Mike Taveira‘s latest single âSex For Breakfastâ is out now and it will have you feeling yourself. Itâs the kind of song that overflows with so much confidence and energy, itâs contagious. The kind of song that has you second guessing your breakfast choice. Taveiraâs sleek sultry voice over atmospheric beats come together to get you up and moving and singing to your lover. Featuring Allie X, she is the cherry on top with her soaring vocals and harmonies, the perfect collaboration.
Taveiraâs lyrics play games with us. He sings âHow the fuck can we be friends if all we wanna do is…fuck it if it happens we already do it.â A witty sexy take on the classic relateable âcan we be friends and have sexâ conundrum. We got to talk to the singer-songwriter about what home means to him, looking for inspiration, and working on âSex For Breakfast.â
Where did the inspiration for Sex For Breakfast come from? What was the writing process like?
âSex for Breakfastâ was one of those âlightning-in-a-bottleâ songs. The idea came to me after an intense morning with this guy I was head over heels for. We couldnât keep our hands off each other and spent every night and morning together. We were essentially dating, but we kept pretending that it was just a fling. We ended up in this almost masochistic cat-and-mouse game, knowing we were so right together but both being too uncomfortable to admit it⊠but weâre gonna find out what weâre gonna find out.
After writing the track with Skyler Cocco (one of my best friends/the producer of the track), I thought we just needed a bow on top of the song and we’d be finished, but Allie rewrote the second verse from the ground up and added synths. She made the song her own. Her voice is fuckin’ dope. She really is a superstar and I think it shows on the track.
How did the collab with Allie X come about?
My creative director and I had been working on Cut Velvet, and had one song that felt like it was incomplete. He offered to send it to Allie to see if she connected with it. I got an email back from her saying she was into it when I was out getting coffee and literally dropped my cup on the street!
How would you describe your style and sound?
I like to make harsh funk pop and smooth emo R&B. âCut Velvetâ started with inspo from Bowie, Prince, and George Michael, but as the songs came together I looked at more contemporary acts like Troye Sivan, Bleachers, St. Vincent, Phoebe Bridgers, Frank Ocean and Caroline Polachek.
Tell us something we wouldnât know about you?
Every summer growing up Iâd go to Portugal to visit my family for a few months â a river town called Arcos De Valdevez. I spent a lot of time singing and dancing in the festivals there and I think the local Portuguese culture impacted how I write melodies and how I perform.
Where is home and how do you carry it with you?
Growing up, I never really had a stable home. My family was squatting for years because weâd gotten foreclosed on, and Iâd worry every day that weâd get kicked out. I had a very hard time as a kid, but I have a great relationship with my mom and brother now.
Lately Iâve been finding home in my queer family. For the first time I have people in my life who make me feel safe and supported and loved for who I am, which is why Iâm always writing about queer love. I think itâs a really special thing.
What do you do when youâre looking for inspiration?
I have a lot of trauma I havenât confronted yet from my childhood, but itâs hard to write about that. I think my next EP will center those feelings.
These days I havenât been struggling with inspiration because my life has been full of extreme ups and downs, but when I do have writers block, I âfuck everyoneâ (stay tuned for the next singleâŠ).
What are you looking forward to?
My upcoming EP, âCut Velvet.â This EP has my blood, sweat and tears in it. With every new song I put out, more people reach out to me and support the project, and I just canât wait for everyone to hear it start to finish. Also â performing!
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photos / Jon Stars
story / Vogue Giambri