Friday Mixtapes | Micayla Gatto.

We asked our favourite riders what tunes get them in the mood to slap a turn, get creative or simply put a smile on their face.

Music is a very personal thing, different songs do different things to different folks. We hope that some of our favourite riders’ top tunes get your creative juices flowing, or psyche you up to go rally some trails.

First out of the gate for this new series is Micayla Gatto.

If you don’t know Micayla, then check out our Wise Words interview with her here.

I don’t want to label these 1-10 in order of importance, because I think they all say something different and serve me in different ways. Also because there’s actually 11 of them. Music videos are an obsession of mine, so I had to do a part of it.

I Found – Amber Run.

Emotional and good harmonies to sing along to.

My Old Man – Mac DeMarco.

Easy listening, maybe driving along a coast somewhere in the sun, window down.

When I’m Small – Phantogram.

I love the pacing of this song. I like this song for climbing. simple baseline mixed with airy vocals

To Beat The Devil – Kris Kristofferson.

Not so much as a song than a story. Must listen.

Everything Is Free – Sylvan Esso, Flock of Dimes.

Current favourite to play on guitar, and harmonise with friends. The words really hit home for me as an artist. It speaks to the love and passion of creating, and how, as a result of this, we can be taken advantage of. It’s a problem I see in both the mountain bike and creative worlds. There is no set standard or “minimum wage” per say for athletes or creatives, so, inevitably, someone will always undercut and undervalue themselves, or do a job for free just to gain exposure.

Best Friend – Luke Mitrani.

This was a tough tie with another one of his songs, Golden Eyes. But besides loving most of his work, I love his story. A pro snowboarder, Luke suffered a bad neck injury after crashing and had to retire. He’s now a musician, and I love how he demonstrates the possibility of being successful at more than one thing; something I think a lot of athletes don’t realise.

Glitter & Gold – Barns Courtney.

His voice sounds like someone who should have a big beard and smells like tobacco smoke, but he looks more like a member of a boy band. I like the marching beat, the gruffness in his voice, and it reminds me of xc skiing with a headlamp in -20 below in Sweden before work.

Wolf – First Aid Kid.

Hard to pick just one song from First Aid Kit as a favourite, but I’m starting to see a theme here as I browse through my playlists. I love playing this one on the guitar, and it’s a good one to belt out with the heyyyyyyyaa chorus.

Red Eyes – The War on Drugs.

One of my favourite bands right now, it seems like these guys can’t go wrong. The lyrics don’t make too much sense but the upbeat vibes get me stoked and wanting to dance the days away. “Pain” and “Holding On” are also heaters, and just so happen round out their top 3 most popular songs, for good reason.

A Boy Named Sue – (Live), Johnny Cash.

Another great story, a fun listen for long drives, with a fun perspective and message to it. If I have a boy, I might just name him Sue.

This is America – Childish Gambino.

By far the most powerful music video I’ve seen, and just a super important political voice for America in 2018. While on the topic of Music Videos, “Formation” by Beyonce, “Bad Girls” by MIA, and “$ave dat money” by Lil Dicky are also super important to see.