- Mar 3, 2020

Meet SUPMIKECHECK - You Never Really Cared INTERVIEW

Mike Montini better known as SupMikecheck is a solo Rap/Hip-Hop/Pop artist from Northern New Jersey with an entire career rooted in pop-punk and punk rock.

The rising artist who has been creating a buzz through social media got his start at age 13 while beginning to write various styles of music and by age 16 was very familiar with playing guitar, drums bass, and keyboard.

After releasing various demos on Myspace and having a passion for creating music, it was clear that SupMikecheck was onto something and that his song-writing and creativity mixed with a sensational personality was only going to grow in his favor.

Mike has recently dropped his first full-length record but has since went on to release dozens of singles since his inception. His first full-length album "You Never Really Cared" tackles everything from struggling with the depression of losing someone you love, to finding confidence in yourself again and moving forward and features a ton of guest spots of pop-punk and emo artists from bands like Flight 409, The Dangerous Summer, Kill Hannah and more.

I had the chance to chat with Mike about his new album "You Never Really Cared", dream collaborations, his love letter to his fans and more

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- TPPD: It's awesome to finally talk to you. So let's just jump right into it, and talk about your brand new album You Never Really Cared.

Even though your primary drive is hip hop we gotta talk about your punk, emo and pop-punk influences on this album which actually features the likes of members from Kill Hannah, The Dangerous Summer and Flight 409. How did those collaborations come about?

SMC: So growing up I used to find my music from Myspace and FUSE TV. I was working on this project and I wanted singers that I enjoy from that era, I began making a list of them all and I then just reached out to who I thought would fit the part best, my song “Never Be” I needed a singer with a bit raspy and emotional voice so when I contacted AJ from The Dangerous Summer he was totally about it. AJ helped get the ball rolling and once I recruited Mat Devine of Kill Hannah I became more legitimate when reaching out to people. Im so grateful for all my features because its been hard to find genuinely nice people. That saying “Never meet your idols” was very relevant on this record because a lot of bands just weren’t very nice lol

-TPPD: Who is your dream collaboration with? Rock and Hip Hop.

SMC: Blink-182 is my favorite band and Travis Barker does a lot of collabs so I want to say them but maybe more realistically would just be more Myspace era bands, In a perfect world Justin Bieber or Post Malone would be cool but you know Its unreachable, my fans and the internet are a little ridiculous they ask me to like collab with Machine Gun Kelly, who I love, and its like, Oh Yeah! Let me just text him real quick lol They have no idea.

-TPPD: Do you have any musical influences be in bands, artists or a genre that fans might not know about that might shock them?

SMC: Well I listen to alot of heavy music, I love Asking Alexandria, Bring Me The Horizon, Pierce The Veil, Senses Fail, people think I should be listening to new rap like Da Baby or something and I respect it but Im not all that into rap, I also never listened to like Tupac, it just wasnt for me.

- TPPD: In You Never Really Cared, the letter you wrote to your fans was incredibly moving. You're super honest and open about struggling with depression losing someone you love, finding confidence in yourself again and moving forward. Is this album kind of a mission statement to help those that are going through the same thing?

SMC: Yeah, I really wanted to write about emotions, I don’t like music about money, or picking up girls, or buying cars, So I made songs about, being lead on, having anxiety at a party, feeling not good enough, I just wanted real life experiences because when I was young or even now finding a song that defines you is super comforting, especially if you feel different.

-TPPD: I read that you started writing songs when you were 13 and by 16 you were able to tackle pretty much every instrument. Do you write everything on your own?

SMC: Yeah, I make a beat and then I layer guitars on it, I bought my first bass and guitar when I was 14 and tried being in rock bands in highschool but it was hard to get five people in a room together and as you get older it gets harder because of jobs, so I became solo kind of naturally and everything I didnt know I taught myself from youtube. I still desire having somewhat of a live band.

- TPPD: This is a fun question, because I, myself write songs. I'm a lyrics guy first, and then I write melodies. What comes first for you the music or the lyrics?

SMC: Im an instrumental guy first, I may have a one liner or a theme I want to work with but I get the instrumental first and Ill drive in my car spamming it until I find a melody, I have some cool ideas right now, I want to make a song called “Golden State Worrier” thats talking about worrying in a relationship, its a basketball pun so if they don’t know basketball it wont make sense lol

-TPPD: At what moment were you like "Music is what I want to do with my life?" What inspired you to say "this is what I want to do." ?

SMC: I was at Warped Tour and saw T Mills on stage and he was bridging the gap of being an alternative rapper and I was like I want to make this style of music and hang with bands and drink monster energy and party.

- TPPD: We've gotta talk about something that I'm so fucking stoked for you about and that is the Blue Ridge Rock Festival. They haven't even announced the headliners yet and the show looks amazing. So far, who are you stoked to see?

SMC: Yo! Im super excited, this is going to be a huge show for me, Im excited to see The Pretty Reckless because Taylor Momsen is in The Grinch and thats my favorite movie, Im excited to see Red Jumpsuit, lots of cool new bands Wage War and Knocked Loose, excited for Motionless In White, its something If I wasnt playing Id want to go to. I have gotten a list of TBA bands and its only going to get better and better.

- TPPD: I saw that you were at another amazing festival over the summer that we probably crossed paths at and that's the Atlantic City Vans Warped Tour. Growing up did festivals like Warped Tour make an impact on you/ influence you?

SMC: Yeah Warped Tour was my biggest goal of what level I wanted to be on, I never craved Stadium Shows like those would be amazing but If I did Warped Tour I would have been the happiest I could ever be.

- TPPD: Thoughts on Warped Tour being over?

SMC: I feel like its never over and they’ll be back, I did buy a Warped Tour 2018 hat thinking it would be the absolute last one and I could tell my future kids about it but they keep riding it out. So im sad Ill never play it but im happy my hat is accurate lol.

- TPPD: Lastly, it's a brand new decade. What do you have going on for fans out there in 2020? Goals/plans.

SMC: Just promoting hard, im waking up everyday hoping I can find a music manager, a booking agent or a real record label who are interested in me. I started material for my new music but Im not over You Never Really Cared so It may be awhile before I release these new songs but I can tell you, You Never Really Cared was mostly about depression and lost love my new material is about moving on, calling them out, kind of like the after effect of having your heart broken but one year later. Its more angry than sad. I have a demo on my phone called “I Just Hope That You’re Unhappy” that I really like. But that same sound will be there and more spoken word is to come.

You can check out SUPMIKECHECK's newest album YOU NEVER REALLY CARED on all streaming services.