Interview With “Give It To Me”Singer Michael Mancuso! (@MichaelMancusoMusic)
Photo Credit: Anthony Evans
We recently had the chance to chat with singer Michael Mancuso about getting his start in the entertainment industry, his single “Give It To Me”, upcoming projects, and more!
- How did you get your start in the music industry?
I’ve been singing since I was a kid, but I’d say I really decided to pursue music when I got to High School. I joined the Westlake High School Choral Music Department and got into the two top groups. Our choir was in the top 1% of choirs in the nation, so everyone took it pretty seriously! Having the opportunity to perform around the USA and perform on big on big stages made me hungry to do it all by myself with my own music. When I got to USC I was accepted into The SoCal VoCals. With them, I solidified my desire to pursue a solo career in music. The group is composed of individuals who are extremely driven to succeed in music. Our alumni web is composed of highly successful players in the music industry, from Grammy Award winners to BMI Songwriters of the year. Being surrounded by people who were so driven and focused is what led me to where I am today, and I couldn’t be more thankful to be a part of the VoCal family.
- How would you describe your sound?
I would describe my sound as a blend of different elements from Justin Bieber, Nick Jonas, DNCE and Ariana Grande. Each of these artists has influenced one aspect of my song creation process or another. Whether it be the basic structure of my melodies, to the intricacies of my tracks, I look to those 4 artists (and many more) for inspiration.
- What inspired your single “Give It To Me”?
Honestly the basic premise for “Give It To Me” was actually a joke I was making to my co-writer and producer Dan Whittemore. We start off every writing session by catching each other up on our lives. He was asking me about mine and, truth be told, the only thing on my mind was my inability to meet any new girls over the last few weeks! Once we had the track selected and had decided upon a melody, dan threw out the idea that we should write the song about my lack of companionship…and “Give It To Me” was born!
- How is it different from other music that you’ve released?
“Give It To Me” is different in a lot of ways. First off, its the first song I’ve ever written that’s blatantly about hooking up. It doesn’t really beat around the bush. Second, as a song, it really lives in the pop-rock genre. Until I heard the track I never saw myself releasing music in that vein! I wrote this song while I was finding my sound, so my future releases are truly designed to sit in the mainstream “top 40s” segment of pop music. But I loved “Give It To Me” so much that I had to release it.
- What was a typical day like in the studio?
This song came together really organically. The bare bones of the track and most of the lyrics/melody were finished in less than 5 hours! Here’s how the sequence of events played out for this specific song…all over the course of a few short hours: We met at Dan’s studio, caught each other up on current events in our lives, listened through some demo tracks Dan had been working on (either by himself or with different musicians), picked one that we liked, came up with melodic ideas, picked a topic to write on, filled in our melodic lines with ideas, and recorded the demo!
- What has the fan reaction been like to the song?
This song has been so well received! I’ve gotten so many nice messages on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. I hope my fans realize how much I appreciate when they take the time to let me know how they feel about the music I’m releasing. Its a great feeling!
- What do you think makes you stand out from other artists?
There hasn’t been a new guy in mainstream pop since Shawn Mendes. I truly have my sights set on making music that competes directly with Justin Bieber, Shawn Mendes, Zayn, and Nick Jonas. I want to be a guy thats known in the world of pop as a singer and a performer, just like the 4 of them! With that goal in mind, I feel that I’m making music that puts my own spin on whats trending now on the pop charts.
- What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
I love cars! I don’t know why, but I love everything about them. I read up on the auto shows, research new releases, and stay up to date on the latest engine news from the major German brands. Also very into tech in general. I try to keep myself up to date on all the latest Apple news!
- Do you have any other music fans can look forward to?
Absolutely. “Give It To Me” was just the beginning! I’ve been working on new music for the last year and I’m so excited to share what I’ve been working on with everyone over the course of 2018!
- What are your social media accounts?
Instagram – @michaelmancusomusic – https://www.instagram.com/michaelmancusomusic/
Facebook – @MichaelMancusoMusic – https://www.facebook.com/MichaelMancusoMusic/
Website – https://www.michaelmancusoofficial.com