Authenticity Is The Sound: The Michael Cali Interview

Interview Date: January 23, 2026

As a proud Filipino and Chicagoland artist, Michael Cali channels authenticity and faith in his singer-songwriter music. I spoke with him about his musical journey and what lies ahead for the rising star.

Outside of music, who are you?

My name is Michael Calibugar. I am a Filipino-American who was born in the suburbs of Chicago. I am a devout Catholic – a son of God. I am the son of two immigrant parents that came from the Philippines to seek a better life for me and my older sister.

I am an accounting graduate from DePaul University. I currently work as a staff accountant at a private healthcare company. I love fitness. I love learning about personal finance, investing, and creating a better future for myself.

How did your passion for music start?

I've been singing since I was two years old, according to my mom. I don't have any vivid memory of this, but apparently I was singing before I could even sing The Alphabet Song, which is pretty crazy. I was a pretty quiet kid growing up, so I had to enroll in speech therapy because my parents didn't think I was speaking as much as I should.

But whenever it came to music or singing, they noticed that it was the one thing that could get me talking. I guess the talent was recognized there, and then the passion developed as I grew up in Couples for Christ – a Filipino Catholic organization recognized by the Vatican all about bringing people closer to Christ. They helped me be in tune with how God really blesses me each and every day.

In being a part of that community, I joined their music ministry and blended my faith with my music. This ministry introduced me to the guitar, and eventually led to a lot of songwriting projects that have guided me to where I am today. That's where the passion came from.

Who has helped you in your journey in pursuing music?

My parents. I wouldn't be where I am without them. I wouldn't be able to enroll in a lot of music programs. I wouldn't have been sent to Catholic school to perform in different holiday and seasonal showcases. I wouldn't have joined band or had lessons in trumpet, trombone, and choir.

None of my talents would have been discovered if it weren't for their overwhelming and loving support. I really credit my parents for being my rock, being able to cultivate and stir the talent within me. My parents are the biggest constants when it comes to fostering my talent for music.

What music did you listen to growing up?

Growing up, it was mainly what was on the radio. A lot of pop music. Whatever I would hear on 96.3 or 107.5 FM was a major influence of the kind of favorite songs I like to sing. I would also sing a lot of older songs my dad enjoyed. One of the earliest songs that was my favorite to sing at karaoke family functions was "Open Arms" by Journey – Steve Perry was a big influence. My dad also listened to ABBA and Daft Punk: a lot of 80s and early-2000s artists.

My taste eventually evolved, especially when I got into Couples for Christ. I listened to a lot of worship music and indie pop. I found the Filipino-American indie scene: Jeremy Passion, AJ Rafael, Gabe Bondoc, grentperez. While my taste is constantly evolving, these kinds of artists are my major influences nowadays.

Why do you gravitate to those artists?

I gravitate to them because I feel a connection. I feel they are a reflection of who I am, a reflection of what I enjoy when it comes to putting out music.

To sing and play guitar and bring a group of people together. To forget about the stresses of life. To forget about what's worrying or concerning us. To be on stage. To remind my younger self how proud he would be to see me today.

That is why I listen to a lot of those artists. They motivate me to be like them. I want to embrace my own authenticity and share a piece of myself within the music.

Was there a specific moment where you decided you wanted to become a musician?

I wrote songs when I was really little. Just for fun, nothing crazy, just stupid seven-year-old songs. But I started taking it a bit more seriously in junior year of high school. Funnily enough, when I first created an account on Distrokid – the distributing company I have always used – it was actually under my mom's name.

My first song ("Keys to My Heart"), which I released in July 2019, has amassed over 140,000 streams now, which is pretty crazy, just for being my first ever single. Once I realized those numbers were climbing, that's when I knew it was possible.

God has given me the talent. God has blessed me with the talent. That's the kind of moment where I realized "dang, I should take this more seriously."

How do you reflect on "Keys To My Heart" six years later? What do you think of its success?

I think it's really crazy to always think back to the song and just remember where I was and what was going on in my life. When I was making that song with Jon Buduan – a good friend from Couples For Christ – we made it in his basement. That was the start of our friendship and our development into musicians with similar passions. I took the initiative to go to his house and make that song on Garage Band.

It's so crazy thinking back to that time, just not knowing what was possible in terms of performing and sharing the music I was making in my bedroom. It's where I realized music was a shared experience among a lot of big artists. It reassures me that I was always on this path. It was always in God's plan for me, and now I'm doing my best to leverage that gift, grow my audience, and share my authenticity.

I'm meeting more people, collaborating with more musicians, and pushing my limits. It's been a joy. I like to reflect on the journey where it started, where it's going, and where I'm headed.

When you are creating a song, where do you typically start?

I like to start with the storyline – what I'm going to write about. At its essence, songwriting is based on something that's either happened to me, something that's happened to a friend, or just spurts of inspiration. I can even be inspired by a cool chord progression or a social media post. But I think having the first idea to write about and then having the chord progression in place is my typical start of drafting a song.

And it's a very ugly process. You're not supposed to get it right the first time. You don't just make a hit – that's just not realistic. It's a very messy process, but once it sticks, I have that internal feeling of "this is good to me, it's gonna sound good to others." Once I have that feeling, I just trust it and roll with it.

Once you find that creative spark, how do you evolve the song?

Bringing the song to people really helped in turning the spark into something. One of the things that have really helped me and my journey as an artist is meeting other musicians. Especially right now, I have been learning from the producer side. Focusing on the singer-songwriter side and bringing those ideas to producers provides a different lens for my music. It's how Michael Cali songs evolve and how the songs start to take their shape.

How do you maintain your artistic integrity while involving other people in the production and songwriting?

Two of my musical strengths are vocals and vocal layering. As long as I have a lot of harmonies – the oohs and the aahs – and the lyrics are mostly my style of writing, then I trust that internal feeling that "yeah, this is still me, but it's taking shape as well." I keep these elements in line, while also staying open-minded to feedback.

In 2020, you released your first album, Connections. In 2024, you released your EP, Lessons. How were those two projects conceived? How do you view each project?

I wrote the songs in Connections over the course of three years. They were just sitting in my Notes App at the time and I released a couple of them – "Keys To My Heart" being the first single. I think the songs are very basic: just a different time, different writing, different style, different sound. It's very Garage Band, very authentic to what an 18-year-old would put out.

Releasing Connections was a very big accomplishment for myself and Jon. When I was working with him through the pandemic, he didn't have the best knowledge of mixing and mastering, but had better capabilities than me. We were just two high school kids just wanting to release on a bigger platform. I'm really glad he supported me in that journey through those early parts.

I wrote Lessons specifically because it was supposed to be a reflection of my connections I've made thus far – these are the lessons I have learned from those connections. That's where the whole idea came from.

My friend, Lila, was able to make all of the beautiful cover art of all the people who were involved in that EP project. It's just the constant idea of meeting and continuing to meet all these people. The songs were what these people were teaching me, whether for good or bad, love or heartbreak, all of these lessons.

That's the bridge between Connections and Lessons. And I'll see where that next bridge will be.

You have a YouTube following of over 2.75k subscribers. When did you decide to start doing YouTube and where do you see your channel today?

As a kid, I loved watching gaming videos like Markiplier, PewDiePie, and Jacksepticeye. They were very influential, especially in the early 2010s, so I made gaming videos whenever none of my family was home. I later realized that gaming was not where I thrived the most. I just enjoyed consuming the content, but not producing it.

Then, my friends from school were like, "You know, you sing. Why don't you just make a singing channel?"

And I was like, "Why would I make a singing channel? Like, nobody does that!"

Of course, singing channels were definitely there in 2016. But, as a 14-year-old kid, I was just in my own head, overthinking everything. What would others think of me? How would they perceive me?

At some point, I had the mindset of who cares? just make it. Thus, I started my YouTube channel in October 2016. It has shown a level of consistency over the years. I have been putting out songs and covers and seeing how my voice has evolved. I'm really glad I started because it's so cool to see the progression of my first video to the latest one.

One of the videos on your channel is a song called "ask". You performed "ask" in front of your grandfather's grave. What was your experience in creating and performing that song?

"ask" is one of the songs that is near and dear to my heart. I was very close with my Lolo (grandfather) from the Philippines growing up, and I wrote that song in 2020 when he passed. I remember he passed around my first finals week in DePaul. I remember doing all the burial stuff through a video call – one of the most painful things my family's ever gone through.

It really had me doubt my relationship with God. I was raising all these questions: Why would God allow this to happen? Why couldn't I go back to the Philippines? Why could I not have the peace of mind of being present as he is being laid down?

And, I was like: You know what? Whenever the next time I'll go, I'm gonna write a worship song reflecting on the greatest quote my Lolo left me.

Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you.

Matthew 7:7

He shared the quote with me on a family trip in 2016, before I was starting high school. I was very anxious going to high school and he always reminded me of that quote – to continue to ask the Lord for guidance and strength.

At a young age, I did not comprehend it at the time. But when he passed, it finally made sense.

In June 2022, I finally got the chance to go back to the Philippines. I was finally able to see his final resting place. I had that video planned for such a long time. That video is one of my favorites.

You released a live album showcasing your performance at Bookclub Chicago. How did you learn about Bookclub Chicago? How was your experience performing at the venue?

I learned about Bookclub from a friend who was working for the DePaul Activities Board at the time. I did my first live show in DePaul's Student Center, and she reached out to me thinking I would be a good fit to headline a show at Bookclub Chicago, which was an underground music venue at the time. I gathered two other artists along with friends I performed music with and sold out the show in March 2023.

Since then, we have performed a total of four times at Bookclub, each time being better than the last. It has been a blessing to be able to gather family, friends, and fans to showcase Filipino-American musical talent.

I highly recommend supporting Bookclub Chicago on Lincoln Ave, and I hope to be there again soon!

Why do you love performing? What are some of your favorite moments performing on stage?

I love performing because it brings me joy in my life. I love being my authentic self on stage. Being able to be inspired by my favorite artists and inspire others to follow their passions is a joy that I will never get tired of.

Some of my favorite moments performing on stage are performing as a headline for the MFAS Variety Show in St. Louis University and winning the People's Choice Award at Starmakers International in Los Angeles, California.

You have a new single titled 'thinkin bout us' dropping on February 13th. What can we expect?

You can expect a new experimental, groovy sound that you would want to put on repeat over and over again. It is my first time releasing a single with my artist friend, Aldren Briones, so I am excited for the world to hear what we have been working on together since last summer.

What advice do you have for someone who wants to start a music career?

Just start. Sing at open mics, become active in church choir, or even just meet new people who also share the same music interest as you. If you have a desire to start a music career, do not be afraid to explore that interest and start posting! You will thank yourself in the future for documenting your journey.

Where can we find you?

You can find me on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music, and all other major streaming platforms @Michael Cali. I am most active on Instagram @michaelcaliiii where I post reels and other content!

Cover Art: Courtesy of paint.pal