Formula Indie Sessions Interview with Michael J. Keplinger
The Words At Play is the upcoming debut EP by Austrian musician and filmmaker MJK (Michael J. Keplinger).
The five-track collection arrives everywhere on 31 July 2026. Emerging from a song idea during a flight to London, The Words At Play developed into a deeply personal and cohesive project—a reflection on time and language, memory and impermanence, presence and emotional distance.
Combining atmospheric art-rock with introspective songwriting, the EP moves through cinematic textures, layered harmonies and a sense of quiet intensity. It was written, performed and produced entirely by MJK.
The Words At Play was mastered at Abbey Road Studios in London and is accompanied by The Words At Play: Visual EP, a short film of five interconnected music videos directed by MJK that moves between narrative fragments and subjective imagery.
What is your earliest memory connected to music?
My father played in wedding bands to put himself through university. By the time I was born, he’d long since stopped performing, but there was always a guitar close by. Sometimes we’d sit together in the living room, singing songs from his songbook. Looking back, I think everything I’ve done musically is a continuation of those moments.
How did your passion for creating music begin?
I started listening to The Beatles pretty much at birth. Actually, nine months before that. As a child, I don’t think I ever thought of them as “real” people. They were simply part of the fabric of life. Then one day my father introduced me to KISS, and something clicked. I immediately recognized that they were essentially a variation on The Beatles. A louder, comic-book variation. And if KISS could put their own twist on it, maybe anyone could. Suddenly music was no longer merely something to be admired, but something you could contribute to.
What’s the story behind your current music project?
About two years ago, I started dealing with some lingering health issues. They weren’t too serious, but they confined me to bed for about a week at a time over and over. This made me realize how much I had taken being able to “just do stuff” for granted. It took me a year to fully recover, but when I did, I felt invincible and itching to get to work.
Around that time, on a flight to London, a chord progression came into my head. I ended up writing the title track “The Words At Play” between takeoff and landing. From then on, it just spiraled. An idea for a possible B-side turned into four more tracks, all belonging to one cohesive musical narrative. I knew I also wanted to direct a music video for a track. But a voice in my head kept asking “Why not five?” The result was “The Words At Play” and its accompanying Visual EP, a short film of five interconnected music videos. They’re out on 31 July and I couldn’t be prouder of where all this has led me.
How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard your music before? Without putting myself on the same level as any of these giants, I’d describe it as a blend of mellow, David
Gilmour-inspired vocals, melodic guitar work, cinematic textures, and the occasional Beach Boys-inspired harmony. With a touch of the introspective melancholy you might find in Radiohead or Nick Cave. All of that, of course, delivered by a rural Upper Austrian Jesus-looking type of guy.
What is one thing you’ve learned that completely changed the way you make music? In the documentary “Sound City”, there’s a scene in which the surviving members of Nirvana are recording
a brilliant rock song with Paul McCartney. After a take, a smiling Dave Grohl says “Why can’t it always be this easy?” McCartney’s reply is made up of two perfect words: “It is.”
This exchange has been a mantra for me ever since. Whenever I catch myself overthinking or getting frustrated, I take a step back and remind myself: It’s easy. It has to be.
Everyone’s process is different, yet everyone seems to have a story about their best work coming to them randomly in the shower. That levity doesn’t pop up randomly. You have to practice to invite it in. So I try to keep a little spring in my step. You have to learn to tread lightly if you want to land some big leaps every now and then.
What tools, instruments, or software are essential in your creative process?
The only thing that is truly essential for me to get started is an instrument nearby—preferably a guitar. For me, ideas have to happen outside the DAW. That’s how I can conjure up the myriad of bad ideas that might be hiding the good one I can pursue.
Which indie artist or song are you loving right now?
Stanley Simmons are releasing their debut album this summer, and I’ve enjoyed everything they’ve put out so far. A bit closer to home, I stumbled across a fantastic new German rock band called Munchy Bunch when I met their frontman at a concert in Vienna. Their debut album is out this year as well and I’m excited to hear where they take their sound!
How have your personal experiences influenced your music and artistic vision? In the case of this EP, there’s a clear connection between having my health compromised for a while and
afterwards feeling invincible enough to tackle the behemoth that is five tracks and five videos. But I feel like everything always influences everything else. Sometimes a moment inspires a song in a very direct way. Other times, you write something and years later you look back almost like a bystander, realizing what it was all about. Sometimes you discover that you anticipated something you couldn’t yet formulate at the time. It’s a beautiful and elusive thing. I don’t fully understand it, and I don’t want to either.
What emotions or messages do you hope listeners take from your work?
I hope listeners in today’s streaming age can fall back in love with songs that reward their attention, rather than front-loading all ideas so they don’t skip them at the gym. I love the convenience of streaming, but I think many people feel a certain fatigue with the way it made us experience music. New music especially. I fell in love with music by listening to albums start to finish and sitting with them for a while. So I think I can’t help but make music that strives for that kind of relationship. More than anything, I just hope people take a chance on my work.
What’s the most important lesson music has taught you so far?
I think what makes music so unique is how abstract it is. Unlike most other art forms, you aren’t necessarily tempted to fixate on a literal plot or a surface-level explanation. You just hear a sound or a chord progression and there’s an immediacy with which it makes you feel something. It speaks to intuition first, rather than intellect, which fascinates me. It’s the same intuition you rely on when creating, and the same intuition that moves you when watching a film or looking at a painting, although it may sometimes be less immediate.
We often try to explain our reactions after experiencing a film or a piece of music as if we first arrived at a logical conclusion and then applied our emotion based on the verdict. When really, the opposite is true: we feel something immediately, and then we do our best to examine why.
So I would say music has taught me to trust that instinct—to let intuition guide me before I try to rationalize everything.
What is a dream venue or festival you would love to perform at?
That’s a tough one. The venues where I first saw my favorite artists immediately come to mind. The Wiener Stadthalle in particular. It’s where I saw my first concert, and I’ve been back for countless concerts since then. To step onto that stage myself one day would be a beautiful full-circle moment. Burg Clam would be incredible as well. There are smaller venues that have a special magic too. A place like Globe Wien, for example, would be a beautiful place to play.
If you could collaborate with any artist, past or present, who would it be and why? There’s no way I could decide. People say never meet your heroes, but I wouldn’t mind being in the room
while Nick Cave and Warren Ellis conjure up some new textures. I certainly wouldn’t turn down a call from Dave Grohl either. I’d play one mean triangle if Paul McCartney asked me to. Closer to my own age, there’s an exciting wave of second-generation artists emerging right now that I enjoy a lot: Mammoth, Stanley Simmons, Violet Grohl. But then again, John Frusciante? Phoebe Bridgers? I’ll need an easier question.
Where can our listeners follow and support your music?
I have a very active website featuring any and all things MJK: michaeljkeplinger.com. You’ll find all the latest news there, as well as streaming links to whichever platform you prefer. And if you really want to do me a favor, sign up for my newsletter at michaeljkeplinger.com/newsletter, so I can stay in touch and share what’s coming next!
Looking toward the future, what’s your dream for the next chapter of your musical journey? I’m not delusional enough to expect my self-produced concept indie art-rock music to top the international
charts anytime soon (although I wouldn’t complain if it did). For now, my dream for the next chapter is simply to build some genuine connection with listeners and prove that I am here for the long haul.
What do you hope listeners will discover about you along the way?
I’m, like, super cute from the right angle.
