Mike Williams is without doubt one of the pioneers behind the infectious future bounce sound that has taken over golf equipment and festivals worldwide. From his early days tinkering with piano keys as a toddler to exploding onto the scene with large collaborations alongside legends like Tiësto, R3HAB, and Calvin Harris, this Dutch powerhouse has delivered chart-topping anthems like ‘Wait One other Day’, ‘Lullaby,’ ‘Really feel Good,’ and a latest remix for ‘Ocean‘ by Calvin Harris. Throughout ADE, he returned together with his iconic Storylines present which seems like a household reunion for followers every year, and dropped his official ADE anthem ‘All My Life (In My Coronary heart)‘ with Phillip Strand which has been a crowd favourite over the previous 12 months. Over his decade lengthy profession, he’s performed on the greatest pageant phases equivalent to EDC, Tomorrowland, Extremely, and World Membership Dome simply to call just a few and will probably be acting at Tomorrowland Winter in 2026.
We bought the possibility to meet up with Mike earlier than stepping on stage at Nebula New York and right here’s the way it went down:
I do know we’re a day late however comfortable birthday Mike! If energy don’t rely in your birthday, what absurd quantity of meals would you eat?
Thai meals remains to be one among my favourite meals. I’d most likely mix a combination of Asian cuisines collectively, like Thai meals, sushi, some Italian meals and a variety of Moscow mules.
‘All My Life (In My Coronary heart)’ with Philip Strand is your official ADE 2025 anthem and a full-circle return to Future Home Music after 10 years. Are you able to share extra in regards to the observe and what did premiering it stay at Storylines 2025 imply within the context of your journey?
It was a melody that I already had for a very long time and I feel we stay in a time the place labels additionally don’t actually know what to launch and what works so it comes right down to the artists proper now to launch one thing that their followers need to hear from them. This was a observe that every one the followers have been ready for. I bought the precise vocal from Philip Strand on it and I used to be enjoying it for a very long time already. I had a cool edit and it labored so properly that I knew I needed to launch this as a result of individuals anticipate this from me. And to be trustworthy, one or two labels rejected it as a result of they wished one thing extra mainstream. However the observe is what I wished and is what individuals anticipate from me. After releasing it, we bought a lot assist from it which I used to be proud about.
That’s the factor in regards to the trade and the labels, it actually is dependent upon the 12 months and present tendencies that they have a tendency to cater to, which may restrict the inventive freedom of a variety of artists. For instance, we noticed progressive home making a giant comeback this 12 months.
With the return of progressive home music, a variety of labels refused to launch it to start with. Typically it simply takes one individual at a label to determine that they aren’t going to launch a observe and it may determine a lot for an trade. That’s why their opinion shouldn’t matter as a result of what actually issues is that if the individuals are having fun with the observe. I care about what my followers take into consideration my music and what I would like so I’ll do no matter it takes to get my music on the market to fulfill the followers.
Some of the talked-about issues from the early Storylines ADE editions was you actually cooking for followers at “Grilliams Restaurant” and even this 12 months. The place did this concept come from?
There’s 130 individuals within the restaurant so I might by no means prepare dinner for 130 individuals on my own. I’ve an entire group with totally different cooks. We create a menu collectively and it’s such a cool idea. It began throughout COVID after I had extra time to prepare dinner. I had an image on-line the place I used to be barbecuing with some pals and there have been some followers that have been making enjoyable of my title saying “Mike Grilliams” and I stated to my supervisor lets flip this into an idea. How cool would it not be if we’ve got our personal restaurant or our meals stand in a pageant, play a present on the primary stage and afterwards you flip burgers and work together with the followers. So we did that and I wished to take it a bit additional. So I stated lets open our personal restaurant throughout ADE and mix it with the present. It grew to become an idea that was truly fan-driven and we do it yearly now.
You’ve turned Storylines right into a podcast platform the place you converse on subjects equivalent to music, everyday life, and psychological well being the place you had a wide range of friends. If there was one individual that you may do an interview with on this planet, who would it not be?
It could be Tiesto as a result of I spent a lot time with him again within the days after I began touring. He taught me a lot and we went by way of a lot and noticed so many events collectively. I most likely have a distinct view on that than he has, so it could be so cool to have this dialog with him stay and discuss all of the issues we’ve been by way of and the way it was for me and the way it was for him and the way a lot impression it made on me. He most likely doesn’t understand that, so I feel that may be an excellent cool dialog to have.
Are you able to share a few time after a present the place you had an interplay with a fan the place they talked in regards to the impression your music has had on them?
There’s been so many interactions however there have been followers I met in Greece the place they informed me that they grew up listening to my music. They introduced up songs that I even forgot. Songs from the early phases like bootlegs that I made after I was nonetheless in highschool they usually nonetheless do not forget that they usually informed me tales on the way it bought them by way of tough instances or once they have been bullied as properly. After I hear that, it’s so superb. I by no means realized that my music can have such a giant think about somebody’s life and that can all the time contact me.
You’ve been very open about psychological well being prior to now. How do you defend your power with the extreme touring and stress that comes with being Mike Williams?
I imagine an important factor is to have the precise individuals round you and keep in contact along with your family and friends. I’ve been touring for fairly a very long time, and in addition the final two months have been form of loopy. After touring a lot I like it after I get again dwelling. I want a day to re-adapt, after which I see my pals, and we hang around, we’ve got a drink, we exit, and that basically brings me again to myself, as Mike. And I feel it’s crucial to recollect the place you come from, and who’re the individuals that you just grew up with, as an alternative of solely evaluating your self with the trade.
What do you have got in retailer in your followers going into 2026?
We confirmed some actually cool exhibits. We’re doing Tomorrowland Winter which I skipped for one or two years. I’m doing my first present in December in Sao Paulo, Brazil which I’ve by no means performed earlier than so it’s very cool to find a brand new market. There’s a few songs that I’ve been enjoying for greater than a 12 months which might be lastly popping out. I’m positive the followers are going to love it as a result of I’ve so many concepts that I play and by no means launch so I really feel obligated to begin releasing them. There’s some cool collabs as properly.
You talked about you like cooking, for those who needed to impress somebody with one dish, what would it not be?
My dad all the time used to make sushi so he taught me methods to make it. It’s one thing I wish to make for my family and friends.
What’s one factor that lots of people don’t learn about you?
After I do exhibits, particularly in Asia, I do a variety of karaoke, so I sing a variety of songs. I’m horrible at singing, however I like karaoke with pals.
What would you like your story to be remembered as?
I hope I can go away some form of a footprint on this trade with the music I’ve been releasing, have a constructive impression with my music, and make my followers comfortable. I do know there are such a lot of particulars that go into it however I imagine what we’re doing as a group, can actually make a distinction on this trade. I need to keep on this trade for so long as doable as a result of I’m right here for the long term, I don’t need to be right here for a few years, I need to be right here until the tip of my profession to proceed this objective.
Comply with Mike on socials down under:
