Ears Wide Open: Michael Seyer

Zane Roessell on October 17th, 2019

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Japanese city pop. Brazilian boogie.

Not exactly the influences that you would come to associate with bedroom R&B, but there they are in Michael Seyer‘s new single “Heaven Only Knows” off his forthcoming EP “Nostalgia.” Seyer, the 24-year-old singer-songwriter born in the Philippines and raised Gardena, has been quietly cultivating his living room lounge act across two self-released albums: 2016’s “Ugly Boy” and 2018’s “Bad Bonez.” Of the languorous “Heaven Only Knows,” Seyer says, “I also hold this song very special because I think it is really an accurate description of my perspective on love. This song was actually a poem I wrote before anything else and when I couldn’t find any words, I revisited my old poetry and found a poem, ‘I Don’t Believe in Heaven,’ and adapted it for the song.”

Citing his influences on the single, “I’ve wanted to write a Bossa Nova song for a while now. A lot of different types of Bossa Nova inspired this song, of course Joao, but also other artists like Masayoshi Takanaka and Yukata who created a sort of Bossa Nova/Funk fusion.” It’s true: Seyer, who previously played guitar in Bane’s World, manages to simultaneously blend the languid Gilberto-esque guitar strums and vocal delivery with a melodic backbone reminiscent of Takanaka on “Brasilian Skies” played quarter speed. Throw in some vibraphones, choice tootles on sax and the mood is set – a timeless track for a new generation of living room romantics.

“Nostalagia” is out Nov. 8 via Caroline.

||| Stream: “Heaven Only Knows”