MC: You gave Kaleidoscope Dreams to your audience in bits in pieces with the Art Dealer Chic trio of releases. The whole concept of a complete album might feel almost antiquated, but your album is a complete suite of songs that are thematic.
Miguel: Thanks. Don’t get me wrong. We may consume music differently these days, but I still respect full projects. No song should be more important than the next. It’s not like just a single or two, and then some throwaway tracks. I don’t believe in that. It should be an experience, and all of the songs should support each other.
MC: You’ve teamed up with Mariah Carey for “#Beautiful,” a captivating summer hit. What is that primitive guitar sound that opens the song?
Miguel: We mic’d an old Peavey amp. It was just a Fender Stratocaster, but it has that dirt on it, and it sounds very “not clean.” And the playing is very loose. That was the very first song we did for Kaleidoscope Dream. The very first session and the very first day.
MC: But the song didn’t make it onto the album. It was released on her The Art of Letting Go.
Miguel: That’s cool that it found a home. There are so many songs that artists still have sitting on their hard drives, and that could have been one of those songs. It was Mariah’s foresight––she really heard the song and brought it to life.
MC: You have a number of co-written songs with major artists in your catalog, especially with Usher. Does collaboration come natural to you?
Miguel: I love collaborating, co-writing with other artists.
MC: What was it like writing with your sometime touring partner, Alicia Keys?
Miguel: She’s really good at giving you what you need to help communicate and help get her message across, while giving you all of the creative space that you need. Unfortunately the song we collaborated on didn’t make the album, but still…
MC: Looking at the songwriting credits, the majority of the songs on Kaleidoscope Dream were written solely by you. Many of the songwriters who we talk to say that these might tend to be more personal statements. Is that the case here?
Miguel: I think collaborating is cool, but it’s hard to be completely honest. You already have to deal with judging your own thoughts, and wondering if it’s okay to say something; these inhibitions we have to deal with. When you add another person it makes it more difficult. But on the other side, having another person can give you a creative edge and a perspective. I’m overall more into songwriting for myself.
MC: Your writing is very conversational. It sounds like the way people really talk. You also get away with saying things that most singers couldn’t pull off: “Pussy is Mine,” being a prime example.
Miguel: (Laughs) I do get away a lot with saying some nasty things. If it feels real you can’t really question it. I guess that is the confidence behind it. Sometimes I have heard things said in lyrics that I didn’t really believe. In writing my songs I just have to be honest.
MC: We note that you are an ASCAP writer. Did you interact with them when you were developing as a songwriter and an artist?
Miguel: When I was growing up, I didn’t really realize how useful they could be. But it is amazing to watch how everyone is connecting, and learning what they do. I was late in knowing that.
MC: We saw an acoustic performance with you online, and a number of your songs can stand alone without production or full band, and they work in that context. Is that a priority?
Miguel: Well, my song “Classical Dream” doesn’t work without production. But I love it when the songs can.
MC: You write, you produce and you perform. Clearly, you are the captain of the Good Ship Miguel, and everything that happens musically is all you.
Miguel: Absolutely. I am just very adamant in my belief that everything about your artistry should be an honest extension of yourself. I believe that music is who I am; it is all a part of my personality and my sensibility.
