MICKY

When I was an undergrad in college, I can assure you I wasn't releasing music videos and songs as gorgeous as this. I mostly played a lot of video games. We're premiering the new video, "Love Like Us" from NYU student/seductively soulful singer Michael Persall today. This kid has some pipes on him, and I am jealous. - Baeble Music

Michael is a self-taught, naturally gifted musician who explores a unique vocal style and emotionally-infused songwriting. - Joonbug

If you like charming singers with soulful voices and even more charming guitar skills, then you’ll love singer-songwriter Michael Persall, who played an intimate set at Pianos on Sunday, August 24. Persall is an NYU student whose natural musical talents are quickly taking NYC by storm. Citing Otis Redding, Bob Marley, and Jack Johnson as influences, his musical style can be described as alternative pop with a profoundly heartfelt influence.

Michael’s music sets the perfect tone for a romantic evening, or for an evening where the only comfort you need can be found in a soothing voice and a beautiful melody. The set was a short half-hour, which left most of us in the crowd disappointed, just because it was so good that we didn’t want it to be over. Michael played tunes from his new EP, This & That, which you should be on the lookout for very, very soon. He also played an extremely beautiful and emotionally charged cover of “Rude” by Magic!, which was more or less amazing.

Michael has been understandably busy with the upcoming release of his new album, and with the recent premiere of his new video for “Love Like Us”, but he was still able to take a few moments to talk to us about his music. You can read the interview here. - Stagebuddy

NYC’s Michael Persall emodies what we love about up-and-coming musicians. He’s earnest, and he’s hard working. No, seriously…Michael is on a mission to play 400 shows this year. He is absolutely hustling and grinding, and we love that. Oh, did we mention that he’s good? He’s really good. Just listen to “The Move” and you’ll see how talented he is. Today we’re excited to premiere his new video for “The Move” right in time for Halloween. The video looks like it was a ton of fun to make. In his own words:

I wanted to come up with a concept that was funny and I could make fun of myself so I asked my good friends who I went to NYU with, Tom Mishra and Kevin Tkach, to produce and direct the video for me. Tom came up with the medieval concept and directed and Kevin edited it.

We could have easily gone with a simple video where the guy meets the girl in a bar and starts talking to her and then everything is great, so we included that in the beginning as a joke then just completely went out there with it adding dragons, wizards, and knights and made myself the knight in shining armor who instead of saving the day, gets saved by the princess (played by Jerica Young), because that doesn’t happen enough. Also figured it would be cool to have a video where everyone is in costume and put it out around Halloween.

Watch the video below and if you’re in New York, make it a point to get out to one of his shows (you have plenty to choose from!) His new EP 400 will be out on November 20th. Make sure to follow him online to stay updated and grab that EP in a few weeks! - Groundsounds

Welcome AMBY readers — we’ve got a treat for you today! We’re delighted to premiere the latest single from Michael Persall, a soulful pop track entitled The Move. This movin’, groovin’, and croonin’ New York City based artist showcases his knack of writing an infectious, honest love song while paying tribute to his inspiration of 60s pop, rock, and love of Motown. Added bonus: we adore the addition of the swaying surf-rock-esque backing vocals.

The Move is taken from Persall’s forthcoming EP 400, the title inspired by his feat to play 400 live shows in 2015. Well on his mission, he’s officially hit 300 concerts and we wish him the best of luck with hitting the big 400 before the new year. When asked about the song, Persall shared with AMBY;

“I wanted to write something that we all think about but maybe are too afraid to say sometimes because we don’t want to look like an asshole or a slut. I’m sure for some people it’ll just come off as a song about trying to get with a girl and I’ll look like a d-bag since I tried to be pretty straight forward lyrically, but I think it’s more about the idea of being with someone and not having to worry about being judged. What’s crazy is that it’s almost easier to find that comfort initially with someone you don’t really know sometimes because they aren’t holding you to any preconceived ideas about who they think you are so there’s less pressure to live up to that.

The EP as a whole has a Motown influence to it and I titled it 400 because I made my goal for the year to play at least 300 gigs in New York City but I’m ahead of schedule so I’m actually planning on doing over 400. I think it just made sense to title it that because the songs all are somewhat inspired by experiences I’ve had throughout the year.”

Exclusively stream The Move on AMBY and follow updates from Michael Persall below. The 400 EP is scheduled for release this November and fans can catch him perform live by taking a gander at his tour dates here. - A Music Blog Yea?

Music, Singles, The Revue — October 22, 2015 at 8:55 am
Single Premiere – Michael Persall “I’ll Wait”
by Wendy Redden

Today we have a single premiere from New York based singer-songwriter Michael Persall. The single “I’ll Wait” is off of his upcoming EP titled 400 in honor of his goal of performing 400 shows in one year. The EP is crafted from real life experiences and draws inspiration from 60s driven pop, rock and soul.

Persall’s vocals are reminiscent of Sam Smith yet he brings his own personal style and talent to the table. Growing up he traveled to over 40 countries throughout his childhood, and eventually residing in a historic bed and breakfast run by his parents. He was inspired by his unique upbringing and began creating music at an early age and would perform for guests at weddings and other events held on site. Persall released his debut EP, This & That before graduating from NY in May.

“I’ll Wait” is the perfect mix of pop, rock and soul along with impressive vocal harmonies that keep you wanting more.

The track is a great follow up to the very infectious first track released titled “The Move”.

You can hear more from Persall when he releases his upcoming EP 400 on November 20. - The Revue

When you listen to a Michael Persall song, it is as if you’ve stepped back in time to the golden days when the Beach Boys and Elvis Presley ruled the airwaves. He sings with a cool force, as his voice drips down around sunny compositions which are equal parts breezy, empowering and heartfelt. The Move and I’ll Wait are smoothly-glossed tracks with just enough modern pop sensibility to draw even the most casual of Top 40 listener into his sphere. As he continues mapping out his nationwide tour, which already boasts more than 350 live shows this year—his goal is to notch at least 400 by year’s end—Persall is stretching is artistic wings for his debut EP, appropriately titled 400. “I didn’t really know what else to call it. I was going to self-title it, but ‘400’ seem to be a cool way to come full circle,” Persall shares with Popdust in an exclusive interview, of naming the project, which will include four total tracks.

“Right now, in the modern music industry, you have to be able to capture people’s attention, especially if you are not already established,” he says of choosing to give fans a little taste with an EP, instead of dropping a full-length album. “It’s smarter to release singles and EPs because you can release content more often.”

With the project (produced by his good friend Doug Schadt), he says “I wanted to do this and not think too much about what exactly I was doing. I grew up listening to a lot of music from the ‘60s that my parents played in my house. There was a lot of Motown, Beach Boys, Elvis, Ray Charles, Marvin Gaye, all those kinds of guys. That’s what I listened to in my free time, too. It’s what I enjoy. I wanted to experiment and see if I could make something that had those influences present but also fit into the commercial pop realm”

The groovy, psychedelic vibe of The Move is only scratching the surface, he admits. “A few of the other songs are upbeat. They definitely have that nostalgic, retro feel. They all kind of have those similar tendencies. One of them is a ballad and a little more downtempo.” - Pop Dust