artists we just recently started adding sheet music for.

Among Gavin’s sheet music offerings is his piano version of the Death Cab For Cutie favorite I Will Follow You Into The Dark, which has become a hit with fans of the movie Twilight.

Gavin revealed that, “I’ve always loved playing the song, and although I’d never intended to record it, we went ahead and filmed a one-take performance our last night at Peter Gabriel’s studios. Not only did the people in my camp end up loving the arrangement, but fans of the ‘Twilight’ series discovered the track, and we’ve been flooded with emails asking if I created it specifically with Edward and Bella in mind. Although that isn’t the case, I’m honored that they connect with the song on such a deep level.”

Gavin is a shining example of how an independent artist/songwriter was able to leverage new technology to build a following of fans. For almost five years, fans have been able to follow him through the Gavin Mikhail on MySpace page, the official website of Gavin Mikhail and even a blog for Gavin Mikhail, too. Recently, he launched a YouTube channel for Gavin Mikhail to attract listeners and offer devoted fans exclusive videos as well. Although Gavin wrote songs, produced and recorded music professionally prior to launching his online presence, once he did, the quality and clarity of his music shined through, garnering him an average of 800 to 1,000 new followers per day. The online success of his album Like Normal People Do subsequently reached overseas to Japan, where he was able to sign a licensing deal to sell his music there. One event in particular that helped Gavin launch his career was the Real World Studios contest, in which fans voted for their favorite artist to record their next album in England at Peter Gabriel’s studios. (Be sure to read “Richard Marx, Peter Gabriel, and the Real World Studios Contest” which is a blog post written from Gavin to his fans. The post details his appreciation for their support and his deep connection to Peter Gabriel’s music).

Our Interview with Gavin

From winning this fan-based contest to having his music appear on MTV, VH1 and ESPN, Gavin is a savvy independent artist who’s always looking toward the horizon. Even though Gavin is a popular independent artist today, his story originates in his love for music and songwriting many years ago. Please join us as we ask him a few questions about his origins in music and some exciting new opportunities on the horizon! After you read his responses, be sure to watch Gavin Mikhail performing his interpretation of I Will Follow You Into The Dark, which debuts this week!

What was the turning point for you from amateur to professional musician/songwriter?

What message do you have for aspiring songwriters and musicians today?

Can you tell us about the song history behind “Brave?”

• Given that the story behind

Brave

• is about my wife… and today’s our anniversary? Absolutely. (haha) Seriously, I’ll start by saying that my wife is an amazing person. This has been a long hard road for both of us, and throughout she’s been a constant source of support and inspiration.

Brave

• , as well as the rest of the

Like Normal People Do

What was it like recording “I Will Follow You Into The Dark” at Peter Gabriel’s studios?

• Indescribable. Truly indescribable. Peter Gabriel is hands down my favorite artist, and not just because of his music. He’s a positive force in the world. From his songs to his soundtrack work to his studios to his philanthropic efforts, he’s a phenomenal human being and most definitely my template for success. Just BEING at the studios was overwhelming for me, but getting to record there affected me on a truly visceral level. I’ve always been a perfectionist when it comes to my music, but the studios somehow lessened that perfectionism, and the acoustic tracks we did there were, without a doubt, the most honest work I’ve ever done. Not controlled… just… laying it out there.

I Will Follow You Into The Dark

• is, to me, probably the most beautiful love song ever written. To say to someone – I love you so much I would follow you into the afterlife… unbelievable… let’s just say I hope I did the song justice. *smiles* Anyway, the engineer Dom, my video producer Kyle, and I went back into the studio by ourselves late the last night, and we recorded that song as well as my cover of Peter Gabriel’s

Secret World

• and the acoustic versions of my songs

Brave

• and

Sight Unseen

• . They were all one-takes start to finish, and I can honestly say I’ve never been more in-the-moment than I was with those songs. We released them as ‘

The Real World Sessions – Volume I

How long does it take you to produce a song versus an album?

How has the internet affected your ability to song-write and produce music?

• That ties in well with your previous question, actually. The internet has radically changed not only the way music is delivered, but even more so – the SPEED with which people demand it. As sad as it is to say, I think the days of epic production albums are going away. Attention spans are shorter, and most people aren’t willing to wait around for the ‘masterpiece to be unveiled.’ So, to me, that’s the negative side of the internet revolution. The positive side is that people are completely accepting of (and even craving) raw content. In a society oftentimes driven by image over substance, they’re looking for something real. And, that presents an unbelievable opportunity for independent songwriters and musicians. If you’re honest, and you’re willing to put yourself out there… people will respond. What all that translates into (to me at least) is not to put out albums, but instead, focus on single-song releases. I’ll be announcing next week that, moving forward, I’ll be releasing SOMETHING on the second Thursday of every month… for the next few years, at least. Whether it’s the fifteen new full-production songs from the Peter Gabriel studios trip, acoustic versions of new songs, the concerts we recorded in Munich and Chicago last year… whatever. Constant content. Although the releases will be download only, if enough people want physical copies, we’ll try to accommodate that. Maybe for every five songs, we’ll do a digipak and roll in extra content – additional footage from the trip to England, new songs, etc. Lots of options, for sure…

The bottom line is that this is an exciting time in music. If you’re reading this, and you’re an aspiring artist, songwriter, or musician, realize that the direct line to the people who will appreciate your music has never been more readily available. Just take the time to develop your voice, and then… put yourself out there. If you can think you can, you can.

Ok… yeah… that last part sounded like a self-help seminar. I’ll shut up now. Thanks for listening.
:)

Be sure to download sheet music for Gavin Mikhail through Musicnotes.com or order his music through his website located at www.gavinmikhail.com. We hope you’ve enjoyed this edition of our Songwriter Spotlight, and we’re excited to share with you Gavin’s brand new video!

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCPRagQHhBw