Mike Sabath

At only 21 years old, Mike Sabath has collaborated with almost every modern pop star you can think of. Adam Levine? Yup. Lizzo? Mhm. Pharrell? Consider it done, not to mention Selena Gomez, Usher, the Jonas Brothers, and countless others. Sabath has been producing music since, well, forever. In fact, his debut album came out when he was only 11 years old, titled Let’s Go. Never one to not hone his craft, however, it’s safe to say Mike’s only improved. His career, as told by his Spotify discography, begins in 2019 with “Wave,” a duet with Meghan Trainor - yes, the Meghan Trainor who sings “All About That Bass,” “Dear Future Husband,” and plenty of other mid-decade hits, though I’m sure this isn’t coming as a surprise to you, seeing as you read the first couple of sentences of this very paragraph. His first true solo piece, “Good Energy,” a feel-good, head-bobbing hit came out this September. We recently spoke with Sabath about his experiences collaborating with what feels like the entirety of the music industry, what it was like deferring his admission to Harvard, and more!

How did you get started making music?

I was introduced to music at a very young age with toy instruments and I was always banging pots and pans. I fell in love with making sound. I just got attached to it forever. I started making music in fourth grade. My elementary school crush, Carlie, and I were going away to summer camp and I wanted to make her a song so she would remember me, so I made “The Carlie Song”. This was the beginning of me making music I guess hahaha. I recorded it on my brother’s computer with a guitar we won at a raffle and then I just kept making music forever.

You've made music with some of the most popular artists of all-time. Can you discuss one project that you feel has changed the way you go about music-making?

I just got to work with Earth, Wind, and Fire, which was insane! I grew up listening to them from a really young age so they are like gods to me; my mom is obsessed with them. It was so incredible, it was during covid so i had to go to each of their houses individually to record their parts for the song on a mobile RV studio... literally my favorite. It was amazing to do it like this because i got to spend real time with each of them. It was such an honor to work with them and it looks like we are going to do some more together which is so siiiick. Maurice White who created the band, passed away a few years ago and he was always their producer, so for them to be able to trust me to produce them is really special for me. I was talking to Ray (Raymond Brown), who conducted the horn section for us on the record... such an honor for me. He has worked on Earth Wind & Fire horns for years and used to literally play in Count Bassie’s band... I asked him his perspective on music today. He simply said “music used to require musicians.” I loved that statement for so many different reasons. That whole process impacted me a lot. It was all live: live musicians, everything on the record is played by a human. That project made me fall in love with music even more and made me care even more about the quality of the music I’m making and the level of playing on the records. It reminded me of the immortality and power of art like how Maurice is still impacting people every day all over the world even though he is no longer physically here. The man is literally at almost every commitment of love (wedding) ever with “September”. Incredible. A very, very inspiring experience for me.

What is one thing that you've learned about yourself during this time?

I guess one thing was how important it is for me to create music. It feels like a part of my ecosystem. Making music just makes me go, I’m such an absorber of energy and I need and love to output it. So with all of the insanity around us, I have been extremely wavy as many people have been during this time. Creating music has really helped me in difficult moments and literally feels like it’s medically and therapeutically required for me to exist.

We read in your Spotify bio that you deferred your admission to Harvard? What that decision was like, and how it was initially received by your friends and family? Has that changed?

I always pushed myself to do well in school and my family pushed me as well. But junior/senior I was pretty sure that if I got into Harvard I would do a gap year and see how I did “in the world”. It was also a way for my parents to be cool with me not going. For me, the gap year decision was easy. Officially sending the email that I wasn’t going to go felt a little scary but good at the time. The way the universe works is crazy; I sent the email to Harvard that I wasn't going and then an hour later I got my first offer from Sony. It was meant to be. My close friends were not shocked about my decision, but the other people at school were shocked. I remember this conversation with this kid, Matt, in the bleachers during a football game and I told him I wasn’t going and he was like, “what if it doesn’t work out?” and I was like, “it’s just gotta work out.” For me there was never an alternative, it was very clear. And my family was very supportive. Now everyone is always saying good call hahah. I would still like to go one day, it was an honor to get in. But I am very happy where I am in this moment and excited to continue living life.

You made quite a debut with the Meghan Trainor collab. What was it like working with the artist?

It was awesome. I was working with her on her album. And then, while we were making the song Wave, she was like “do you want to just sing something on the second verse just for fun?” So I randomly sang some stuff and she asked me to stay on the verse, but I wasn’t really ready yet. The release date her label decided on was an important date in my family so I took that as a sign and I ended up doing it. It ended up being the sickest experience. Meghan is the sweetest person. We’ve become really good friends. She bought me a mellotron because I used it on the album and now it is my favorite instrument. Ridiculously nice. We both like to have a good time so we do together. Her family is so lovely, Daryl, her brothers, everyone. It was just great vibes and such a nice experience.

Your first solo single, "Good Energy", quite literally releases good energy. What inspired the track?

It was just really nice out one day and I felt really good and then I made that song.

What is one piece of advice that you would give to an upcoming artist?

Have a good time because you never know what happens. Continue to be a human and live your life and go through things and grow. Music is so special and sometimes feels like it is everything in existence. But, life is very beautiful, the dark and the light, family and friends, each moment... and it’s important to keep it all in perspective. For example, voting in this election and trying to help improve the state of the world is more important than stressing about a single release hahaha. Music can help improve the state of the world too though for real. It’s such an incredible thing to do something you love in life so I’m just grateful for it. I’m really telling this to myself right now hahahah I still need advice... help haha.

What is one thing that about you that most people don't know?

I love to play Super Smash Bros with my boys.

Let's talk a little about your songwriting process. Is there any set-formula that you use when starting up a song?

It's different every time. Sometimes I hear the whole song in my head before I make it. Sometimes it's playing in the background of a dream and i'll try to catch it before i forget it. Sometimes it just happens right in the moment and I don’t know what’s going to happen. I really have little idea what I’m doing so it’s just different every time hahaha.

Do you ever encounter writer's block? If so, how do you overcome it?

Yeah I do. Just like everything in existence, there’s waves: sometimes you’re inspired, sometimes you’re not. I actually wrote down questions I would have for Pharell if i ever met him and this exact question was something I asked him. I forget exactly what he said but it was something along these lines and he planted this in my head. It's just waves. Just live your life, don’t worry about it. It probably just means you should go do something else that you are inspired to do. I just don’t believe in fighting anything, just pivot until you are re-inspired to create music.

Who do you owe your greatest thanks to?

My parents. They are so supportive, my whole family has been so supportive. My parents got me flights out to LA when I needed to go, let me have drum and piano lessons and encouraged me to try. They showed me Blue Man Group and let my inspiration lead the way. They just always supported me.

Lastly, What is next for Mike Sabath?

I'd be a magician if i knew the answer to that!