New Zealand Music Month 2017 Profiles
Mikey Mayz
By Sarah Kidd.
When a singer receives an award with the title of ‘Most Promising Artist’ you straightaway know that they are going places. Just last year, Tongan Urban Artist Mikey Mayz received this honor at the Pacific Music Awards for his hit single ‘Reload’, an accolade that he has stated is “only the beginning”.
Born Michael David Gibson in Washington, USA, the talented 26 year old was raised right here in New Zealand after spending his formative years growing up on a boat. Like most kids he was influenced by music at a young age and began singing along with all the famous Disney movies, but it wasn’t until Hip-Hop came into his life in the early 2000’s that he finally found his calling. Influenced by the sound of West Coast Hip-Hop and artists such as D’Angelo, Maxwell and Musiq Soulchild to name but a few, Mayz has carefully melded all of these influences and used them to shape his own unique sound which encompasses elements of R&B, Hip-Hop and Neo-Soul.
His music points towards his romantic nature (check out the song ‘Solid’) and his positive outlook on life; the lyrics reflecting this young man’s writing abilities which are far beyond his years. And frankly this young artist has a lot to be positive about.
Mayz is a member of Juvenile Music Group along with fellow artists Donell Lewis and Sesh. None of the three artists are currently signed as JMG is not a record label but rather a collective who support and push themselves as well as each other to promote and distribute their own music; a testament to the character and humble nature of Mayz himself.
2015 was to be a big year for Mayz as he not only had his debut single ‘Thunder’ featured in the NZ Film ‘Born To Dance’ (choreography designed by none other than Parris Goebel), he also collaborated with Sid Diamond (formally known as Young Sid) on his breakthrough single ‘Sunshine’. The single was extensively played on radio stations nationwide, unsurprisingly it was also a hit in places such as Australia, Europe, Asia and the Pacific. Not one to rest and sit back, Mayz ended the year by releasing his debut EP, the rather aptly titled Glory Dayz.
He recently supported Common Kings at their sold out show held at Auckland’s Powerstation, impressing the crowd with not only his smooth vocals and beats (Mayz has stated previously that he puts a lot of effort into the beats he chooses as he likes to make a connection with the audience) but his overall on stage charisma.
Mayz is not just a pretty face either, he has a post-production major and a film school background, assets that have served him very well when it comes to not only producing his music videos but also within the realms of audio recording. Mayz has been touted as the ‘future of New Zealand R&B’ and judging by his debut album, Alpha; it’s a title he can certainly lay claim to.
This profile is a part of our NZ Music Month coverage, celebrating new and upcoming Kiwi artists. For more information on Mikey Mayz you can visit his website, or follow him on Youtube, Soundcloud, Facebook and Instagram. For more information on NZ Music Month you can visit their website.
Image Credits: Promotional Image courtesy of mikeymayz.com. Live Image courtesy of Instagram / @mikeymayz