MAK * 1996
( One For The Future? You Choose… ) - Saturday 9th March 2024
Words by Isaac Solanki. Photography by Calvin Mlilo. Thanks to Jessica Lamb.
Introduce yourself and describe your sound…
“So, I go by the name MAK and when it comes to talking about my sound, it's tough, I never really know how to answer this question. For me, I make feel good music. I guess some people would try and categorise it and put it in a in a in a box but I don't necessarily like to. Instead I think that it evokes emotion. It evokes a feeling and as well as that, you may be able to bop your head or dance to if you get the chance to.”
What do you think makes you different to the other young up and coming artists of today?
“I may just be that little bit older than the majority of young up and coming artists today, so I feel like my my subject matters and the things that I talk about in my music may be a bit different. Even the way that I convey my message may be a bit different and I feel like I don’t make the same music as everyone else. I don't think that you can listen to me and go you know what, he sounds like this which is similar to why they sound like that. I feel like I've not got a direct comparison andd that's not to say that the younger artists do or don’t, I’m in a in a box of my own, navigating my way and that's naturally gonna be different to everyone else.”
What’s your story? How did it all start and what challenges have you faced along the way so far?
“Originally, I wanted to be a professional football player, that was the only ever plan. I kind of stumbled across music and realised that I was a fan. I formally started releasing music in 2021 with the track 25 but. So I used that as a milestone to say you know what like? This is a chapter or from here on now this is where I'm going and this is what I'm trying. Along the way, I think for any new artist, you have to learn everything. At the beginning, I just thought that if you have the talent, you can go to the studio, record your music and put it out as easy as anything. I think naturally, I've had to learn how to take a step back and learn how today's climate works and how hard it can be; it's a process.“
Moving forwards, what are some of your short-term and long-term career goals for the future?
“That's that's a good question, especially because I like to live in the present. My short term goal actually aligns perfectly with my word for the year, something that I do every year instead of New Year's resolutions. My word for this year is consistency and my short term goal is to soon get to a point where I’m consistently releasing music this year. At the minute, I’ve got a song a year on paper - as satisfying at that looks, which looks kind of sick on paper, it really isn't good enough from me. My long term goal is to one day get to a place where people Allow me or demand of me a full body of work; something that can then go on to sit amongst some of the greatest in the city. I feel like that's the main long term goal of mine, to just have the the chance or the people to give me the chance to speak my truth in a work of art and for that to eventually be regarded as one of the staples. I feel like anything past that is all a blur at the moment.”
Talk to me about some of the unsung heroes of your music career to date. Is there anyone that you perhaps wouldn’t be here today without?
“My mum is probably my biggest supporter, I certainly wouldn't be where I am now if it wasn’t for her. I wouldn't be here without the belief of the people around me. I guess I wouldn't be here without my brother and I truly appreciate that I wouldn't be here today without the people that have supported the music and/or the journey so far, man like so far in the journey. I’d say it starts from mum and then filters down from there, for sure.”
“Please” by MAK
“It’s an interesting one, I don't know if you've ever listened to a song and just thought, yeah this is it - well, that was what happened with me and the instrumental. I guess the story behind it just relates to everything that I've been through prior to actually getting to write on this instrumental. Over the past year or so, I've been on a bit of a rollercoaster and I feel like the best way for me to be is to always be positive and optimistic, which is why the sound is almost a bit more upbeat rather than more mellow. My mum and brother were actually questioning if I actually really wanted to do actually do music at points because I'd been away from it for so long. Then, getting to write Please was almost like a revelation because it made me realise that I can actually do it. Ultimately, I've been hiding for the last year or so but for good purpose. It's almost like a reintroduction to myself.”
Favourite lyric from the track…
“Feel like I'm on a train journey to leave a legacy before we stop off at Gravesend. It’s the long term goal, isn't it?”
