Mikey Barla V is a New York based multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and producer. With a revolving door of bandmates and collaborators, Mikey tells unique stories with each release drawing influence from the world building of pulpy sci fi novels, the heart and urgency of New York Bowery Punk, the storytelling of Classic Country, and the DIY ingenuity of 90’s College Radio. 

After spending his formative years playing in wedding bands and his own punk rock power trio, Mikey packed everything he owned into his car and moved to Nashville, TN, where he spent 4 years writing, playing and producing music. Now back home in New York, Mikey is back on the scene with new singles slated for release Fall 2021 and Winter 2022.

What’s your story as an artist? 

I grew up really drawn to new music and just wanted to hear everything. Growing up in NY, I remember being less interested in what was mainstream back then and being really drawn to jazz, classic country, musical theater, classic rock, anything I hadn’t heard before. I was always a writer, started playing in bands as like the guitarist who was shy about his own voice but wrote most of the songs. Eventually I started singing more and started my own bands. All this led to moving to Nashville where I spent 4 years writing, playing, recording, and listening. Now, I just moved back home to NY with these new tunes and I’m excited to keep going. That’s the story! 

What inspired this single?

I wrote Bunker with my friend and fellow Nashville artist Abigail Osborne like week 1 of the Pandemic lockdown. We got together right as people were starting to buy out grocery stores and really lockdown. We met in person and like the day after, we were unsure if we should have even done that. We spent a lot of the write just talking about how surreal everything was. The song started as some old lyrics I had from a writing exercise that didn’t mean anything in particular. The melody I had stuck and as we kicked around ideas, the themes as concerns of the pandemic just felt natural and fit in with what we were writing. This hook about the end of the world and having to just buy in and believe in something even when it’s crazy landed and we both got really excited about it. 

What are some sources of inspiration for your storytelling?

To name a few: Sci fi movies and books, reading in general, musical theater, classic country. I think a lot about where songs come from and what does and doesn’t feel like a musical moment. I love when a song can surprise me and presents a new perspective I’ve never heard before. That always inspires me. 

Any funny anecdotes from the time you were recording or writing the album?

So not really “funny”, but the stories that come to mind are all little time capsules of the first covid lockdown. We had to schedule and re-schedule the sessions to record this EP a few times and just getting everyone in the room with a negative covid test felt like a miracle. Getting together to record this thing was the first time a lot of us were able to get together in a room with other musicians to jam in a while. The sense of fun and relief was amazing. 

Tell us about the music video and the idea behind it ?

N/A no Music Video 

What’s a record that shaped your creativity?

So a few albums popped into my head right away, but I want to talk about this gem called “Lonely Avenue” from Ben Folds and the author Nick Hornby. The album is a unique collaboration where (as I remember it) Nick Hornby wrote most of the lyrics, emailed them to Ben Folds, who then wrote the music. I love the creative angles and kooky choices made throughout this album. There’s so many fun characters and little worlds and it’s a fun reminder that a song can be out anything and still have heart. 

Who is an artist or band you look up to today?

I’ve been on a huge Paul Mccartney kick lately. He’s my hero. It’s a basic answer, but watching him still make records as he gets older and still have the passion to create is inspiring! He’s a real artist! It’s amazing. 

Any future projects?

I’ve got more singles coming out as part of this project. Next one’s coming in November and then another in January. Beyond that, right now I’ve got plenty of songs, the question is just how do I want to record them. I’ve started talking to the team and things are coming together. I love recording so hopefully we can get back in the studio soon. 

Top 3 dream collaborations?

I love collaboration and I like anyone who wants to work with me. I’m SO not an introvert and I have a really hard time just recording on my own. I need the energy of people in a room getting excited about what we’re making. My dream collaborators are probably you reading this article. Call me! Please! Especially if you’re Paul Mccartney, or maybe Mitski, or a Haim Sister. 

What does music mean to you?

So I’m gonna kind of reinterpret this question in an annoying way and go on a tangent. I was recently having a conversation with my friend Brian Zaremba from the band Middle Part and we were talking about when we feel the most like “a musician” As a working musician, you have to wear a lot of hats between writing, producing, gigging, recording, etc. So we were just talking about what the highest highs are. For me, It’s all about being a writer and a creator. I love the feeling of time slowing down as you’re writing something new. I’ve loved it since I was a kid playing back new songs in a mirror making faces. (I still do it). That’s when I feel like a musician. 

How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard you?

It’s under the indie rock umbrella. It’s singer/songwriter forward (Read: Stories, Characters, Lyric driven). It’s likely to change as I change too! I hope it always sounds earnest. Follow along.