Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Morris.
Hi Michael , it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I’ve always wanted to be a rock star. Ever since I was a little kid, playing on my baby piano to being in band in middle school and highschool, I always craved more. The music was my happy place, but I wanted to create my own instead of reading other people’s music. I started my journey as a vocalist back in 2009 when all the best of Metalcore was coming out. I would constantly sing and scream songs from my favorite bands at the time like AttackAttack!, Asking Alexandria, Emmure, Suicide Silence, Chiodos, Miss May I ECT there’s so many I can’t really say whos my favorite. I would sing all the clean vocals and learned to scream on my own as I’d drive or at my small studio spot I rented out of an old storage unit back in the day. I practiced so much, I was beyond determined. I had saw this artist meet up on Facebook and went out and met one of my good friends Jeremy and he was a talented rapper man, like crazy good and we came up with the plan to fuse metal and hip hop in our own way. We had our run and life happened and we floated apart and continued on solo. That was when I met one of my favorite producers to this day, Nate. Bro is extremely talented, like gift from the Heavens talented. His unique production style helped me think outside of the box to what scream rap could be. I always wanted it to be like metal music with hip-hop instrumentals but Nates beats were perfect in their own way. Fast forward to 2021, I was going through a lot. Money was tight, relationship wasnt going well. I was sad and I decided to rebirth myself and start making emo rap. I woke up one night in the middle of the night with the melody and hook to my first banger ” Hopeless ” and after that I just ran with it. I had a healthy way to cope with my emotions and I was doing what I loved to do. The only thing that was difficult for me was to get booked shows. There was only hip-hop shows, metal shows or emo nite at the time.. and I was both and neither at the same time. They didn’t accept me and were not open minded to the genre or just didn’t like me for no reason. This drove me harder to keep trying other avenues, but I landed on just throwing my own events. And behold Skreamo Night was born and us subgenre, neich artists finally had a safe and welcoming platform to express ourselves and be seen. I vowed to support the underground and small businesses in my community and build a new family and network of hardcore artists in Houston. Ever since then I’ve been grinding and failing and learning and adapting and growing. I’ve gone through serious struggles with no one there to having everything I could ever want. I perform all the time. I got my bros ThaKvlt, Search For Savior and 4bdnightmare right here with me on the way up. I have the best friends and colleagues, I have my lil Tuxedo Cat….. What else could I ask for. I’m already living the dream. My goals right now are to expand world wide by the end of 2026 and tour the UK, America and Japan and be a full time musician. I have 3 big events coming up over the next 4 weeks I’m so excited for.
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?
Its definitely not a smooth road. I had to learn to adapt to the curves, take the punches life there at me, and literally create my own lane. The music industry is very trying. There’s good people and bad people. Good business and bad business. I had to learn the hard way a few times, and am still always learning from the people I look up to and situations that I go through
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m Mike Skream, I am a hardcore solo artist. Anything hardcore, I’m into. I excel in the vocal department. I write intense emotional lyrics that will make the dopamine really kick in. I can sing and have a unique scream for my intense Scream-Rap and Deathcore music. I’m not really sure what I’m known for to be honest, I haven’t ever thought about it, but it’s probably my intense screams and unique multi genre fused music. I’m also probably known for my Skreamo Night events I currate here in Houston. I’m always the hardest worker in the room, I currate events, book them, actually run them all while making time for creating the best music I can and promoting it. I also have a full time day job. I somehow am able to balance everything and take care of myself and still get enough sleep… Don’t ask me how I manage that but I do. I’ve been doing everything alone for the longest, it’s really not for the weak.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
Just to be kind and treat everyone with respect. At the end of the day we’re all humans and we need to love and support each other, cause it’s hard out here man. After going through my worst alone and sad, I don’t want anyone to ever go through that. That’s why I love to support small businesses, cause we are trying our hardest to set ourselves and our friends and our families free while chasing our dreams.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @theskreamgod
- Youtube: @theskreamgod
Image Credits
@wilo.jpeg
@groveycophotography
