Born in the south of the Netherlands, Mischa van Kan was surrounded by music since his birth. It was early in his life when Mischa's talent revealed itself. He was only 7 years old when he played the match of badminton many would love (or hate) him for over the coming years. It was the beginning of a whirlwind career as the youngest badminton champion ever. But the price of fame was high… And one evening, when Mischa was fed up with the sport he played for the biggest part of his life, he discovered that there were other things he could do with the strings on his badminton racket. And thus he started playing violin. Some time later he switched to guitars and he even tried a bit of piano. Suddenly Mischa was no longer a badminton star child, but a fresh musician not afraid to share his own tunes, listening to acoustic music. That was only the beginning: still in school he became one of two members of acoustic band Plain. Together with childhood friend Stefan Meeuws they played the music they loved and wrote their own. This eventually led to the single release of Mischa-penned song 'Blue Tree'.

But Mischa wanted to see the world. So He travelled to Finland and even though many people laugh when Mischa considers living in Finland as ‘seeing the world’, he had a really good time doing voluntary work in Pori in 2005. It was in Finland where his solo songs started to take shape. Inspired by snow, darkness and people with a hint of melancholy, songs were slowly turning into an album. When he returned to The Netherlands, he moved to the upper north of the Netherlands to study the Swedish culture and language in Groningen. Later he added Finnish language and culture to his education that is now leading him to succes. In Groningen, Mischa van Kan started as ‘mischa’ and turned his ambition into his debut solo release 'I tried to melt the snow, but ran out of matches.' In 2007 he moved to Uppsala, Sweden to move away from the times and places he was used to and to try to capture the bliss of time standing still in a world with a rushed character.

In times when the other side of the world is just a click away, mischa’s debut release is both timeless and very today. The word timeless is thrown around these days so often, it has almost lost its meaning… But listening to ‘Suburban Romance’, a hymn to love in and for the places where he lived over the years, it is impossible to deny the fact that this song describes today’s life in its essence, only the necessity still there. And yet its melody is perfect for all days. It’s like a little painting coming to life.

But Mischa isn’t just your average sad singer-songwriter. With a funky little organ ‘My Love’ abandons all feelings of sadness and doubt and reveals a catchy song, full of life. Yet the descriptive nature of mischa’s lyrics reveal a certain awareness as well. One cannot escape the notion of the riches of observation and a clear mind:

“And the clouds are hanging like bored teenagers, not coming down when they’re asked to” (Way Too Heavy)

Next time you wake up, look out your window and see a snowy landscape, get yourself a matchbox. Maybe bring some extra boxes. Kneel down, and light the first one. It is not an impossible task to melt the snow, yet it is unlikely you will have enough matches. But does that mean it’s not worth trying? After all, it’s just another way appreciating what you have and what this life is adding to that. And you might actually get to see the world beneath the layer of white, for once. And don’t worry, the snow will be back!

Written by Stefan Meeuws