New artist sings message of love

With a chill reggae vibe and lyrics that emphasize social justice, Mishka is not your typical star. As the first and only recording artist on actor Matthew McConaughey's record label, j.k. livin, Mishka has exploded into the limelight while staying grounded in love and nature.

A few days before his performance at The Social, Mishka took time out of his busy schedule (traveling back to the States from a short tour in Japan) and spoke with the Central Florida Future about his relationship with McConaughey, his time spent living on a boat and the inspiration behind his music.

CFF: First of all, how was Japan?
Mishka: It was wonderful. Amazing.

CFF: What has been your favorite of the places you've traveled so far?
Mishka: Japan is one of them. I love playing there, a really receptive audience. Portugal has been great, too.

CFF: Can you describe your favorite show?
Mishka: I don't really have one, they've all been special. Special moments. I really like the outdoor festivals, the energy of being outside is just different.

CFF: Where was your first show?
Mishka: Performing my own stuff, in high school. Me and some of my friends had a band that we put together and we put on our own concert.

CFF: How old were you when you first picked up a guitar?
Mishka: About seven years old.

CFF: When did you first come to the States?
Mishka: I've been coming here for a long time. I grew up on a sailboat.

CFF: How was that?
Mishka: It was amazing. I was mostly home-schooled and everything, so I didn't have the whole social interaction thing with the other kids, but I had a really good connection with nature. I had a really huge playground — like the whole world.

CFF: When did you first meet Matthew McConaughey?
Mishka: We first met in person in '05, first talked to him on the phone I think sometime late in '04.

CFF: Is it true that he heard you playing at a hotel?
Mishka: Yeah, I wasn't playing live at the hotel. He was on holiday in Jamaica, and he and some friends were renting a villa, and one of his friends had my CD. The story's a bit distorted. They had the CD at the villa they were renting, and that's the first time he heard it.

CFF: What inspires your music the most?
Mishka: Unconditional love. The love of the creator is the true inspiration for it. Just to see life itself, the balancing act of life and unconditional love. The most valuable message is to love music itself, and just to love life.

CFF: Do you have more albums in the works?
Mishka: Definitely. I can't say when that will be, but hopefully within the next year or so there will be another one coming out, I have a lot of songs written.