Rising Stars: Meet Sergio Michel

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sergio Michel.

Hi Sergio, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
My story starts when I was a four-year-old boy in New Jersey. I had seen Eddie Van Halen and David Lee Roth on MTV and decided that going to Hollywood, and being a great guitarist and frontman was what I wanted to be.

I also had a great interest in acting, writing, history, martial arts, and production. I studied movies and media very closely my entire childhood and gathered a lot of knowledge on the ins and outs of the music business.

I started playing guitar late, maybe 16, but quickly escaped the local band level and got my first international press at around 20 years old in various European fanzines. I had a record deal with one of the big five but learned the biz so well I realized I can be 100% independent and still have all the perks of the majors.

So, by the Grace of God, I became a national-level headliner, went to Hollywood; headlined all the big venues like The Whisky A Go-Go; Rainbow Bar & Grill, and The Viper Room for about four good years, then went on a national tour. Along the way, I also did acting on multiple NBC, Telemundo, Direct TV, and TV series; was referenced on NBC the Voice, appeared on VICE News and so much more. I did it all independently, with no help from any label, etc.

Subsequently, I released a very well-received 19-song double album, Tropical Depression on Cold War Relic records in 2021, and here we are today.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
For a 100% independent artist, the built-in challenge is always financial. Since you must finance yourself, it comes down to paying a band, paying studio costs, a la carte agents you have to pay for various duties, etc; while generating sales.

The social aspect is, that there is a lot of jealousy out there towards a successful independent. Lots of people dislike the idea of someone bypassing the system and getting big results.

Regardless of these challenges, I find my peace and strength in Jesus Christ, so I just rise above the noise and do what I have to do.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My 19-song double album Tropical Depression is an album designed to tackle the woes of today’s internet culture lyrically.

Musically, it was designed to cross genres in rock seamlessly from very smooth classic rock/pop to heavier faster punk/metal. A very nuanced and artistic release. Rob Tucker, drummer of Jason Newsted’s (Metallica) Chophouse Band laid down the drums; and we even used Newsted’s own personal kick drum pedals to track the album.

What sets me apart from my contemporaries, is I have mastered the forgotten positives of yesteryear: stage presence, look, ‘cool’ factor, and can write catchy and complex songs played with a very high skill level requirement.

What would you say has been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
The greatest lesson I learned is, that if you trust God, obey God and learn to wait for the right time for things, amazing things can happen. Things that are impossible by man’s own calculations can happen.

My story is a story of a man who overcame lots of opposition to fulfill his dreams bc he trusted God. That’s basically it.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.sergiomichel.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/sergiomichelmusic/
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/sergiomichelmusic/
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/_Sergio_Michel_/
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/sergiomichelmusic/
• SoundCloud: www.soundcloud.com/sergiomichel
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/album/1ib2SpQkXDSKWpwJ4L0ojU?si=LqMrRnTMSJuAC6timtawiw&utm_source=copy-link