Michael Medrano – L.A, USA.
Describe your music to the uninitiated
Michael Medrano is just a fuckin party, honestly! I like making songs about love, sex, drugs, partying, and being surrounded by your best friends. The message is always positive, fun, and a slice of pop goodness. Put on your favorite Michael Medrano song at a pre-game and it’s gonna be a good night.
Tell me a little more about your journey, how you formed Michael Medrano and some of your notable achievements so far.
I started out making really emotional, introspective songs over big dance-pop beats. I think it was a really cool take, but I realized I didn’t like being sad all the time and didn’t want my
listeners to feel like this either. So I decided, “why don’t I make the music I really love? Shit that makes me feel really good and shows people what it’s like to actually hang with me”. So
I did it and the journey since has been so cool. Since dropping ‘Fluids’ this past year (which has raked in almost half a million streams, can’t believe I have the privilege of even saying that), I’ve been featured on Billboard, Paper Magazine, Spotify’s Official Cosmic Playlist, The Line of Best Fit, and this lovely publication. It feels really good, especially being the kid that no one wanted to give the time-of-day to less than a year ago. I hope more and more angels get on this ride with me, because this is just the beginning.
What new projects do you have on the go and when can we expect to see them? Can we see you live any time soon?
My next single ‘Do Your Thing!’, which I’m very excited about, is due out in March! I’m also working on my first project which is so incredibly cool; I have a title, tracklist, artwork, and everything ready to go. Don’t know if I wanna call it an EP or mixtape, but it’s a body of work and I’m really excited about the whole thing. As far as playing live goes, we’re working on some really exciting stuff and you can expect to see me playing around LA and parts of the West Coast very soon.
How has being a part of the LGBTQ+ community formed your identity as an artist (if at all)?
It’s had a major impact for sure. My queer identity has really helped shape the music that I make, from being sexually fluid to partying all night in WeHo, you hear it all come out in my music (no pun intended). I’m really proud of that, I think sexuality is a beautiful spectrum of colors that we should embrace and explore.
What do you think of the barriers that LGBTQ+ artists face in the current music industry? Have you come up against any of those barriers yourself?
I think a lot of record companies don’t understand us and treat us like a niche sub-genre, hindering acts from reaching their full potential. While we love making music for our community, we’re also highly accessible artists that deserve the same push and backing as our more mainstream, more-often-than-not straight counterparts. I think when that change comes, you’ll really start to see us thrive. I’m hoping to be a part of the change as well.
Do you think the local music scene does enough to support LGBTQ+ artists? What do you think they could do better?
“Local scene” in LA is a really odd thing to try and gauge, being that we’re basically the entertainment capital. I think my fellow LGBTQ+ LA-based acts, however, do an amazing job at supporting each other. We don’t always get to see each other in person, but I always feel and appreciate their support! I’ve also been getting hit up by different local bookers and they aren’t limiting me to their LGBTQ+ nights (not that that’s a problem, but again, we are more than just our identity!), so seeing that change has been really awesome.
Who’s your LGBTQ+ hero and why?
I have so many, but I think I really have to give it to our openly bisexual, fluid queen Gaga. This woman made me, a closeted kid in a highly-religious family, feel like I could be a ‘god damn superstar’ that was ‘born this way’. She made me feel so brave and I hope to do the same for so many other kids out there like me.
Where can people find and support you?
Michael Medrano is on all streaming platforms! Just search “Michael Medrano” on Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal or wherever else you like to stream music. You can follow me on all my socials too, I love talking to my angels!
Twitter: @michaelxmedrano
Instagram: @michaelxmedrano
Facebook: Michael Medrano
Website: itsmichaelmedrano.com
