The Intoxicating Force of Michael Wilford's Scotch
Photo by Hailey Krakana | Words by Rachael Ransom
“It’s one of those things where you tell people you’re going to do music and they say you should take a second to think about that.” During transitional phases of life, we often question our next steps. Is this the right decision? Should I really do this? Victoria-based musician, Michael Wilford, battled against the naysayers who let it be known that a career in music simply isn’t possible. During our interview, Wilford told me he attempted to quit music for a week during his gap year, but his passion persisted, allowing him to grow and find his voice as an artist. Michael is a versatile singer-songwriter & drummer, who has released his newest single “Scotch” this year. The song itself is a fusion of rock and a little country, featuring Chelsea D.E Johnson’s (Old Soul Rebel) striking vocals. “It became a song for my dad because he was kind of the first person to really be like, “you wanna do music, you should go do it.”
“It became a song for my dad because he was kind of the first person to really be like, “you wanna do music, you should go do it.”
Thankfully for us, Michael did go do it. Like anyone reaching for a dream, Wilford faced self-doubt and a dash of hesitancy, fighting his internal critic. As an artist finds their voice, they often get caught asking themselves, “what if I don’t succeed?” The answer is simple: what if you do? The old saying “fake it till you make it” has been sprinkled across the origin stories of many young, talented, musicians and for Michael, making it was truly about the music. He and I spoke about his journey being a songwriter and having to shift the way he was perceived in the music world.
“I've written songs for the bands that I've been playing with, but it was never something that entered the door with me, it was something people were always like, “Oh, you also write songs, cool.” And I wanted to have that be part of my identity too. I wanted to have that be something I could offer, to do it in a way that was collaborative and created a network and a community.”
What can we expect from Wilford next after “Scotch?” He graciously gave me some details on his next track, “Rattle in my Bones.” This song relates to the pandemic, touching on themes of loneliness that can be easily found in a ghost town. Stayed tuned as Michael Wilford releases new music to engage and inspire.
Listen to Scotch here