INTERVIEW: M.T ROADS

Los Angeles-based artist M.T. Roads (aka Mike Rubsamen) opens 2025 with “Hold Onto,” a cinematic dive into nostalgic reflection and emotional clarity. Blending atmospheric synthscapes with warm acoustic textures, the track weaves elements of indie, electronic, and experimental pop into a seamless, soul-stirring experience.

Inspired by a Moog-born beat and shaped further in the solitude of mountain travels, “Hold Onto” feels like a dream unfolding—both real and imagined. Roads' haunting vocal delivery pairs perfectly with the track’s expansive sound design, channeling the emotive intimacy of artists like RY X and Hayden Thorpe.

We sat down with Mike to learn more about the single, his approach to songwriting and much more, exclusively for FLEX!

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Congratulations on your new single 'Hold Onto', we love it! Sum it up for us in three words?

Nostalgic, Atmospheric, Sweeping

'Hold Onto' feels deeply reflective and emotional—can you take us back to the moment or memory that sparked the creation of this track?

I was thinking about changing where I lived. I had been in the same spot for some time, and started to realise what it would mean to leave. Fourteen years of emotions, memories and relationships tied to the space, and how the simple idea of leaving brought so much history to the surface. 

The next time I was in the studio I gravitated towards creating a drone on a semi-modular synth I have, and playing these stacked pianos and pads over it. I sat with this atmospheric sound for some time just drifting in it. What you hear in the front end of the song. 

You describe writing "new pieces of old memories"—can you expand on what that means for you creatively and emotionally?

We dream about memories. We actively think about memories. Our history impacts us on a subconscious level. That I don’t just explore my memories, I control them. And I started to see that I have expanded on those memories for better and for worse. Rewriting the core memory, or continuing the narrative of what could have been. Wild how some of it feels so real.

There’s a cinematic quality to the track—how important is atmosphere in your songwriting, and what role do visuals play when you're creating music like this?

Atmosphere is everything in my music. Over time, I’ve found it to be the best tool to open my creativity up and authentically write about my experiences and feelings. 

I tend to feel, then see, then write. So visuals play a heavy role in helping me solidify a direction for a song. 

For Hold Onto, that visual is a collage of memories that cross over a variety of relationships and feelings. 

This feels like a new chapter in your sonic evolution. How would you describe the progression of your sound from earlier projects to now?

I spent the last few years learning about synths, improving vocal processing and how to think about stacking sounds in a mix. The most significant thing has been getting better at creating the sounds you want that fit into a track’s mix. 

You’re a singer, songwriter, and producer—how do you manage wearing all those hats, and do you find one part of the process most fulfilling?

Songwriting & singing are my main draws to music. I started with a guitar and my voice, and wrote a few dozen songs before I had the ability to record myself and build out a song. 

The last five years I spent a lot of time producing my tracks, and it has been rewarding, time consuming and at times, isolating. I’ve always enjoyed more of the collaboration that has come when I feel a song is getting near done. My friend George Drabing Hicks steps in at that point to help iron out each track as a producer and handles mixing. I’m seeing a world where I bring more people into the process earlier to help me focus more time on writing songs, and getting general sound concepts ready for a team to collaborate on. 

And finally, what's in store for M.T Roads for the rest of 2025?

I have two tracks that are gearing up for release over the next few months. And more in the early stages of creation.

I’m hoping to do more solo M.T. Roads releases and looking to collaborate more with like minded people. 

Stream 'Hold Onto' now: