Beamsville, ON’s Riley Michaels started making music at 8 years old, after winning 1st place in a local singing competition. When he received Guitar Hero for Christmas, he jumped deep into the rabbit hole of Classic Rock, Blues, and other similar genres.
Since then, Michaels has created a sound that is a combination of Pop and Adult Contemporary, with a range of influences.
Recently, he has unveiled his new single, “Now I Know”.
“The song’s message is simple, and it is upfront and bold – “Now I Know what not to do.” This is a song detailing a person who has had bad experiences with relationships, and now that person has a grip on their desires, and what they truly want out of a relationship with a person. They know the signs and the red flags now, and they are hell-bent on not making the same mistake twice. It’s about giving your all, and only getting a little bit in return, and how unfair it is. It’s a warning to not get too attached to this new love interest because you can see the red flags, and you don’t want to get hurt again. The recording process took months to do. We started with little demos and little bits and pieces of songs that eventually we just pieced together. But it all started with a funky bassline and an in-your-face drum beat.”
Check out the video below and find out more about Riley via our Five Quesitons With segment.
Care to introduce yourself to our readers?
My name is Riley Michaels! I am a 19-year-old singer-songwriter from a little town in Niagara called Beamsville! I have been playing music since I was 7 years old after I was introduced to Guitar Hero. After that, I immediately began taking lessons, and right down the rabbit hole I went!
Tell us a bit about your music and writing style.
Imagine taking Prince, John Mayer, and James Bay, and you put ‘em all together. Kind of like that.
I enjoy the funkiness and the groove of Prince, the emotive guitar playing of John Mayer, and the vocal finesse of James Bay.
Do you have any upcoming shows? For someone who has yet to see you live, how would you explain your live performance?
Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all of my shows have been postponed until further notice, but until we get back to it – here’s an explanation:
Imagine a show where you can feel every emotion possible and all within a 4 hour time period. With a lot of singing along, a lot of dancing, and a lot of face-melting guitar solos. It’s electrifying, it’s eclectic, it’s fresh, and takes a new spin of old and current music!
If you were asked to suggest only one of your songs for someone to hear, which would it be?
Right now, I would recommend my new single, NOW I KNOW. Imagine driving your ‘76 Cadillac Eldorado convertible down the highway with the roof down, and the sun is setting. That’s the feeling I had in mind when writing the song, and I hope everyone can feel that, too.
Canadian Beats is all about Canadian music, so who are your current favourite Canadian bands/ artists?
One of my all-time favorite Canadian acts in Mariana’s Trench. Not only do they put on a killer live show, but they are amazing writers/musicians, and they are really good at creating timeless sounding and euphoric songs, and I will never forget the way that their songs make me feel!