TPL: Miki Ratsula Tour Diary

Featuring coverage from:

May 3rd - Chicago, IL @ Bottom Lounge: Gerri Fernandez

May 12th - New York City @ Irving Plaza: Marcella Desharnais

May 14th - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club: Sarah Peter

May 20th - Houston, TX @ Bronze Peacock at House of Blues: Violeta Alvarez

You have talked about how you started out by posting videos on YouTube but didn’t take your music seriously until you released your first EP ‘Every Shade of Blue’ on Spotify and iTunes.  What can you tell me about the experience of releasing your first EP and how that became a turning point/catalyst for you and your music career going forward?

I fell in love with my now fiancée and just wanted to write as many songs as I could about how in love I was. She made me feel inspired which made me a better songwriter. I wrote the songs for the EP and kinda realized that I had this project that was cohesive and that I was proud of and I knew the impact that those queer loves songs could have on other queer kids. It felt like the right thing to do and I’m so glad I took that leap to put it out because it led me to where I am now. 

You were born and raised in Southern California and started writing songs at the age of 7.  What can you tell me about your childhood and developing a love for music?  What were your early songwriting days like and how have you grown as a songwriter over the years?

I come from a pretty musical family. We’ve had the same grand piano in our living room from before I was even born. I loved to sing with my dad at that piano and that’s definitely what got me excited about music. I got into songwriting after hearing Adele’s album, 19, in middle school. I didn’t tell anyone I loved to sing and write music until probably my sophomore year of high school. Honestly I’m not too sure what I was so scared of, but the moment I was open about my love of making music it just made that love grow even stronger. Now I’ve just been following that feeling and making and sharing music and I’m so grateful for where it’s taken me. As I’ve learned music production that has definitely helped shape my songwriting. Sometimes the production I choose can completely change the direction of a song I’m working on and now I’m writing songs with a more “final product” vision than before. 

You are an advocate for communicating your truth through art and being authentic and honest in your lyrics. Do you feel that a lot of artists are afraid to be too open and vulnerable with their lyrics? What has it been like for you to live authentically in a world that doesn’t value authenticity?

I think so. I think a lot of artists tend to play it safe and stay very surface level in their songwriting. I understand that it does make it more universally relatable but I think that’s the issue with mainstream music. At one point it becomes almost too relatable where we keep talking about the same things over and over again and ignore very real experiences for a lot of people. I know me talking so loudly about my trans experience can make some people uncomfortable. But that is their issue to work through - it’s not my job to silence my own experience because someone has unresolved biases and ignorance. One way I do that is through my songwriting. 

You took a couple of classes for guitar, songwriting, and vocals in middle school but have said that after learning the basics, you preferred the challenge of teaching yourself through YouTube videos.  Do you feel that teaching yourself allowed you more freedom to experiment and be the kind of artist you wanted to be?

100%. It’s more fun too to learn by myself. When I know I want to learn a certain song, I’ll spend that whole day learning it through YouTube and its just so enjoyable to feel myself getting better as I go on. I’m so grateful though for all the classes I took when I was younger because it gave me a good base understanding of music theory which for sure aids in my songwriting and production now. 

You’ve described your sound as acoustic and soft but have said you like to experiment with different sounds and instruments for other genres.  What has your journey been like in growing your sound as an artist over the years?

Like I said earlier, I’ve learned music production over the last few years. That knowledge not only expanded my songwriting but also the sounds that I add into my artist project. I have a new ear when I listen to music and have learned how to recreate certain sounds that I like in other music. My music library has also expanded which has only inspired me to explore new sounds than ever before. 

What can you tell me about sharing your life and story through music and using your platform to candidly document your life, from your mental health journey to coming out to getting top surgery? How has it helped you to connect with others in the community and what do you feel you have learned about yourself? What has it been like for you to be the artist for others that you have said you needed growing up?

Over the last 7 years or so I’ve been the person who likes to talk about their experiences and stories any chance they get. I think part of it is because when I was a kid I didn’t feel like I was allowed to, so now that I have people around me who encourage that and make it a safe space for me to do so, it made me realize how healing it is. The main reason I candidly share everything is because of the impact it has on the people watching. I know it even helps my own parents sometimes. As a queer person finding community can be life saving. Not only does it allow people to learn more about themselves and see others just like them, but theres strength in numbers. With community we can achieve real change and advocacy. 

The album touches on mental health, loss, love, and everything in between and is a testament to self-love.  What has your own journey towards self-love been like and how does it feel to have this album out in the world? What has the response been like, especially from young Queer kids?

I started going to therapy a couple years ago which has been lifesaving. I’ve taken the steps to learn and heal and practice ways to ground myself on bad mental health days. This album also was an act of self-love. I allowed myself to make the exact music I wanted to make and share the exact stories I wanted to share. This album was as much for me as it was for my fans. The response from young queer kids has been the best. This album helped them to feel valid and loved and has helped a lot of them come to terms with their identity. It’s also been helpful for queer families or parents of queer children. I’m so humbled. 

You will soon be setting out on your first extensive national tour supporting your friend and collaborator Lauren Sanderson.  How did you meet and come to collaborate with Lauren? What are you most excited about with regards to the tour and what can fans expect?

I met Lauren 5 years ago through social media! We were fans of each other’s music and quickly became friends. A collaboration has been destined to happen so I was stoked to have her feature on my song “suffocate”. Tour with her was so much fun. I’m inspired by her work ethic and passion and definitely learned so much from watching her perform every night. I’ll never forget this tour.

What’s next for you?

I’m putting out an EP of gender neutral covers on July 8th! I’m also hoping to perform a lot more as the year goes on.

You released your debut album ‘i owe it to myself’ on March 25th and have said it’s the most vulnerable piece of work you’ve ever created.  What can you tell me about writing of the album and the message you hope people take away from it, as well as the experience of producing the entire album yourself?  I’m what ways did the production connect you to your songwriting in ways you couldn’t imagine?

I started this record at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. I was in a pretty low place creatively, emotionally, and mentally and was navigating a lot of heavy thoughts. While building this record I came out as nonbinary, got top surgery, fired my ex manager, signed to Nettwerk Records, saw my dad and brother move to Europe, got engaged… a whole lot of changes. This record grounded me and gave me a place to process every emotion I was feeling and I’m so grateful for it. I didn’t have a vision at first - I was just making a record to make a record. But as I went through all these changes I grew immensely and woke up one day finally knowing who Miki Ratsula is a queer person and artist. I scratched some songs off the record and wrote new ones and finally looked at the record as the truest example of who I am capable of being in the music industry. There was a newfound passion and heart for what I was making and everything that went into it. It was also around the same time I signed to Nettwerk Records - which gave me the resources to build the album into what I think it deserved. I quite literally owe this album to myself. I owe myself the opportunity to be vulnerable, to put out a debut record, to produce it by myself. This album encapsulates the growth I’ve done over the past 2 years. Allowing myself to produce the entire album myself also connected me to the music more than ever before. Every sound is intentional and is meant to invoke some sort of feeling or enhance a lyric or motif.