Michael Waters approaches songwriting with a clear belief in the power of growth. His music does not stay in one emotional or musical lane, moving freely between adult contemporary, soft rock, pop and indie ballads while maintaining a strong focus on memorable melodies and meaningful storytelling. That versatility has become an important part of his identity, with each song allowed to find the sound and emotional direction that best serves its story.
His latest release, “We’re Much Better People Now,” turns its attention to regret, personal responsibility, love and redemption. Rather than dwelling on past mistakes, the song looks at the possibility of becoming better through self-awareness and the influence of a healthy relationship. At its heart is the belief that the past does not have to determine the future, and that people can change when they are willing to grow.
Waters brings a thoughtful perspective to that idea. He separates accepting responsibility from punishing oneself, allowing the song to acknowledge guilt while ultimately choosing hope. It is this balance that gives “We’re Much Better People Now” its intimate character. The song speaks to the mistakes people carry, but also to the relief that can come from recognising that we are no longer the same people we once were.
2026 has also been a significant year for Waters creatively. He has released four globally successful songs covering very different emotional territory, while “La La Love Song” reached number one on the World Indie Music Chart. His recent work has also benefited from collaborations with highly experienced musicians in New York, an experience that sharpened his attention to the finer details of his compositions and gave him a powerful vote of confidence in the quality of his songwriting.
Beyond his own recordings, Waters has embraced the opportunity to see other performers bring his songs to life. Songs such as “A Baby Of My Own” and “The Boy Who Really Loved You” have found success through performances by Kacey Greene and Below The Parapet, demonstrating how a songwriter’s personal idea can take on another dimension through a different artist.
In this conversation, Michael Waters discusses the personal ideas behind “We’re Much Better People Now,” the role of regret in songwriting, his genre-fluid approach to music, working with world-class musicians, seeing other artists interpret his songs, and why connecting with listeners ultimately means more to him than fame.
“We’re Much Better People Now” explores regret, redemption and the possibility of becoming better through growth and love. What personal or emotional idea was at the heart of the song when you first began writing it?
The past does not determine the future” and “with personal growth and love with the right person, anyone can change for the better”. These are the core concepts behind We’re Much Better People Now.
The song is described as an intimate, reflective ballad about mistakes and what we learn from them. How do you approach writing about regret without allowing the song to become defined by sadness or self-blame?
The simple answer is that I am not over-heavy in condemning myself for past mistakes just as the “I” of the track is not over-heavy on himself. Accepting responsibility for past mistakes is not the same as self-indulgent chest-beating about them. Change for the better and the hope this brings have already modified the singer’s guilt and regret. He and his partner are better people now, so sadness is not his dominant state.
You write both the music and lyrics, with storytelling and memorable melodies sitting at the centre of your work. When creating a song, which usually arrives first for you, the emotional story, the melody or a particular lyrical idea?
When I compose, music and lyrics tend to come together. What kick-starts the creative process isn’t always obvious to me – as it wasn’t with We’re Much Better People Now. I’ve written books and coached people on personal development, so maybe this provided the inspiration.
You have released four globally successful songs in 2026, each exploring very different emotional territory. How do you maintain your own artistic identity while allowing every song to have its own personality?
You’re absolutely right. I don’t write/perform in one specific genre on one emotional territory. I’m generically promiscuous, which also makes me almost unbrandable, except that all my compositions share (I’d like to think) common features: hard-to-forget melodies and quality, usually very meaningful lyrics that could (as someone pointed out to me) be stand-alone poems.
Your catalogue moves between adult contemporary, soft rock, pop and indie ballads, from romantic songs to music addressing the fragility of the planet. What determines the musical direction a particular story needs?
I sometimes play with very different versions of the same song, though the musical direction is usually influenced by the narrative and dominant emotional tone. For example, soft rock suited Requiem for Earth but would not have been appropriate for A Baby Of My Own or La La Love Song.
You began recording with world-class musicians in New York in late 2025. How has working with experienced musicians changed the way you hear your own compositions, and what have those collaborations taught you about translating an idea from the page into a finished recording?
The world-class musicians I worked with in New York only agreed to do so because they loved my songs and said thy would be honoured to do so. That didn’t do my confidence any harm. Their fastidiousness (or perfectionism) focused my attention on the details of each song we recorded, but I was told how good those details were.
Coming from the likes of one of George Michael’s bass players, a go-to drummer for Broadway musicals and one of the greatest jazz/pop pianists in the world, this was endorsement of the best sort.
Two of your recent songs, “A Baby Of My Own” and “The Boy Who Really Loved You,” achieved significant chart success through performances by Kacey Greene and Below The Parapet. What is it like watching other artists interpret songs that originally began as your own personal creative ideas?
Fabulous! I am never precious about someone else being a better fit for a song than me. As long as the performance and production leaves the song fundamentally and unmistakably the one I wrote, then I am very happy for performers like Kacey Greene (A Baby Of My Own) to bring their own interpretations into play. That said, I will make my views known if a recording deviates too far from what I think it should be
“We’re Much Better People Now” carries a message that feels particularly universal because most people can look back at choices they would handle differently today. Do you think songwriting can help us make peace with the person we once were?
I certainly do. A song like We’re Much Better People Now can help us grasp and process an emotional experience better than we can by just thinking about it on our own. In the case of this song, it can give us something like permission to find peace and hope.
With the rapid run of releases and recognition you have experienced in 2026, has your definition of success changed? What matters more to you now: chart positions, global reach, or knowing that a song genuinely moved someone?
I’ve made it clear that fame is of no great importance to me. It’s clearly rewarding to acquire global success, as I have been fortunate to do with the songs I’ve released so far in 2026 – number 1 in the World Indie Music Chart with La La Love Song – but in the end it’s knowing that people like/love and resonate with the songs that is truly gratifying.
As you continue building your catalogue, what kind of songwriter do you ultimately want to become, and what do you hope listeners will remember about the stories and emotions running through Michael Waters’ music?
If I’m remembered as a classy songwriter (who could also sing a bit) with a catalogue of high quality, karaoke-friendly songs, then I’ll be more than happy with that.
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