Chart-topping Hicks (Miqael Persson), a Swedish country music hero, has achieved international success with country songs that have won praise from both listeners and music industry luminaries. With more than 160K Spotify streams (over 60 million for songs he wrote!) and many #1 radio hits, as well as Gold and Platinum certifications for his home recordings, Hicks is no moreโฆ Persson is embarking on a new chapter in his musical career by adopting the stage name miQa.El and releasing the single โWalking Medicineโ.
miQa.El is a one-of-a-kind artist who has achieved huge chart success in the United States, the United Kingdom, and portions of the European Union. He has also received numerous honors and accolades. At the British CMAs, he was crowned Europeโs Best Country Artist as Hicks. Various more honors included Best International Country Artist, Best Video, and Best Song. In addition to writing significant songs for his own album, miQa.El has written songs for other internationally renowned artists, such as Jimi Jamison (Survivor), Bobby Kimball (Toto), Little River Band, Giant (Dan Huff), W.E.T, Eclipse, Work Of Art, First Signal, and others.
The song Walking Medicine was released on radio on OCtober 24 and on retail on 11 November. A concept music video was released alongside. Check out the song and the exclusive interview below:
1. Can you tell us a bit about where you come from and how it all got started?
MIQA.EL: Born and raised in Helsingborg, a small town in the southern part of Sweden. Only twenty minutes by boat from Denmark. Iโm the oldest of three brothers. Think Iโve got my musicality from my mom. She played mandolin, accordion and piano when we were growing up. I started playing early. I started with acoustic guitar and then moved over to playing bass. Then I learned to play drums. Off course mom taught me how to play piano. Iโm not a superstar on any instrument but I know enough to get by. My strength is in writing songs. Both music and lyrics. I just love the process how a song grows from an idea to a finished song. And Iโm still blown away by that process. Where do songs come from. Are they given to us from another dimension, or is just we who make them upโฆ I donโt really know. Sometimes it feels like the songs are given to us and sometime we write them and sometimes itโs a collaborationโฆ I think the cleaner the connection is between us and the Universe (Una verse meaning One Song) the cleaner the songs are. So I try to keep that connection clean and clearโฆ
Mom told me that the first musically memory she has of me is when I was two years old, in my diapers, playing air guitar on my grandpaโs big shoehorn to Johnny Cash and Hank Williams. Mom was a big Hank Williams fan so country music came early to me. I didnโt know it was country music at the time, to me it was just music. I never cared so much about labels. Iโm a song guy I just love great songs be it pop, rock or country.
In my teens I started playing in bands. It was rock all the way. My friends wasnโt into country like I was and I didnโt mind I love rock just as much as country. I was always involved in the songwriting in the different bands I played in. Soon other bands asked me for songs so I started writing even more, and it lead me to be more in the studio, writing and recording songs, than out touring. I just found out that one of the songs I wrote for a Swedish band back in the nineties just went Gold. Itโs so funny how some songs get a long lifeโฆ
2. Did you have any formal training or are you self-taught?
MIQA.EL: Like I said before mom taught be the basics on pianoโฆ but on the other instruments Iโm self-taught. I listened and watched other guys playing and then mimicked what they did. I never aimed to be a guitar shredder. I just wanted to know enough so I could write songs. I know there are song writers who donโt play any instruments. So called top-linersโฆ But for me there is something about picking up the guitar and just bang away and see what will happen.
3. Who were your first and strongest musical influences and why the name โMIQA.ELโ?
MIQA.EL: Johnny and Hank and there was this Swedish band called Sven-Ingvars. They played a sort of mix between 60 rock, country and pop. My grandpa introduces med to them they were his favorite band, and that rubbed off on me.Besides country music I listened a lot to Thin Lizzy in my teens. It is still a favorite band. I love how they mixed rock with Irish folk music. AC/DC was another favorite. Simple songs with great hooks. You canโt beat thatโฆ Until Van Halen happenedโฆEspecially the Hagar years.
I love David Lee Roth, but I think Sammyโs a far better singer and in my opinion a better songwriter. Especially when he wrote with Eddie.
I always forget to mention Toto. Thatโs the band Iโve been to see most time live. I think it is 7 or 8 time now. I love how they mix rock, pop, soul, R&Bโฆ
When it comes to country my absolute favorite band or duo is Brooks And Dunn. Country doesnโt get any better than that. But Iโm also a big fan of Little Big Town, Tim McGraw, Erich Church, Kip More, Old Dominionโฆ
My Christian name is Miqael Persson. So Iโm just using my first name with a funny spelling. I used to go by my stage name Hicks. But I felt I needed a change. There has been a lot of pain and a lot of decision making, but I decided to put Hicks on the shelf. Despite all the chart success, awards and attention. It feels like Iโm starting over with everything in life. Feels very exciting.
4. What do you feel are the key elements in your music that should resonate with listeners, and how would you personally describe your sound?
MIQA.EL: Today I think my sound is a little bit of everything. Off course there are always country elements in my music, but these days I am so influenced by world music. African, Native American, Irish, Scottish you name itโฆ Especially rhythm driven music. I am really trying to make my music sound meโฆ I get inspired by all kinds of music. But when I write and record Iโm looking for that special feeling, not just a song, something extra that no one else would think of. Iโm not trying to re-invent the wheel. Just make it sound meโฆ And I hope all that resonates with the listeners. That it is a country song but with a little twist on it. A little different flavorโฆ And me coming from Sweden, itโs already different there.
5. For most artists, originality is first preceded by a phase of learning and, often, emulating others. What was this like for you? How would you describe your own development as an artist and music maker, and the transition towards your own style, which is known as COUNTRY?
MIQA.EL:
In my teens I started playing in bands. It was rock all the way. My friends wasnโt into country like I was and I didnโt mind I love rock just as much as country. We played local clubs. We attracted more and more attention which lead to bigger venues and longer tours. I think I just grew into it. I learned so much from those early years playing live. But I think I really found my voice when I started writing country music more seriously. Everything fell into place. But first and foremost I am a song guy. I love songs no matter what the label is. Pop, rock country I donโt care if itโs a great song, itโs a great songโฆ
6. Whatโs your view on the role and function of music as political, cultural, spiritual, and/or social vehicles โ and do you try and affront any of these themes in your work, or are you purely interested in music as an expression of technical artistry, personal narrative, and entertainment?
MIQA.EL:
Being a spiritual and peaceful warrior. I like to incorporate that into my songs. I believe that we all are oneโฆBut in society today there is so much polarization going onโฆ men against womenโฆ black against whiteโฆ Christians vs Muslims and so onโฆI believe that the puppet masters behind our politicians use that. The old, divide and conquerโฆWe get so busy fighting and hating each other that we forget whatโs important. For me thereโs only one race, the Human Race. Yes we are different and we should be different. But we donโt need to kill or hurt each other just because weโre different. Live and let liveโฆ
I see it like thisโฆ when you look at the Ocean you see a lot of water. Then the sun heats up that water and that creates condensation. And you can see that as an intercourse. When that condensation reaches the sky it forms a cloud. Thereโs your pregnancy. When the conditions are right there will be a birth of a lot of raindrops, individuals. Some raindrops go straight back to the Ocean, the origin where they came from. Some fall on the ground and give nourishment to the plants. Some create water puddles and look around themselves and say we are the Ocean we are the only truth. We are right and everybody else is wrong. Thereโs you religions, political parties and what notโฆItโs just an illusion of being the Oceanโฆ but the sun will heat up that water puddle and in time it will disappear and find its way back to the Ocean. Or maybe form another water puddle (reincarnation). Each individual raindrop forms the Ocean, even if we canโt see the raindrops in the Ocean they are there. And I think itโs exactly the same with all the living things on this planet. Just like the raindrops, we are connected, we are all oneโฆ
My latest release Walking Medicine is about being the best version of ourselvesโฆ Itโs about surrender and just breathโฆ Become Walking Medicineโฆ
WALKING MEDICINE
Miqael Persson (KashKow Music)
Deep in my soul I am your brother
Deep in my heart I am your man
I canโt steal you from another
Trust and follow lifeโs plan
With you I want to reach much higher
With you i fall in love with me
Way beyond burning desire
Love donโt come with guaranties
Walking Medicine
Walking Medicine
I surrender here tonight
Iโm giving up Iโm giving in without a fight
You and me Walking Medicine
I saw the light there in the distance
I heard a voice inside of me
I give away all my resistance
Sometimes itโs better just to breath
I donโt need to walk beside you
But itโs where I rather be
Itโs a spiritual I do
Loveโs supposed to set us free
7. Do you feel that your music is giving you back just as much fulfillment as the amount of work you are putting into it or are you expecting something more, or different in the future?
MIQA.EL:
It has really been giving me back in so many different ways.
One thing that I hold very dear in my heart was a mail I got from a guy in the US. He just lost his job and his wife left him. He was so heartbroken and decided to end his life. Being a huge Jimi Jamison fan he wanted to listen to the โNever Too Lateโ album I co-wrote with Erik Martensson (the lead singer from the Swedish band Eclipse) for Jimi. The more he listened to those songs the more his spirit lifted and he decided not to end his life. He wrote me and thanked us for saving his life with those songs. Getting a mail like that makes all the hard work worth it, The Power of musicโฆ
Iโve won a lot of awards and got a boatload of nominations. Thatโs not the reason why I write music, but itโs a nice slap on the back for a job well done.
2017 The Akademia Awards: Best Country Song
2015 The Akademia Awards: Best Country/Rock Song
2015 Global Music Awards: Fan Favorite Best Male Vocals and Best Song
2015 IMC Awards: Best Country Video
2014 ICoMA Country Music Awards: Best International Artist Of The Year
2013 British CMA: European Country Act Of The Year
2012 IMN Country Music Awards:ย Favorite Country Act Of The Year
And I have had my song on charts all over the world, both with me as the artist but also with other artist that I write for.
On Spotify alone songs that I have written has streamed somewhere between 60 and 70 million. I have written songs for, among others, Jimi Jamison (Survivor) Bobby Kimball (Toto) Little River Band, Giant (Dann Huff) W.E.T, Eclipse, Work Of Art, First Signal (Harry Hess) Toby Hitchcockโฆ Also Swedish artists such as Barbados, Magnus Carlsson , DJ Mendez, Dogge Doggelito, Micke โSydโ Andersson, Pernilla Wahlgren, Brandsta City Slรคckers and many moreโฆ
And there have been some Gold and Platinum recordsโฆ
8. Could you describe your creative processes? How do usually start, and go about shaping ideas into a completed song? Do you usually start with a tune, a beat, or a narrative in your head? And do you collaborate with others in this process?
MIQA.EL: Itโs so different from song to songโฆ I would say all the aboveโฆ For me a song can happen anywhere. I write a lot in my car especially lyrics. I do work with the songs a lot. Even when I think itโs finished I try to see if I can improve it somehow. But I donโt over work it. I always try to keep an open mind, when I go to the studio to record it. I am always open for changes. Whatever makes the song better. I work with great producers Andreas Rydman and Erik Martensson. I usually have an idea how I want the song to sound but if they have a better idea I go for that.
Song ideas come from everywhere. A conversation, a movie, a cool line in a movie, the melody the birds are singing or just go out in the woods and listen to nature, the certain way a car honks, it can be anything. The song are there itโs just to be open to it. I just love the process how a song grows from an idea to a finished song. And Iโm still blown away by that process. Where do songs come from. Are they given to us from another dimension, or is just we who make them upโฆ I donโt really know. Sometimes it feels like the songs are given to us and sometime we write them and sometimes itโs a collaborationโฆ I think the cleaner the connection is between us and the Universe (Una verse meaning One Song) the cleaner the songs are. So I try to keep that connection clean and clearโฆ
9. What has been the most difficult thing youโve had to endure in your life or music career so far?
MIQA.EL: On a personal levelโฆ I went through a divorce two years ago. And that stuff changes you, doesnโt matter if youโre the one leaving or being left. It changes you. It sure changed me. Thatโs one of the reasons Iโm starting over from scratch. I think I am more honest in my songwriting these days. It feels like thereโs more depth to the songs. I am more in contact with myself. And I want to express that. I hope that my songs can inspire and lift people or just forget the troubles for a while and sing along with the songs and maybe dance a little.
One of the biggest challenges for me has been that I started out late as a solo artist. So many people in the music industry thought I was too old, and being from Sweden playing country music they told me โDonโt do that, donโt go thereโ โYou must be crazy doing what you doโ Yes I am, and that is also one of the biggest rewards proving those people wrong. That is not why I do this, Iโm not driven by โI told you soโ but it feels good following my hearts desire and make it work. And Iโm so glad I didnโt listen to those people.
10. On the contrary, what would you consider a successful, proud or significant point in your life or music career so far?
MIQA.EL: Winning Europeโs Best Country Artist at the British CMA in London (as Hicks) took the career to a whole new level. And because of that win I was invited to play at the CMA Fest in Nashville representing Sweden, (also as Hicks). And that opened up even more doors that lead to more nominations and more awards which lead to more gigs and more promotion. The wheels were spinning pretty fast there for a while. It felt as I was always on a plane going somewhere. But I didnโt mind, I loved it. Iโve made friends all over the world, and played on some really cool places with some really cool people. I owe a huge Thank You to Lee Williams at Django Promotion in UK and Michael Stover at MTS Management in the US. I wouldnโt be where I am today without their help.
I remember one day dad came home with Lynn Andersons single Rose Garden. I fell in love with that song and I played it till my ears bled. When I played at CMA Fest several year later, I had a booth at Fan Fair where I sold merch for the fans. And in the booth next to me stood Lynn Anderson. I got to talk to her and told her how much I loved her music. She was a real sweetheart. Itโs so great to meet people that have inspired me and be able to thank them for the impact their music had on my life.
But the biggest pinch me moment is that I got to write with one of my heroes the country legend Steve Wariner. The most humble and nicest man in the music industry. We met in London playing at the British CMA the year after I won my award. We hit it off and he invited me to come write with him in Nashville and so I did. We wrote some great tunes. One is release as Hicks โStomp A Little Louderโ Got nominated for Song Of The Year at New Music Weekly Awards in Nashville. And held the #1 spot on CMR Nashville chart for 6 weeks in a row.
11. With social media having a heavy impact on our lives and the music business in general, how do you handle criticism, haters, and/or naysayers in general? Is it something you pay attention to, or simply ignore?
MIQA.EL: I totally ignore that kind of childish behavior. That usually comes from people who have never stuck their neck out and followed their own dream.
If the criticism comes from a good place, meaning that if they want to help me improve what I do, Iโm totally open.
12. Creative work in a studio or home environment, or interaction with a live audience? Which of these two options excites you most, and why?
MIQA.EL: Bothโฆ cause they are the two rewards of working with music. First the process of writing the song is just amazing. Then taking it to the studio and watch it grow into a real song with the band and everything. And then go out to perform it and get the response, I love all of that just as muchโฆ
13. Do you think is it important for fans of your music to understand the real story and message driving each of your songs, or do you think everyone should be free to interpret your songs in their own personal way?
MIQA.EL: I think everyone should be free to interpret the songs in their own personal way. Maybe the ones who are listening find something way deeper than I thought of. Music is so connected to memories. Where did you first hear the song. Who was with you when you heard it. What mood were you inโฆ
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