HOLR chats with talented singer/songwriter and host Mikalah Gordon!
Image Credit: Chris Martin
Meet talented singer/songwriter and host of Channel Q’s ‘The Morning Beat,’ Mikalah Gordon!
Mikalah has been able to find strength and healing from rough times through the power of music, with the journey to her first-ever record. Today, HOLR is sitting down to chat with Mikalah about how she got her start in the music industry, her journey to creating her first-ever record, and what’s next for the rising star!
Talk to us about how you got started in the music industry.
My dad’s a musician and so is my grandfather, so it was very natural to pick up music. I auditioned for American Idol right when I turned 16 and made it to Season 4, Top 12.
That’s really what set my career off.
Walk us through the journey of your first-ever record.
It still feels so surreal to say! I’m so excited.
So how it came about was that during the pandemic, I lost my grandma, and it was such a lonely time. Dealing with all of these big emotions alone was hard.
I called one of my best friends who produced the album, Brandon Rogers, and said, “Listen, I’m super depressed and I’m not doing okay.” He told me to come over and write it out and that’s really how the album got started.
It was supposed to be one song that then became an EP. What made it a full album was the last song that we wrote that we were initially not going to write. The EP was done but I wanted to add a duet with my brother. The last song made it 8 songs, which qualified it as an album.
It took a whole life of its own.
Image Credit: Chris Martin
What are some of the universal themes that are present in your album?
The biggest one right now is that I talk about the milestones in my life that made me who I am- falling, in love, and having relationships with my parents. However, when I went into therapy almost 2 years ago I had to talk about being sexually abused, which I had never talked about before. Once I stopped to talk about it everything came unraveling. With this album, it’s very important that it’s a relatable album. It’s an album that gives people a voice- it’s not written for radio hits.
Hands Off is my favourite song on the album because, in being honest about being abused, it gives people permission to be honest about their own abuse. We’re still giving in a “Me Too” world. There are people working for women’s rights right now and I feel like it’s so important to me that women always feel empowered and have a voice through me.
I don’t always do it right and I’m not a life coach, but I will write us a song and sing it so you feel brave and heard.
You’re also the host of Channel Q’s ‘The Morning Beat’ and World’s Funniest & Weirdest on the CW – talk to us about these experiences.
I love Channel Q- I just celebrated my 4 years! It’s a really important station that’s a national LGBTQ morning show. We talk about women’s rights and rights for all minorities. We share the stories that don’t always make mainstream media. We also educate ourselves and others the best we can- in a really fun way! We interview our top icons and share their music. It’s been a very rewarding 4 years. I am so proud to be part of the LGBTQ community and so proud to do the work for us.
On the other side doing “World’s Funniest” has been so nice. That show was created during the pandemic as a light-hearted show when there was so much heaviness. It’s done so well- it’s funny, sweet and its been so nice being a part of it.
Image Credit: Chris Martin
What’s next for you?
I think that right now I’m just soaking in and enjoying this album. I feel like it took so much time and I just want to sit with her and honour her. My partner and I often play together and we are also getting ready to leave for Greece and Isreal- which we’ve never been to before- to play the new album!
I just want to have a great life with my person and go on tour with the album. I really want to continue staying as authentic and inspired as possible.
Image Credit: Chris Martin
Published by HOLR Magazine.