Some songs feel like a release. Not because they offer answers, but because they stop pretending to have them. With When You Smile, Model Man delivers exactly that kind of moment, carrying a sense of openness that feels especially striking coming so soon after Over. There is lightness in the music, but also the feeling that something deeper is quietly unfolding beneath the surface.
“I get you, I see you, I hear you, it’s gonna be OK.” That’s the smile Model Man had in mind while making the track. We caught up with him a few days before its release to talk about creativity, self-expectation and what happens when you stop trying to control every part of the process.
It’s only been around a month since the release of Over. How have you experienced the response to the EP so far?
Well, good, I think! Lots of people are reaching out to me, telling me how much they’re enjoying it. I haven’t played live yet, so it’s difficult to gauge completely.
What was the very first thing you did the day Over finally came out?
I think I had a McDonald’s and went out with some mates to play snooker.
In a recent interview, you said you made the EP “quite quickly, in a whimsical, light-hearted way,” and that it was the first time in a while music had felt like that for you again. Why do you think you needed that change creatively?
I think it’s important to keep finding fresh ways of doing things. Maybe it’s buying a synth. Maybe it’s collaborating. I wanted to throw some ideas down that had more humour than usual. Not take myself seriously and have fun. Not thinking about releasing it or promoting it. Just making music because that’s the thing you love to do, you know?
How does it feel to now arrive at When You Smile so soon after Over, especially considering everything this recent chapter seems to represent emotionally?
Well, my label is keen to keep the momentum going and encourage me to finish songs and put them out. If it were left to me, I probably would wait a while longer, haha. But it’s probably a good thing to have someone give you a kick now and then.
“It’s important to keep finding fresh ways of doing things. Maybe it’s buying a synth. Maybe it’s collaborating. I wanted to throw some ideas down that had more humour than usual. Not take myself seriously.”
The title feels simple at first, but the act of smiling can hide so many different emotions at the same time. What kind of smile were you thinking about when you made this track?
It's that smile of, ‘I get you, I see you, I hear you, it's gonna be OK,’ that empathetic smile that lets you know you’re not on your own.
You once explained that the name Model Man came from breaking away from the idea of becoming this perfect version of yourself that others expected from you growing up. Do you feel like making music has helped you unlearn some of that pressure over time?
Sometimes. You have to work at it. Sometimes you want to make a tune like Burial or whoever, but the sooner you realise that the best thing you can do is your own thing, the better.
The production feels lighter, more open, less controlled than some of your earlier work. Did you have to unlearn certain habits in the studio to allow that to happen?
There’s always been a push and pull between form and chaos for me. Both in life and creativity. When I started Model Man, there was a realisation that both could coexist. It’s about finding the right balance. I’ve had a bunch more practice now, so maybe that’s why the music feels more natural.
“There’s something about creating a piece of music that gives me a feeling of transcendence. The stars align, and the universe presents itself beyond the physical realm.”
When you look back at City Songs Pt. 1 in 2019 and compare it to When You Smile, what do you feel has changed the most in you, both as an artist and as a person?
Well, I’ve gone through more as the years have gone by. So, probably a lot more bruised and emotional now. I think I’m better at getting straight to the point now.
Some artists disappear for a while because they stop knowing what they want to say. Others disappear because life catches up with them emotionally. Which one was closer to your experience over these last two years?
A bit of both. I stopped making music for a while because I had a lot of personal stuff going on and needed to focus on other things, like mental health and family.
Not long ago, you mentioned you’re planning to start doing shows again soon. Can you tell us anything about what you're preparing right now?
Yeah, I’m planning a tour in early 2027 — Europe and the UK for now. Then hopefully more places later that year.
Last question. What’s the part of making music and living this life that still excites you the most? And what's the part you struggle with the most personally?
There’s something about creating a piece of music that gives me a feeling of transcendence. The stars align, and the universe presents itself beyond the physical realm. The thing I struggle with most is maintaining my mental health with a job that has so many variables. Also money. It’s difficult being a musician. Juggling different jobs, wearing different hats. Writing tunes, mixing them, filming content, editing videos. I think musicians nowadays have to work harder in a way than perhaps musicians did during the 90s or before the Internet.
