Michelle Creber – Storm

By starrymag | February 7, 2020

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

Q) How would you describe your sound?

 

A) Pop based singer-songwriter with influences of rock and jazz, blending real instruments with electronic elements.

 

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

 

A) Sara Bareilles, Adele and Alessia Cara are some of the first artists that come to mind.

 

Q) Talk about the story behind your upcoming song “Storm.”

 

A) “Storm” has been in the making for a while now and is very special to me. There have been many demos, many alternate versions, lots of car-ride listens and oddly several performances of it already. You can imagine how eager I am to finally be releasing it out into the world! It was written during a “stormier” period of my life, but now that the storm has passed, I feel even more connected to the lyrics than ever. I can really appreciate how important it was for my younger self to express what I was going through with this song.

 

Q) What do you think it is about the song that fans will connect to?

 

A) I think everyone has experienced what “Storm” is talking about in some way or another. Realizing that you need to cut ties with someone you care about is never easy, but sometimes it’s necessary for your mental health. When you finally walk away from a friendship or relationship that’s been causing emotional strife, it’s completely liberating. “Storm” is about that initial feeling of freedom – when you have decided enough is enough and it’s time to stand up for yourself. I hope it can be one of those songs that people will dance their hearts out to or sing into their hairbrush with when they’ve had that weight lifted off their shoulders.

 

Q) Will fans be able to expect a video to go along with the track release?

 

A) Yes! “The Storm” music video will be released on my YouTube channel two weeks after the single (February 21, 2020).

 

Q) What is your song-writing process? Do you need music before you can create lyrics?

 

A) I like to keep my songwriting process as flexible as possible. It’s a lot easier to avoid writer’s block when you’re not relying on specific patterns. Sometimes my songs start with a melody, other times they start with lyrics. Sometimes they are inspired by standard things like a person or experience but other times it’s entirely random. For example, a poster on the wall or a stranger on the street that just seem to tell me a story. There’s really no limit to who and what we can write about.

 

Q) How much of a hand do you have in the production of your music?

 

A) I write most of my songs with a full piano part right off the bat. So, usually I will record that piano into Logic Pro and send that, along with a rough vocal, to my producers. Often times my demo piano will end up being the final piano. I like to be directly engaged with every step of the music making progress though – arranging, recording, comping, editing, mixing, etc. I believe you can’t really properly convey to other professionals what you need them to do until you have in some way done it or experienced it yourself.

 

Q) What kind of themes will be explored on your forthcoming album?

 

A) Storm is an album about self-reflection, perseverance and accepting, but ultimately letting go of the negatives in our lives. For me, a storm can represent each human emotion in a different form. Whether it be anger, sadness, joy, despair, love, regret, frustration or confusion, a storm is powerful and cannot be controlled. However, those who fight to find inner strength, peace and happiness learn to wait out the weather until it settles. They learn to find humor in the imperfections and even start to appreciate every storm that life throws at them. After all, the best time to appreciate a sunny day is after a lot of rain!

 

Q) What can fans expect from a live Michelle Creber performance?

 

A) A fun variety, that’s for sure. As well as a live band including real, amazing, human musicians! I’ll usually hop on the piano, guitar and drums myself at some point and definitely throw in some dancing. Hopefully, you’ll dance with me, sing with me, laugh, cry and bring your whole family too because there will be something for everyone. I really like to take people through a journey at my show, always throwing in a couple of surprises along the way!

 

Q) Where are some of your favorite places to perform and what makes those locations so significant to you?

 

A) Not sure if I have any favorite locations per say, but there is definitely something so special about performing with the people I’m closest to. Any show that includes my musical friends or my very musical family makes my heart so happy, whether it’s a crowd of 10,000 or 10.

 

Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song in the future?

 

A) Sara Bareilles is absolutely at the top of my list!

 

Q) As a busy voiceover actress. What have been some of your favorite projects to have worked on?

 

A) “My Little Pony” is pretty hard to beat. I consider myself extremely lucky to be a part of a TV show that has had such a positive influence on so many people. I have been on the show since I was nine years old and the world-wide community that built around it continues to astound me every day. Other favorites were playing Wendy in a “Peter Pan” series, the iconic Lucy in Charlie Brown/Peanuts and then probably the most fun was voicing an entire species of lizards for the Tooth and Tale video game!

 

Q) You are a part of social media. Why is that such an important way for you to connect with your fans?

 

A) There are lots of upsides and downsides to the prevalence of social media in this day and age. However, I think the main upside is being able to make a personal connection with individuals all over the globe that you would never get to meet let alone communicate with, if it weren’t for technology. When you use social media effectively, it can not only expand your perspective on the world and other cultures, it can allow you to really make a difference in many more people’s lives.

 

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

 

A) Thank you so much for listening to my music and for supporting my projects! Above all else, I want to create songs that provoke thought, introspection and healing. So, I hope you take away whatever meaning you need from my lyrics and that you find at least one of my songs that make you smile and make your day just a little bit brighter. [smiles]

 

 

 

Watch “Storm”