00:00What's the takeaway you've got from being around people like Niall Horan and Ed Sheeran,
00:04just watching them with their creative process and performing? What have you learned?
00:09I think, you know, from Ed and Niall, it's just how to navigate the world of being a musician.
00:16I think no one really teaches you all the stuff that comes with being a musician.
00:24This is your Odyssey check-in with Myall Smith. We are here at the Hard Rock Hotel at the Rockstar
00:29Suite. My man, we got so much to talk about. Before we get to the music, actually, I was,
00:34you know, doing a deep dive and learning about you. And you have a degree in sociology?
00:41Yes, I do.
00:41Bro, that is amazing. What was the job going to be if music didn't pop off?
00:46Oh, you know what? I actually started it. I had my own consultancy in, like, business management.
00:52So I used to, like, help businesses, like, run their management and operations. Pretty boring.
00:58Because with the classes you were taking and with sociology, you're learning kind of
01:05societal habits and about people and stuff like that, right?
01:08People, culture. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
01:09So what was the biggest, like, eye-opener epiphany moment, like, from those classes, the takeaway?
01:16Do you know what it is? I think it's just, like, understanding people and, like, the trends and
01:21patterns and, like, no matter where we are in the world, just how much we experience life in such
01:26similar ways. And it's so beautiful.
01:28That's cool. Are you, like, a superhero anytime you're talking to somebody? You're just analyzing
01:32them, breaking them down?
01:33You know what? I do have a habit of doing that. But I also, like, I do try being the
01:39moment a lot
01:39as well.
01:40Very cool. So, man, the album coming next month. You got 15 songs on there, which I love because
01:45I feel like the trend now, we're getting gypped so much. These artists will drop, like, seven-song
01:50album, bro. I'm so happy you got 15 on there. How'd you get to that number? And how'd you know,
01:56like, what to include? What to omit?
01:59Yeah, no, it was, I wrote so many songs for this album, probably, like, five times the amount that's
02:03actually on the album. But for me, it's like, at first, I wanted to make it a 10 track. And
02:09then
02:09I was like, but then I also wanted to include, like, five songs that sort of, like, got me here,
02:14if that made sense. So it's like, for me, it's like 10, like, brand new tracks and, like,
02:18five that were the journey here. And I think it was just a nice way to, like, round off,
02:23like, chapter one of my career.
02:24Got you. I love that. Is there anything that didn't make the cut that you might still use,
02:28like, for something now?
02:29Oh, there's so many.
02:30Oh, okay.
02:31And you got Mickey Echo on there, which I love. How did that come about?
02:36Bro, Mickey is the best guy ever. I actually met Mickey out in Sweden for the first time,
02:42I want to say.
02:43Was this a long time ago?
02:44He, this was in writing for this and other projects, but he's, like, just, he's a one
02:51of one person. I'm sure if you've spent time with him, you'll recognize, like, he's just
02:55such his own person. And, like, we get on, like, a house of fire.
02:58So is that on some, like, my guy will reach out to your guy? Or is it just, like, you
03:03guys
03:03are vibing and you're like, yo, will you?
03:05Yeah, we're vibing, dude.
03:06Oh, okay.
03:07Mickey is, like, the furthest away from my guy, your guy. It's like, it's just us.
03:11So cool, man. Is there a audible difference? Like, can you tell the difference between
03:18songs that you're writing just by yourself versus when it's a collaborative effort? Like,
03:25what's the difference?
03:26There's not a crazy amount of difference. I think my co-writers that I choose to work
03:32with have been part of the project since, like, day one. So, like, they know me and
03:36they know my world, like, the back of their hands. And so they just feel like extensions
03:40of myself, which is, like, super awesome. And, you know, they're all so talented and
03:44so good at what they do. They just know how to, I guess, get the best out of me.
03:49Yeah, yeah. I love that. What feels the most foreign to you? Is it the writing process,
03:58the recording process, or performing? Like, when do you feel maybe the most vulnerable?
04:03The most vulnerable I feel is definitely when I'm writing, for sure. You know, it's sort of,
04:08like, there's no real stopgap between my brain and what goes onto a record. And I kind of love
04:14doing it that way. I think the more that you try to, like, polish things or make them sound how
04:19you
04:19think people want to hear them, the worse the song gets. So, I just try and write as authentically
04:23as possible.
04:24Cool, cool. But, like, and performing and recording all second nature to you, you feel really...
04:29Oh, yeah, dude. Dude, performing, I've been doing it since I was, like, 11, man.
04:32Yeah, yeah.
04:33I love that. It's like, yeah. It's such a... It's like a drug for me, dude. I can't get away
04:37from it.
04:38I just absolutely love it.
04:39Cool. Well, there's definitely worse things to be addicted to, so that's good.
04:43What's the takeaway you've got from being around people like Niall Horan and Ed Sheeran,
04:47just watching them with their creative process and performing? Like, what have you learned?
04:52I think, you know, from Ed, it's just how... And Niall, it's just how to navigate
04:57the world of, like, being a musician. I think no one really teaches you all the stuff that comes
05:03with being a musician, so they've been really good at, like, helping me understand work-life balance
05:08and, you know, how to make time for family and, you know, all the practical bits. And I think
05:13in music is, like, I've done it for so long that there wasn't a crazy amount to learn. I think
05:18the biggest part is, like, well, hey, I've gone from a tour of, like, 300 people
05:22in a room to thousands. It's like, how the hell do you get ready for that?
05:25Yeah. Well, that kind of ties into what I was going to ask you about, like, your mental
05:29health along this journey. And now you're, you know, you're reaching the highest of highs
05:35here now. So they've kind of gave you some tips on that, right? Like, how to protect
05:40yourself just mental health-wise?
05:42Absolutely. It's been such a crazy experience, and your life really does change in, like, a
05:47couple of years. And it becomes, you can't even recognize the person that you was before
05:52sometimes in terms of, like, what your day-to-day looks like and everything. So they've been really
05:57helpful in helping me through that stage and through that process. And it's a learning curve
06:02every single day, you know, and I'm learning new stuff every day. But to have friends who have done
06:06it is super awesome.
06:06Is there a reset you have, something you could do that immediately, like, brings you back
06:11to yourself?
06:12Oh, go spend time with family. They have not changed in the slightest, and I love it.
06:16I love it.
06:17Before we wrap, Miles, give me one dead artist that if you could meet or, I mean, work with,
06:26it would be just, like, your dream.
06:28Oh, there's so many. That's unfair.
06:31Yeah.
06:32Holy.
06:32Well, you have to answer.
06:34Oh, man.
06:35Thank you for good.
06:35You know what? I, honestly, I would have to say some, like, Prince.
06:43Yes.
06:43Because it's just the, it's just the innovating every single record that I'm just, like,
06:49how do you think of new ideas when there's so many ideas in the world?
06:53Yeah, yeah, yeah. Awesome, man. Miles, my pleasure, man.
06:57Congratulations on everything.
06:58Appreciate you, dude.
06:58Thank you so much for taking out the time.
07:00Thank you. Thank you.
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