“I am beyond thrilled and excited to finally be releasing my own music. I feel like I have been waiting for this moment all my life and really hope everyone likes my first single. I met a wonderful German producer who was on holiday in Cape Town this year and we began playing around with some of my songs and ‘All of You’ was the first song we did a demo for, so it naturally became the first one to be ready for release,” comments an elated Michael.
Michael Neill, a singer/artist & fashion designer from Cape Town, started from humble beginnings and loved singing from a young age. Growing up in church gave Michael an opportunity to perform in front of people for the first time and this encouraged him to enter talent competitions, often winning and thereby giving him the confidence to pursue his passions.
After years of travelling abroad between 2015 and 2020, Michael returned to South Africa with great ambitions to finally start his professional music career and focus on his passions. Unfortunately, the 2020 lockdown and Covid 19 shut down the entire world and much like everyone else, Michael was forced to put things on hold to a certain degree, once again. However, during this time, he began working on his second passion and dream project. Michael Neill Apparel.
Michael Neill Apparel was designed and founded during the pandemic and currently has several retail outlets in South Africa just a short year after its launch.
As the world slowly opened up during lockdown, his musical plans were swiftly put back into place. A key feature of Michael as an artist, is his fearlessness: not just as a singer/ songwriter but an also as an entertainer/performer that captivates his audiences so they experience something special and memorable.
Speaking about the writing process and inspiration for his debut ‘All of You’, Michael explains “I usually don’t know when I am going to write a song, it happens very spontaneously. I remember sitting with my guitar in December 2021 while a friend and I were chatting with a glass of wine and the very first verse just came out of nowhere and I began to write it down on paper. I left it for a month before I proceeded to complete it. The inspiration for the song is self-explanatory in a way but it speaks about revealing one’s true feelings towards someone they have known for some time, who may feel the same but it’s been unspoken, and it’s about letting them know exactly how you feel.”
Michael joined forces with the team at CapeTown Sounds, who made the recording process a lot of fun. “I was very grateful that they allowed me to take creative control over the song and allowed me to be part of every aspect of its creation when it came down to the mixing and mastering,” explains Michael. “We wanted the song to have a pop feel with Hip Pop flavours while still focusing the entire production around the vocals. I wanted to make sure the audience was able to hear my voice first and allow it to breathe life into the lyrical content of the song. It sounds very different than the original composition. I actually think this particular song can have 3 versions: the radio version, the club remix & perhaps LIVE – I may sing it the way it was written. I am very happy with the way it turned out and how modern the sound is.”
The single release is accompanied by the release of his debut music video as well.
Watch the music video for ‘All of You’ :
Michael directed the music video himself and on a tight budget managed to create a visually captivating video which was filmed at various locations around Cape Town. Michael chose old historic sites like the Castle of Good Hope and Rhodes Memorial which allowed the video to fit the medieval theme Michael was aiming for, while wearing regal yet modern timeless fashion looks.
Listening to the single and then watching how the video links to it, Michael explains how he came about the visual concept and had it blend with the song, saying “As a brand owner, I have my own clothing line called ‘Michael Neill Apparel’ and I really wanted to film the music video in our Winter Collection, plus I had a medieval theme in mind. I wanted it to feel regal and powerful while focusing mainly on me singing to the camera so that everyone watching it can feel like the person I am singing to. It’s my first music video as well, so it was really fun and I learned a lot while filming.”
‘All of You’ is just the first of many releases from the talented Michael Neill and there’s no doubt about his singing and writing talent with this stellar release.
Stream/Listen to ‘All of You’ HERE
Follow Michael Neill online:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michaelneillofficial/
Official Website: www.michaelneill.co.za
*Photo Credits : Dean Patric Chaplin
