With his first song ” Cmendur” , Mal Everest debuts, and wins, on the stage of “ Festivali I Kenges”, the Albanian national song festival. Mal, an artist originally from Prishtina in Kosovo, is establishing himself in the Balkan music scene, standing out with his pop-rock sound, and a powerful and infectious energy. The soundcheck had the pleasure of interviewing him.
The beginning of a new journey
Behind Mal’s success there is no big record label, but only passion accompanied by a strong artistic identity present since day one. He started, almost as a challenge, by recording his first song ever in a closet, to prove that it is possible to make music even without a budget. In fact, he wrote the lyrics, recorded and arranged the song himself, and once it was ready, he secretly sent his application to the festival without any expectations, resulting then in his triumph at the final. And it is on that occasion that he reveals that the song was dedicated and inspired by his mother, thus adding depth and authenticity to his victory.
Mal then returned to the festival the following year, with a very powerful song, Antihero.
“The song is inspired by my personal experience during the previous festival. I had come out of nowhere, no one knew me, and this bothered some people. But over time they understood me. I also was undecided about how to think of myself. ” he tells us. In fact, in the lyrics is present a duality where he fights frustration, but also feels desire and hope, depicting a perfect ( imperfect) anti-hero.
The latest release “Dehun”
He recently published Dehun, originally a song of Nexhmije Pagarusha. He totally changed the original sound of the song with a powerful and unique rock arrangement, with a western touch, making it dynamic and engaging. “The song is important for Albanian culture, people are protective over the songs. I felt pressured, so I wanted to do it justice” but the song hit the mark. Dehun was praised for its authenticity, including the visual strength of the video clip, which is consistent with the meaning of the song. In fact, the title means drunk; the song deals with themes such as abandonment, and loss of emotional control, which Mal manages to represent well also with his powerful vocals.
Mal doesn’t really label his music, he likes to experiment with genres. He still works on his lyrics and producing by himself, and as if that’s not enough, he also edits all his music videos. Mal is only at the beginning of this journey, but he has already shown that he is a 360-degree artist from all points of view; a unique and personal sound, extraordinary vocal skills, an eccentric look with attention to detail, and a positive but deep and reflective personality. We can’t wait to see what’s coming next for him.
Watch the full interview below:
curated by
Morena Kercuku
Emanuela Ranucci 
Valentina Pilotti 
Emanuela Giurano