Michal Bush is a singer- songwriter from New Zealand, best known for her award winning children’s music project Music with Michal. She gets a little more adult in “Ain’t That Worth More,” a folk song about proving her worth. In these five rounds, Bush tells us more about her influences and her songwriting process.
Tell us about the first song you wrote.
I’ve been writing music ever since I can remember. I still remember the first original song I performed – I was 6 or 7 years old and it was at my primary school. The song was about looking after the environment – a hot topic right now so maybe I was a bit before the times. When I performed to the junior school I did cartwheels while singing, much more impressive than my live performance these days. I’m sure it was quite the experience for my peers and teachers.
Do you have any songwriting tips you can share?
I have learnt that you can’t force a song. I never sit down without an idea to write. I have to wait for the song to come to me, then write while I’m feeling inspired. Don’t be afraid to return to an unfinished song from a while back. Sometimes a bit of distance from a song helps me to see it in a whole new light. I’m also lucky to work with some amazing producers – Vic and Andy (The Response) – and I’m really enjoying not holding too tightly onto my songs and letting them put their spin on it – they have such a great understanding of me as an artist that trusting them to take it to new heights has allowed me to take a step back and enjoy the journey of my sound developing. I can honestly say I’ve never enjoyed listening to my own music more.
Name a perfect song and tell us why you feel that way.
I’m trying not to overthink this. The first song that comes to mind is Sufjan Stevens “The Predatory Wasp of The Palisades Is Out To Get Us.” The opening line is just so ridiculously detailed — “thinking outrageously I write in cursive I hide in my bed with the lights on the floor” – and I remember instantly falling in love with this song and being utterly swept away by it. I love the multiple vocal builds, the melodic instrumental lines, the emotional journey it takes you on. My music is a lot more simple – but my hope is that it will connect with people on an emotional level and make people truly feel something, whether that means they laugh, or cry, dance or smile.
Who are some of your musical influences?
I became a full-blown Taylor Swift fangirl with the release of Folklore and Evermore. Those albums were on heavy rotation last year. I’m also a big fan of Sufjan Stevens, Ben Folds, and currently listening to a lot of Ben Platt. I’m a sucker for a gorgeous melody and I really admire good story telling in songs. For me, music is 100% about an emotional connection – so if a song makes me feel something, I’m probably going to love it.
Do you start off with the music or lyrics first? Why?
I have a particular relationship with words and melody that honestly both come at once. When I’m writing I’m singing the whole time. Most songs start when I’m in the car driving away from taking my kids to school, or late at night after a conversation that has sparked something in me. Even if I’m sitting with a notebook writing lyrics – I still love writing with pen and paper — a melody appears in my head along with the words, which means I also have an endless amount of voice messages of song ideas, sometimes just a line or two. I can’t decide if I think words or melody are more important, I think they are both so vital.