Greek-American Singer-Songwriter Michael Zhonga Talks "Basement Material"

Greek-American singer and songwriter Michael Zhonga opens up about his music career, greatest influences, experiences auditioning for X-Factor (Greece), as well as his album Basement Material and new single “Up to the Sky.”

Michael Zhonga has been singing for as long as he can remember. “I actually have videos of me singing for my relatives in Greece when I was five or six years old. Being a singer/performer was always a passion of mine early on. The biggest milestone so far in my singing career was being accepted into LaGuardia High School in Manhattan for vocal music. The whole experience gave me the confidence to pursue music seriously,” he says.

Growing up in New York, his musical influences were such musical artists as Britney Spears, Daft Punk, Ace of Base, as well as a lot of 90’s dance music. “At the moment, Lady Gaga is definitely at the top of my influential artists list. She is such an inspiration for this generation, she has an amazing voice, and I’m in love with everything she stands for. I also listen to a lot of other mainstream artists like Kesha and Rihanna. I love Rihanna’s musical diversity. She can choose any genre and create a killer song. Her dance songs ‘Don’t Stop The Music’ and ‘Disturbia’ are two of my favorite dance songs of all time,” Zhonga adds.

On the X-Factor (Greece) experience, Zhonga remarks “I auditioned for X-Factor (Greece) in the fall of last year but didn’t make it through, since two judges said yes while the others said no. The X-Factor judges gave me some great feedback and were really honest and encouraging. I also met some very talented musicians that shared the same love for music as I did. I’m not sure if I’ll audition for X-Factor again later this year, but you never know,” he says.

His latest album Basement Material, is a solid and addicting pop/dance record that Zhonga had released last year. “The whole album took me about a year and a half to complete and contains 14 club-themed tracks. It is filled with very commercial, lively and extremely catchy songs that you can’t wait to dance to. There are two songs on the CD with featured vocalists and one song that is a collaboration with a fellow singer/songwriter. I wrote and produced every song on the album and a lot of the lyrics, and despite it being so mainstream, it really hit home on certain subjects,” he says.

Zhonga’s single “Up to the Sky” was one of the first songs that he wrote for the album. “I chose to promote this song and make a homemade music video for it because it was so well received by my friends. The song is about being with someone that takes your breath away and making sure they know that they are all that matters to you. This song was one of the breakthrough songs I wrote, at a point where I was just starting to make my own beats. I remember sitting back, listening to the whole song, and thinking ‘wow, that was actually really good,'” he remarks.

Zhonga continues, “Most of the songs on the album are about love and the struggles and complications we go through to find it. There are songs about breakups, unrequited love, enjoying a beautiful summer day with your significant other, and songs about watching someone fall in love with someone else. Many of the songs are inspired by my own life and others are influenced by my friends and what I see them go through in life.”

His dream collaboration would be to someday work with pop music queen “Lady Gaga, but more realistically, I would love to work on a dance song with a producer like David Guetta, RedOne or Darkchild.”

Zhonga’s plans for the future are to work on new music. “I want to continue to promote my album Basement Material, and hopefully perform at clubs during the summer. I hope to make a lot more fans in the next few years and get signed by a major record label.”

For hopefuls who wish to pursue music as a career, Zhonga states “I am fortunate enough to have such supportive friends and an amazing family. If you’re serious about music, consider majoring in music once you’re in college. Even if you don’t major in music, continue to sing and write music on your own time. I feel like a major part of succeeding in the music industry is having connections, and I still continue to network and promote my music so that one day someone in the industry will notice me. Never give up your dreams or aspirations, no matter how big they may be, especially if that is what you love to do.”

Michael Zhonga concludes, “I would like to thank everyone for their continued love and support. One of my main goals in life is to make people smile! The world would be such a better place if everyone was happier. My music aims to be optimistic and fun, in an effort to get people to dance and enjoy life a little bit more. My album “Basement Material is currently on iTunes and other online stores, so be sure to check that out; furthermore, anyone can stay updated on my music by liking my Facebook Fanpage and by visiting my MySpace Music page. Thank you!”