Milo Merah
Captivating and emotional, Milo Merah’s latest single “Linger” is the kind of songs that gets better each listen. What immediately caught my attention is Merah’s unique vocals and the production. I absolutely love how the production progresses - it makes the song ever bigger and emotional. It is fascinating to hear.
Make sure to take a moment to listen to “Linger” , and pay attention to every sound, every word and every melody. It is worth listening.
Photo credit: @skg.kiran
Introduce yourself - what's your story?
Hi, I’m Milo Merah, a singer-songwriter and producer from South West London. I make alternative, experimental R&B but I write and perform for other artists across different genres in the electronic music spectrum. Anything from Soulection and electronic soul vibes to Drum and Bass (D&B). My first D&B track, ‘City Angels’ is almost at 1 million streams!
When did you start writing songs? What made you want to write in the first place?
Well, I was really into poetry when I was young, we’re talking 7, 8 years old but I only really started writing songs about 5 years ago, when a friend of a friend invited me to a local studio in Brixton, South London. They heard I could sing and wondered if I’d be up for doing something on an R&B track. Funnily enough, I was in a total creative slump just focused on the corporate world and hadn’t written much poetry at the time, so I used one of my friend’s poems and managed to make a melody on the spot. Before you know it, I freestyled a really catchy hook. That’s when I thought, ‘this is a cool feeling’ and caught the bug.
When did you know you could sing?
I was probably about 6 or 7 years old. I loved to sing around the house and in through the school hallways. I always thought I was quiet but teachers definitely noticed. I actually remember singing Madonna ‘Like a Virgin’ whilst walking back to my class, and a teacher stopped me to repeat myself. At this point I thought, I f**ked up (not really understanding what a virgin was, but I figured it was something adult), but she only wanted to hear me sing because she was surprised at how good I was for my age.
When did you know you had to be an artist and release your original music?
I think it’s always been there really, but as I started playing around in that Brixton studio writing songs became a creative outlet for me. Then my voice developed and I realised how different it was to most other singers out there. I just felt like I needed to share what God had given me to the world. Otherwise, I would definitely have felt unfulfilled.
Who was the first person to ever believe in music?
Probably one of my old friends, Sasha. I used to head out to jam nights with her around London to perform covers at open mics. She not only wanted me to perform but to grow as an artist. She believed I had something special before I did.
"Linger" is your new single - what's the inspiration/story behind this song?
Linger was inspired by my own personal love story. I’d been in a relationship for a while, but at some point you could feel the love was dying, despite our best efforts. It just got me thinking we’re both here in a war to protect ourselves from heartbreak. We knew the end was inevitable but still we left each other to linger.
Could you describe the songwriting/production process for this single? Who helped you create it?
I originally wrote the track a few years ago with my friends Matt and Jeff (Homebodi) in Matt’s studio in East London. They had a guitar loop which I really liked on an existing track and I wanted to write something new to it. The first verse, pre and hook came quite quickly to me, as I think the break-up was still fresh in my mind. I wrote the rest of the lyrics over two more sessions with Matt adding live drums and Jeff playing guitar. We left it for a couple years, whilst I was developing my sound and lockdown happened. Then I recruited my friend, AUR3LIAN, to help finish the production on the track and he really brought all the production elements and ideas together.
What did you feel when recording this song?
I got really introspective if I’m honest. I was single at this point and probably still in love despite how badly it ended, but I think the song helped me to process the final moments of our relationship and gain closure.
What's your favorite lyric on "Linger"?
“You camouflage your heart, I light flares in the dark, I still can’t find your love”.
What can you tell us about the artwork?
The artwork was put together by my graphic designer friend, Marina. The photo itself was taken on the video shoot in East London during lockdown. The location was quite dystopian with newly built office spaces and apartments but zero inhabitants. It was mad weird but the emptiness was a good reflection of the feeling of loss in ‘Linger’ and the image is me balancing on a bench arm rest as my foot lingers in the air. You get the picture.
What do you want people to feel when listening to this song?
I want people to really connect with the sadness and the wave of emotions. I want this to help people process their emotions; anyone who has or is going through a similar situation or the different emotions of the song.
Do you remember a specific moment in your life where music made a huge impact?
I think when I dropped ‘City Angels’ on Hospital Records it changed a lot for me. I received such a positive reception from radio to Spotify and Apple Music playlists. Releasing a D&B track was never in the plans, but I was just authentically myself on the track and I think people really connected with that. It will soon be my 1st track on one million streams and has led to many collaborations and label interest.
What does singing make you feel?
A lot of joy and freedom. It’s a blessing to be able to sing, but to be able to bring joy to others through my voice is honestly a magical experience.
Could you list a few records that influenced the music you are making today?
D’Angelo and The Vanguard - Black Messiah, James Blake - Overgrown and FKA Twigs - LP1.
What are your thoughts on today's music industry? If you could change one thing, what would it be?
I’m not too impressed with the industry at the moment. We’ve moved to a reliance on TikTok ready stars rather than true talent development amongst the labels. However, it’s a real opportunity for some really talented people like Cat Burns to come up from relative obscurity to global fame. Hopefully, it leads to artists being given label deals on more favourable terms given they have an existing fanbase.
What biggest life lessons have you learned so far?
To trust your gut - it usually never lets you down!
In your opinion, what would make the world a better place?
If we’d treat others with the respect and love we want to receive ourselves, we’d surely solve a lot of global issues sooner.
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