Born under the vast Texas sky, but shaped by the diverse and cosmopolitan streets of Hong Kong, folk and Americana artist Mikel Rafael is on a journey that’s anything but conventional. His path, woven with rich cultural experiences, has taken him across the globe, from Asia to the U.S., fueling a distinct artistic voice that defies easy categorization. Mikel's music draws from both ancient and modern influences, and with his current single, ‘A Shield and a Sword’, he offers a deeply emotional, literary, and timeless contribution to the genre.
Mikel’s musical odyssey took flight when he moved to California at eighteen, where his passion for storytelling through song truly blossomed. Jeff Buckley’s haunting rendition of ‘Hallelujah’ was a turning point, a deeply personal anthem that spoke to his teenage years of introspection. That influence, along with the sounds of legends like Led Zeppelin, Joni Mitchell, and Nick Drake, laid the groundwork for Mikel’s distinct style—a blend of folk, Celtic melodies, Americana, and a dash of rock. His sound carries an emotional depth and a lyrical elegance that resonates deeply with listeners, offering an experience both familiar and refreshingly new.
Mikel’s latest single, ‘A Shield and a Sword’, stands as a testament to his literary influences and thoughtful songwriting. Written in 2020 after reading Homer’s ‘The Iliad’, the song is inspired by the heart-wrenching scene of Hector bidding farewell to his family before returning to battle. This single captures the timelessness of human struggle, combining epic and tragic moods with the poetic touch that defines Mikel’s work.
Read our conversation with Mikel here:
Thank you for sitting down and talking to FLEX, can you tell us a bit about how you got into music?
When I was twelve I moved from Hong Kong to the Philippines to live with my father after a major argument with my mother. I lived there for a year, during which time my dad encouraged me to learn an instrument. Naturally, my choice was guitar, because I thought it was just the coolest thing. He hired his high school buddy to teach me, who in turn introduced me to blues music. I remember being blown away by his playing, as I hadn’t seen anyone play guitar like that before. In Hong Kong, there wasn’t much of a blues/ classic rock scene (or, if there was, I hadn’t been exposed to it). It inspired me to practice religiously and to listen to all the classic rock bands he liked, as I was determined to learn how to play guitar the way he did. Eventually, as the year I spent in the Philippines passed, I discovered the music of Jeff Buckley. His music captured me in a way no other artist has ever done, both before and since. That discovery gradually steered me towards a more singer-songwriter direction. Music has been my passion ever since.
Who would you say are your biggest musical influences?
Jeff Buckley by far. Led Zeppelin is another big one. They were both Jeff Buckley’s favorite band and my guitar teacher’s, so I spent a lot of time listening to them and gradually grew to adore their music. Besides that, Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell and Nick Drake were all great teachers for me both lyrically and sonically. Some of my more contemporary inspirations would include Phoebe Bridgers, Ye Vagabonds, and Gillian Welch. I find her guitarist, Dave Rawlings, to be an absolutely mesmerizing player stylistically. I love how he utilizes open strings, an approach that I’ve incorporated deeply into my own playing.
Congratulations on your brand-new single 'A Shield and a Sword' —what inspired this particular release?
The song was inspired by a specific scene in the Iliad, where Hector briefly returns behind the walls of Troy to hold his wife and child for what could be the very last time. (Sadly, it was). I found the scene particularly poignant, as it did a tremendous job of accentuating just how tragic and horrific war could be. A Shield and a Sword was born from the visceral emotions I experienced while reading that scene.
How do you channel personal experiences into your songwriting, and what do you hope listeners gain from connecting with your music?
Personal experiences tend to bleed into my music naturally. The scenes I write into my songs may sometimes be fictional, but the emotions behind them invariably arise out of real life. How could they not? My songwriting process is long, slow, and deliberate. It always consists of spending hours staring blankly at my notebook or my phone’s note app as I consider how to phrase the next line, what verb or adjective to use, whether a verse is grammatically correct, etc. During those long sessions of contemplation, my mind would often wander to past experiences, and some lingering emotions from those experiences might arise out of that, which in turn often elicits a series of thoughts or perspectives. When I land on a perspective produced by these emotions that resonate with the song’s theme, I try to find imagery that conveys that perspective without stating it directly. Then I write that imagery into the song. It’s a little hard for me to state what I hope listeners gain from my music, as every song is different and explores different themes. However, I ultimately wish to create music that transports listeners to another place as they lose themselves in the imagery and emotions conveyed. It’s what Jeff Buckley’s music did for me, and my entire growth as a musical artist has been devoted to learning how to create music that achieves the same effect on other people.
Each aspect of music—writing, recording, practicing, and playing live—offers something different. Can you share a particularly meaningful moment from each?
The actual songwriting is probably my favorite part of the musical experience, as I enjoy losing myself in my thoughts as I attempt to craft something worth hearing. I know many songwriters who find the idea of spending weeks in contemplative silence just to write one song appalling, and understandably so. Most people just don’t have that kind of patience. It used to drive me crazy with frustration, but over the years I learned to embrace the process, and now I love it. It’s like meditation for me.
If I’m being totally honest, I do find that recording can often be rather dreary, but witnessing the evolution of a song in the studio as the arrangement slowly comes together is always a magical experience. Sometimes it could be the smallest thing- a simple guitar line, an added bell, a single piano note- that elevates a track to a whole new level. I remember being in the studio a few months ago while recording for my upcoming EP The Golden Hour, when I recorded a simple mandolin line that merely imitated the vocal melody. I didn’t think much of it at the time, as I’m really not that great at the mandolin. I figured it would be a nice little touch, one of those subtle things listeners don’t really notice. However, when I listened to the mix the next day with fresh ears, it turned out to be one of my favorite moments of the song. Moments like that always yield great satisfaction for me. I love practicing as it provides me with an opportunity to explore new ideas, to try different things and see what works and what doesn’t. Sometimes the free-form improvisation I often engage in the comfort of my room produces lovely ideas that in themselves become the inspirations for new songs.
Playing live is a hit or miss for me. A lot of things can go wrong when performing, such as a string snapping, equipment malfunctioning, or even just experiencing a sudden soreness in my throat mid-song. My songs are contemplative and lyrical, so performing them to a rowdy, drunken group of people can sometimes feel pointless because the compliments I receive from them after my set is over can feel fake. My favorite live experience- and I’m sure most singer-songwriters can relate to this- is always when I’m playing in a small, intimate room to an attentive crowd. It really allows me to work the crowd, build and maintain momentum throughout my set and see what kind of impact certain songs have on people. It’s a setting where I can easily connect through music.
Is there a song in your repertoire that holds a particularly deep personal meaning for you? Can you share the story or inspiration behind it?
I wrote a song last year called ‘Maples and Pines’, which will be on my upcoming EP. It’s told from the perspective of someone who insists that if one listens closely enough to the stillness of the forest, they would hear a strange, mystical song quietly permeating it. The narrator goes on to explain how this song has followed him all his life, and insists that if only the listener could hear it too, they would come to understand him and the burdens hidden in his heart. On the surface, it could be adequately described as being merely a song about a song, but on a deeper level, it’s about the desire to be seen and understood. At the time, I was in a brief fling that had just come to an abrupt end. I wrote it as a way of coping with feelings of inadequacy and heartache I was struggling with as a result of the end of that relationship. It holds deep personal meaning for me because, although the lyrical content doesn’t directly address the relationship, it does articulate the feelings of inadequacy that relationship triggered in me in a way I’d never been able to do before. I’m quite proud of that achievement.
What are your goals for the future with your music?
My goals are similar to the goals of most upcoming artists- elevate my musical career to where it’s generating a livable income, go on tour both locally and abroad, expand my audience. I’m not seeking success on a massive, celebrity scale. I’m merely seeking to attain just enough recognition in the music world to allow me to spend as much time with my art as I like without having to work regular jobs to pay the bills.
What message or feeling do you hope listeners take away from your music?
Again, messaging is a little tricky for me to answer since all my songs explore different themes and topics. However, if my music and lyrics are able to elicit powerful, contemplative emotions in my listeners, then I’ve done my job as an artist.
To wrap things up, is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
Listen to my single A Shield and a Sword on all streaming platforms, and share with your friends if you like it! Every stream helps, and it does wonders for my self-esteem haha.
Listen to 'A Shield and a Sword' here:
Comments