Meet Sunderland-born UK Open Mic performer Michael Pickering:

Hi Michael Pickering, thanks for joining us! Let’s get into it:

Do you play solo only, or also in a group?

Solo

How old are you?

40

Where were you born?

Sunderland

Where did you grow up?

Northeast England

How did that place influence your music? (if at all!)

Immensely, if it wasn’t for my teachers, guidance and other influences I wouldn’t be a musician today.

Where are you based now, and why?

London, I’m a Westend performer And I moved down here to train and now I live here for work and gigging.

What got you into making music in the first place?

My love for storytelling.

What instrument/s do you play?

Singing
Guitar
Guitar

Who would be in your top 10 musical influences, and why?

Dolly Parton, Elvis, Queen, Savage Garden, Cody Johnson. Carrie Underwood Céline Dion Meat Loaf. There are so many, but the reasons would be incredible vocals and song thank writing. You can learn so much from listening and listen to the artists and many more I definitely do.

Do you write your own songs?

Yes

How many years have you been writing songs for?

20

What process, or processes, do you often find yourself using when you write songs?

Every song is different, some have come on a train with no guitar in hand. Only a voice recorder and a quick pen and paper. Others while sat with my guitar.

How long have you been playing open mic nights?

20

Why did you get into playing them in the first place?

I’ve made a career in musical theatre pretending to be other people and this is the place I get to be myself until my stories.

What advice would you give new performers who are just starting out playing their first open mics?

Just get up there and do it, the more you do it the better you get. We live in a world where we worry about everybody else’s thoughts and opinions but they will always be somebody who likes your stuff and somebody who doesn’t it’s not a personal thing. It’s just personal test and preference. Just get up there and enjoy yourself and tell your stories.

What’s the hardest thing, for you, about playing open mics?

It can sometimes feel like nobody is listening, but somebody always is and that’s who you’re doing it for

If it’s not already, are you hoping to make music your full-time career?

Yes

What do you currently find the hardest and biggest obstacles to moving your music career forward?

Getting people to listen to your music in this world of social media and like everybody else finances.

Do you have music on streaming? What’s you main streaming channel to send people to?

Where is the main place should people go to find out more about you?

https://www.instagram.com/michaelpickeringmusic?igsh=bjJyZDc1eWI4cDg5&utm_source=qr

What other sites/profiles should people go to to find out more about you?

www.michaelpickeringmusic.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">www.michaelpickeringmusic.com
www.instagram.com/michaelpickeringmusic?igsh=bjJyZDc1eWI4cDg5&utm_source=qr" target="_blank" rel="noopener">www.instagram.com/michaelpickeringmusic?igsh=bjJyZDc1eWI4cDg5&utm_source=qr
www.tiktok.com/@michaelpickeringmusic?_t=ZN-8x26wruxIgQ&_r=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">www.tiktok.com/@michaelpickeringmusic?_t=ZN-8x26wruxIgQ&_r=1

We’re done! Anything else you want to share before we go?

No thanks!