New Jersey native and College senior Micah Kaats has been singing and playing the guitar since sixth grade. What started out as a way to pick up girls has recently turned into the release of two EPs and a burgeoning career in music. A philosophy major and consumer psychology minor, Micah never thought of music as a realistic option. But after a semester abroad in Cape Town, South Africa, Micah concluded, “might as well give this a shot because if I don’t, I’ll regret it.” Under the name Meeka Kates, a phonetic spelling of his real name, Micah has been releasing self–described “acoustic electronic” music on Soundcloud and Bandcamp, both online spaces for music distribution.
According to Micah, Penn “has a kick–ass music sense” and “has been a great place to get started.” He has been heavily involved in the a cappella group PennChants and in SPEC Jazz & Grooves on campus. On top of that, Micah has been DJ–ing since he was a freshman and has DJ–ed all over Philly—from Castle frat parties to clubs like Rumor, Whisper and Ten Six Club. Despite his resume, Micah considers DJ–ing a “side project," saying, “it sort of influenced the music I’ve been doing now, but in terms of my own music I’m not trying to play so much as a DJ.” "I’d rather play at coffee shops or World Cafe Live.”
Now under the management of Find New Jams, “a boutique management and music discovery company” based in New York and San Francisco, Micah is writing, recording and producing his own music. His first EP, “Study Abroad,” fuses his DJ–ing skills with his love for the acoustic guitar. Talking about the EP, he explains he likes to “incorporate ... an acoustic element because I kind of grew up playing acoustic guitar.” "I think that I’ve only heard a couple electronic songs that really incorporate acoustic instruments into them, and I think that can make a pretty cool sound.”
Citing his influences as Frank Ocean, The Weeknd and James Blake, Micah released his second EP, “Junior” with a more alternative R&B sound in mind. Nowadays, he's been more and more influenced by Disclosure, the British electronic music duo, and Four Tet, the post–rock and electronic musician, and is looking into incorporating a similar “classic house beat sound” but “slightly less ... house–y” yet still danceable.
Next time Micah takes to the turntables, it’ll be for Castle’s annual graffiti party on Sept. 20. “It’s not going to be technically my music but a good time nonetheless," he says. His next single will drop by the end of September on SoundCloud. If not music, he says, “I think I’ll go into graphic design or, also, I would go into marketing or advertising.” If so, he hopes he ends up “somewhere in the music industry.”
Listen to Meeka Kates on SoundCloud and BandCamp. All his music is downloadable and completely free. And check him out on Facebook and on Twitter.
