Mike Terrell’s Newest Single - On This Side

Two time Grammy nominated singer Mike Terrell has been sweeping the music scene in Los Angeles since he moved here from Northern Philadelphia in 2020. Having worked with artists such as Stevie Wonder, Smokie Robinson, Jonathan McReynolds, and more, Mike has had a long history in music. Additionally, with his background in gospel, you can feel the soul in the R&B that he now produces. While we wait for his upcoming debut EP release, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Mike to talk about his newest single, “On This Side”.

So you’ve been in the music scene for almost your whole life. I know you went to CAPA, the performing arts high school in Philadelphia, where a lot of greats came from-

“Yeah, we had a lot of people. Jasmine Sullivan, The Roots, Boyz II Men, Leslie Odom Jr., Stephanie Mills. We had a lot of people. Brett Gray, who’s out now, like a big star out now. I actually went to school with him the same year. He’s still my friend today, like, he’s a good guy.”

You also attended a college in Chicago, right? From there, you got an opportunity to play somebody in a theatrical play?

“I went to Columbia College, Chicago and throughout college, I started doing theater. There was an equity house called Black Ensemble Theater, which was written by Jackie Taylor, who’s a legend in the acting space. She basically put together this black-owned theater and gave a lot of black talent who were rising in Chicago an opportunity. I ended up auditioning and starring in a show for Sammy Davis. ...They couldn’t find their Sammy and I was like, I could sing like him. So they pulled me in for a meeting and told me if I can come in, get his mannerisms, the way he talks, the way he walks, and the way his lip kind of droops. If I could get all that and try to get a little bit of his voice, they’ll work with me. I booked it and the rest is history. Then that’s when I got my agent and I ended up doing a bunch of TV . I did Chicago PD, I did Empire there and another show. Ultimately, a Wisconsin lottery commercial moved me to LA during the pandemic.

I remember that, I was going to ask you about that move during COVID. Your first gig out here was a gospel gig, right?

Yeah, when I first got here, like, nothing was happening in LA. LA is very fun and vibrant, but it was dead right now. I looked on Facebook and happened to see this African church in Ontario hosting this gospel choir and they were looking for professional BGV artists. So I sent in my resume and videos, and they hired me. When I got there, it was literally the best of the best of LA all singing, including someone who lived outside of LA named David Michael Wyatt. So this was my first opportunity to break me into LA. From that, all the connections I made through that project, here we are today.

That’s LA for you! With all that said, have your musical inspirations changed over the years? Like dating back from high school ‘til now.

“Absolutely. I started in the church, I’m still in church, and I will always be in the church. But I started off singing gospel. My mom’s a PK. I didn’t really grow up listening to R&B music, it was mainly all gospel. As I began to go to high school, I started singing other music, like musical theater, and of course, they have a bunch of different genres in school. You start getting open to other sounds and other sonics. As i transitioned to college, I became a man, started to grow up, started doing R&B, fell in love with R&B, started studying R&B heavily. Then tried to find a way that I could do R&B that wasn’t going to offend my mom within our religious beliefs. Now I’m at a point where I love God, I still sing for God, but I also do R&B for the lovers and those of who who love, love. You’ll always find an honest place of love. You’ll also hear the church in the sound a little bit. I’m a church boy through and through.

Honestly, like a lot of the vibes from gospel and church music, it does come from a place of love anyway. It’s just a matter of transitioning that and putting it into your music, which is awesome. If you can describe your music in five words, what would they be?

“Emotional, passionate, and I’m gonna make this one word, hopeless-romantic, risky, and fun.”

I see some of that in your newest single! It got me dancing but I also felt like I was about to find love in the club, haha.

“Yeah, exactly. That was the whole goal.”

So talking about your newest single “On the Side”, how was the writing process in that?

“So this song specifically, is actually the last song on my EP that’s coming up. This is the first time I’m saying it. To give a quick explanation of the EP, it’s about a relationship that I had that I thought was the best thing in the world. But the perspective of the EP is giving you a look at the relationship as it went on. So the beginning of the record, it’s when we first met and I wasn’t looking for anything serious, but you end up being the light of my eyes. The next song is when you’re deeply in love. Then there’s a phase of red flags, which is my very first single, that’s already out. Then it transitions into, we’re trying to make it as one last try, and then you have the break up song. After that, I’m back outside, which is where you have “On this Side”. You know, the fresh off the break-up, I’m single, I’m outside and I just want to have fun. That’s the idea of this song. There’ll also be a visual concept as well for the entire EP that’ll bring it all together. And my goal for this song, I want it to be a fun summer song where people dance and feel the vibes.”

Did you have any favorite lines or riffs from the song?

“Yeah, it’s in a verse or, like, the pre-chorus. ‘You know your heart ain’t nothing to play with. Girl how much time you gonna waste? You can have love without doubt. Come fuck around and find out how it feels to feel like it sucks and not deal with no scrubs...” 

Going off all of that, I did see the snippet of your music video, the visuals on your instagram. I didn’t know you danced like that! I was like, yo, he hittin that choreo!

I do dance. I started in musical theater so I do know how to pick up choreography very well. I’m not the best freestyler and I did have a choreographer for that shoot. I’m also getting back in training so that way I can get my reps up. I want the movement to look natural and I love dancing. So yeah, I’ve been dancing for a long time.

So how was that experience shooting that whole music video?

Amazing. My team was amazing. I had Dean the Vision and Easy Films, who both produced and directed the whole project with me. I wrote the entire visual. I wrote the entire script. The lead actress, her name is Kayla Marie. She’s a dance choreographer as well, she’s pretty known. It was fun. I just wanted to feel like the record. I wanted it to flow and see the emotions, see the connection. First of all, why I’m willing to even walk over there and tell her, ‘I don’t care who you’re dating because she’s so gorgeous. ’ Then you also see me, look good, smell good and that I can offer a lot more on this side. I wanted to capture all of that in the film version of it.

So all these singles are leading up to your full EP? Does that have a date of release yet?

People can get a little excited for it. Right now, the answer is technically January, but I think I want to put it out earlier. I’m still processing and talking to the team to figure it out. I have 3 more records to finalize the EP. Realistically it can be done in 2 months total, but I don’t want to rush it.

 

Written and photographed by Richardesque