Sebastian Mikael
Last Night feat. Wale (Produced by Lamb and Bigg D)
Swedish/Ethiopian singer-songwriter Sebastian Mikael has been on the come-up for awhile now. The Gothenburg native hit the States with a dream to make it big in the music industry. He is classically trained by the Berklee College of Music in Boston, and one of the first Swedish bred R&B singers to make it onto the US charts. With his latest single, “Last Night” featuring Wale, he blends a flavor of the old (Al B. Sure sample) and new with some contemporary sounds. While on his promo tour across the country, the rising star was able to take a moment to speak with TMN about the success in his life, inspirations, who he would like to work with in the future, and more.
TMN: First off, I want to congratulate you on the success of your latest single “Last Night” featuring Wale. The song is very catchy and the AL. B. Sure sample keeps fans old and new hip. Do you draw a lot of inspiration from older generation artists?
SM: Definitely, a lot of music comes from inspiration of older acts. I like Marvin Gaye, Sade, and other old soul artists. I like to make music with a throwback feel. I just have a big love for old school.
TMN: Getting on a track with Wale for one of your first singles had to be pretty humbling. Could you explain a little bit more about how that collaboration came about?
SM: Made the first track in Miami. We first got the sample and thought it was ill so we ended up cutting it that day. Wale heard the song and about 7 hours later he provided the verse.
TMN: Who else do you want to work with or collaborate with in in the future?
SM: Oh yeah many other artists. Um, right now it would be great to collaborate with Drake. We have been listening to his new album (Nothing Was the Same) a lot lately. J. Cole is another one I would really like to work with. Alicia Keys would be great too.
TMN: I know you were born and raised in Sweden, could you tell me more about the music scene back home and any changes that you had to adjust to when coming to America?
SM: Back home there is a lot of pop music and dance. It’s not very common for R&B singers to make it big there. I was just fortunate enough to get that exposure from my parents. They would listen to a lot of different stuff like R&B, soul, reggae, and music from other greats. So growing up, I knew I wanted to create music very similar to that. It’s just that over in America, the market is so much bigger for that.
TMN: So is that what made you venture into the music scene and into R&B?
SM: Yeah. It was my first love for music. In high school, you know, I started to sing more, produce more, write more. Then after high school, I explored more and definitely wanted to move over here (America) to do more of the music I love. Continue reading →
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