Michael Clifford

As the colorful-haired guitarist and vocalist of the record-breaking Australian pop-rock band 5 Seconds of Summer, Michael Clifford is ready to reintroduce himself with a monumental solo debut album, "sidequest." It is an ode to human connection — for his dedicated fans and anyone else who needs to hear it.

"sidequest" defies categorization — moving from the playful pop-punk and alternative sounds of his youth to forward-looking peppy synths, glimmery electronic rhythms and asymmetrical arrangements. There are no precise reference points, no unimaginative plays for nostalgia here. Michael has created a sound all his own, where working through self-doubt feels like euphoria and soul-bearing revelations are revealed atop power chords, enticing the listener to dive deeper.

"This album is a lot of me diving into my insecurities. But I want people to celebrate talking about difficulties and problems. That's my favorite thing to do, and it always has been."

That it has. For his fans, Michael's superpower is a kind of surprising relatability. He's always appealed to the outsider, those who feel out of step with the world and a deep desire to create, simultaneously — the ones with a lot to say but lack the extraversion to convey it. "sidequest" is for those people, because he is one, too. "There's no real way for me to express who I am because I'm just so incredibly complicated." he laughs."The songs were either going to sit on a hard drive forever, or I was going to muster up the courage to do this."

In his solo work, Michael revels in carte blanche. He had the freedom to mine his current reality: He moved across the country, from Los Angeles to Georgia, and became a father for the first time when his daughter Lua Stevie Clifford was born in October 2023. His home life is "incredibly adult," he says, and in his music, he's able to "just be a fucking kid the whole way." On "sidequest," those worlds make for an interesting tension through clear-eyed reckoning, never once sacrificing a sense of joy. Happy-sounding songs deal with less-than-favorable subjects; fatherhood yields expansive sonic detours.

After becoming a father, Clifford scrapped half of what he thought would make the album. It was a meticulous restructuring of his work and his worldview. The discarded moments had a kind of rigidity to his ears now; he needed to make a record that felt alive.

And alive it is, in part because Michael delivers his career-best vocal performances on "sidequest." "I'm 12 years into my career, and people still haven't heard my voice properly," he says. Now, he can finally let it all out.

"I really want everything on this to just make you smile, and I just loved the idea of a 'side quest.' I'm such a gamer, I'm such a nerd, it felt like the right thing. On my album, I am doing a side quest," he laughs. It's a logical choice for a musician whose initial interest in guitar was at least partially inspired by "Guitar Hero." Those details are part of the reason why Michael describes "sidequest" as "the first thing that truly represents who I am outside of my band." Think you know him?

Michael's band, 5 Seconds of Summer, met in high school in 2011, launched a YouTube channel, and quickly became labeled the "biggest new rock act in the world" by Rolling Stone with five critically acclaimed studio albums, including their most recent album which Michael produced, "5SOS5." To date, 5SOS is the only Australian band in history to have their first three full-length studio albums enter the Billboard 200 at No. 1. They've also sold over 18 million albums and boast 6 million concert tickets.

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SHORT BIO

As the colorful-haired guitarist and vocalist of the record-breaking Australian pop-rock band 5 Seconds of Summer, Michael Clifford is ready to reintroduce himself with a monumental solo debut album, "sidequest." It is an ode to human connection — for his dedicated fans and anyone else who needs to hear it.

"sidequest" defies categorization — moving from the playful pop-punk and alternative sounds of his youth to forward-looking peppy synths, glimmery electronic rhythms and asymmetrical arrangements. There are no precise reference points, no unimaginative plays for nostalgia here. Michael has created a sound all his own, where working through self-doubt feels like euphoria and soul-bearing revelations are revealed atop power chords, enticing the listener to dive deeper.

Much of "sidequest" reflects Michael's current reality: He moved across the country and became a father for the first time. His home life is "incredibly adult," he says, and in his music, he's able to "just be a fucking kid the whole way." On "sidequest," those worlds make for an interesting tension through clear-eyed reckoning, never once sacrificing a sense of joy. Happy-sounding songs deal with less-than-favorable subjects; fatherhood yields expansive sonic detours.

Michael has always appealed to outsiders — those who feel out of step with the world and a deep desire to create. "sidequest" is for those people, because he is one, too. "The songs were either going to sit on a hard drive forever," he says, "Or I was going to muster up the courage to do this." Having been in 5 Seconds of Summer since 2011 — the only Australian band in history to have their first three full-length studio albums enter the Billboard 200 at No. 1, with over 18 million albums sold — he's up for the challenge.