Having already established himself with a wealth of rich and immersive gems these last few years, Australian artist Don Mai now makes his long-awaited return to deliver his shimmering new single 'Take U Anywhere'.
Channelling another heady dose of riveting pop aesthetics for his newest outing, 'Take U Anywhere' makes for an incredibly warm and inviting listen. With his bright and uplifting vocal performance layered across a glittering production from start to finish, he is returning for the new year with one of his most heartfelt efforts to date here.
So with the new single available to stream now, we sat down with him to find out more about his origins and what has inspired him most over the years.
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What was the first instrument you fell in love with?
I started off as a classical piano player and then picked up guitar and singing. The combination of singing and playing guitar really sparked my love for music as it was really cool to be able to sing and play my favourite songs. As I love to constantly learn new instruments my love is always changing from one to another. But currently my love lies with production. The freedom to be able to change a song in any direction is absolutely unreal and has been a real game changer towards my music career. It's also opened a whole new can of worms to learn about!
What kind of music did you love when you were younger?
I've always loved pop music. Growing up my favourites were the black eyed peas, Justin Timberlake, OutKast and fall out boys. 00's music holds a deep place in my heart as I remember waking up to the top 100s countdown every Sunday morning and just loving the music.
What was the first album you remember owning?
I can't remember exactly but it was so fresh 2007 or fall out boys infinity on high. I could be wrong but so fresh is an Australian compilation of everybody's favourite hits from that year. I still have those two CDs till today and I still love them and would still listen to them although on Spotify.
Do you have any habits or rituals you go through when trying to write new music?
I do but I'm currently really trying to get out of it as good as it is to have a routine. I believe that by breaking my routine the possibilities of how my songs turn out and expand immensely. And as a jack of all trades and master of none I love to expand my skills as much as possible. I take pride in being able to do multiple things! My go to is to start off with chords on a guitar or piano and then sing a melody. Once I have that, I play with the production until I get a feel that I vibe with. I'm currently trying to start with the production first and then write the rest but it is taking me some practice as I haven't been happy with the results yet.
Who are your favourite artists you have found yourself listening to at the moment?
I have inspirations but currently I'm finding that I no longer have a go to artist. If the music is good I'll add it to my playlist. Currently I do enjoy listening to the Jonas brothers new album. Although I am kind of cheating as it is co written and produced by Jon Bellion who is my main inspiration.
If you could open a show for anyone in the world, who would it be?
Jon Bellion. I think the vibe that we both bring to the show would be absolutely unreal. He loves to jam with his band and I think it would be so much fun to be able to do that with him and just improvise a vibe.
What do you find is the most rewarding part about being a musician?
The ability to create what goes on in my mind. I find it absolutely unreal that I can think of something in my head and bring it to life as a physical thing. Not only that, I can also communicate what's going on through someone else's mind and bring their vision to life as well!
And what is the most frustrating part?
Definitely writer's block. I don't like forcing things. If I'm not feeling. I struggle to sit for hours and trying to force out an idea. But at the end of the day it is work. An idea will eventually spark if I keep working at it. But it definitely is a less enjoyable part trying to spark an idea.
And what is the best piece of advice you have received as a musician?
I wouldn't say that this is the advice that I have received but more of something I've learned along the way. And that is to be your own artist. Don't try to be someone else, draw inspiration from them and build from it because I'm sure your taste will be slightly different from theirs. And to not compare yourself to others. Everyone goes through life at their own pace and that is ok. When I was younger, I always thought I had a time limit. If this person already made it at this age and I haven't does that mean I suck? But at this point I'm really happy with where I am and I'm just glad to be doing what I do.
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Don Mai's new single 'Take U Anywhere' is available to stream now. Check it out in the player below.