In a world where artists are known to strive for acceptance, Myles Bullen proudly boasts, “iAmNotForEveryone.” As the aptly named standout track from their 2018 album “Not Dead Yet” suggests, Myles doesn’t aim for anyones approval. The unique sounding musician hailing from Portland, Maine can not simply be classified as a rapper, a singer, or producer. They describe themself as a “migratory, songbird, rap seamstress, art poet” As you listen to a Myles Bullen project, you won’t hear two songs that sound alike, some won’t even sound like they’re the same genre of music. Each song varies in style from the next, and that’s all by design.

“I like to imagine my musical landscape as a wide kaleidoscopic genre spectrum. Kind of like someone with ADHD is flipping through the radio and can’t decide what to stay on, that’s what I want my listeners to experience when they’re listening to a record I made, that ping pong back and forth up and down diagonal zig zagging across a genre landscape, and a feeling landscape. A cathartic curious familiar feeling, but in a bizarre and puzzling way.”

If you listen to that aforementioned song “iAmNotForEveryone,” you’ll get a small taste of the person Myles Bullen is, and a peak at what they have been through and overcome. The songs lyrics range from drug addiction, the death of family members, a desire to innovate, and a call to change the earth, which all help you get a taste of who Myles is, but also furthermore prove that Myles is not easily categorizable. Through their struggles with drug addiction, music was their first outlet towards recovery. Music became something Myles could lean on, and began to replace the rush of feelings they once sought elsewhere. The idea of expressing all these thoughts for others to hear seemed daunting at first, but was a necessary cathartic outlet for Myles to use as a release.

The CGrowing up, Myles had a troubling childhood. Part of a family that was affected by addiction, and forced to move around every few years, Myles quickly learned that they needed to adapt to any situation. Being put in unsafe situations will force you to grow. Myles was a fan of metal and rap music, but they discovered poetry open mic around their 20’s and got hooked. This love of poetry opened Bullen’s eyes to the art of storytelling, which helped mold his spoken word style flow. With there not being a real hip hop community in their area, Myles started off his musical journey as a fan, looking in from the outside. Freshly sober at age 18, Myles would make a life changing decision in going to see a Ceschi show in New Hampshire. Blown away by Ceschi’s genre bending style, engaging crowd work, and honest lyricism, Myles knew they were in the right place, and longed for this feeling of safety provided by the solace of a concert.

“It made me feel like I was at this anti-church, or an underground church. Like there’s a new form of gospel, and a new form of people being together, singing together, and all feeling like they belong, even if its only for that couple hours. That feeling alone got me hooked on going to shows and watching people do their thing, and it was only a few years later that I decided I wanted to do that, I wanted to be that person putting events on.”

Myles made it a goal to perform every single night they could. While some nights provided Myles with the opportunity to perform at local open mic nights, other nights presented no such chance. This is where Myles passion began to shine through, as they took on the effervescent role of a street busker. Equipped with the ancient tools of the trade (a box drum and your voice), Myles spent countless nights performing on the streets building confidence in their delivery, learning how to captivate a crowd, and practicing the art of being a musician. Those childhood years of being forced into uncomfortable situations made Myles flexible, and allowed them to thrive in these difficult situations, teaching them how to be vulnerable to a crowd and make yourself feel in touch with them. After a few years of gaining their footing and figuring out what they wanted, Myles reached out to one of the catalysts that sparked this journey, messaging Ceschi on facebook essentially asking “how do I do this?” Ceschi responded with a long list of advice, and steps to take, on how to rise in the music world.

The persistent work flow of Myles Bullen has provided them with a life that sounds like a dream. The jump from not making any music at all, to five years later having four albums released and touring six months a year may seem quick, but the work ethic and grind displayed by Myles help you understand how this all happened. With their most recent 2022 album “Mourning Travels” being released by Ceschi’s record label Fake Four, you can see that everything has come full circle, and Myles efforts have all paid off. Myles has never strayed from their honest lyrical content, but instead has mastered the craft of making those deep and often depressing topics seem lighthearted and optimistic. Songs like “Still Be Friends” and “Swallowing Bruises” showcase Myles ability to turn difficult topics and emotional acoustic guitar loops into cheerful spoken word hip hop. Other songs, like my favorite, “Small Creature”, present a welcoming and familiar sound, with lyrics that help you realize you are not alone in this big world.

As Pink Navel had previously described them to me, Myles is a pillar of community and understanding. There’s nothing more inspiring than a person who puts in the work to get where they are, but also takes care of their community along the way. A huge part of who Myles Bullen is comes from their work outside of music. Through their creative writing workshops, musical grief counseling, and thought provoking conversation, Myles plays a pivotal part in helping people grow. These intimate private performances, often done in nontraditional locations like schools, prisons, or rehab and recovery centers, help these less heard voices find importance. These clinics are often booked in conjunction with Myles’ touring locations, with workshops being done in the daytime just hours before they are ready to get on stage and perform.

Myles knew what they wanted to achieve, and kept grinding until they got there. Though the journey wasn’t easy, and still isn’t over, Myles was able to turn music into a career, and use their voice and past trauma to become a beacon of light for others. Their next album, expected in March of 2024, will act as the closing chapter in their three part series (following past albums Healing Hurts and Mourning Travels) and will continue the story.

“If I can accomplish something, it would be to make someone feel less lonely.”

Myles Bullen does not watch a lot movies. They asked me if they could instead provide the names of shows, rather than films for their listing. We bargained and struck a deal. Here are 8 tv shows, and 2 movies recommended by Myles Bullen:

• 1: Sweet Tooth (2021-)
• 2: Adventure Time (2010-2018)
• 3: The Walking Dead (2010-2022)
• 4: Hilda (2018-)
• 5: Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts (2020)
• 6: Spongebob Squarepants (1999- )
• 7: Steven Universe (2013-2019)
• 8: Family Matters (1989-1998)
• 9: FernGully: The Last Rainforest (1992)
• 10: Magnolia (1999)