Q&A: Mamii Creates Soulful, Heartfelt Genreless Tunes As A Space To Reflect & Grow
WHILE IT MAY BE DIFFICULT TO BOX HER MUSIC INTO JUST ONE GENRE - it’s clear that Mamii is creating beautiful, heartfelt tracks that can be a hand to hold, and a should to cry on when seeking comfort. The 20-year-old Indiana native manages to pull all the heartstrings with each note of her soulful vocals. Her love for music lead to pursuing the art as a hobby, before quickly realizing the power creating music can have. “At first, music was just a hobby for me. Now it’s an outlet. It allows me to really express myself and tell my story. It also allows me to connect with people and I think that’s what really drives me. Being able to make music and talk about real experiences that we all can relate to.”
In her live performance video of “Unwary”, we see a raw, intimate side of Mamii while getting to experience her powerful yet smooth vocals. Utilizing her music as a place to reflect and be a space for the openness of self, Mamii hopes her music can be an opportunity for her listeners to have those self discovery and growth conversations with themselves.
Her debut self-produced album, Black Phoeniix , quickly gained support of tastemakers like Joe Kay’s Soulection playlist, Apple Music’s Alt-R&B, and Spotiy’s Fresh Finds, so it’s safe to say Mamii is creating a bright path for herself and her artistry. Read below to learn more about the rising artist’s creative process and keep Mamii on your radar.
LUNA: What are the origins of your musicianship? How did you come to find your love for music?
MAMII: Well literally all sides of my family are musically inclined so I guess I could say it was “in me” to do it lol. My mom told me that I started singing at 3. I used to sing with my sister and mom in church and I feel like that sharpened my talents a lot. I remember actually falling in love with music around like 13. I started learning to sing better and learning guitar and piano around that time. My mom introduced me to the music of Prince and that inspired me on a whole different level. That was when I realized that I could do everything (producing, writing, singing, arranging). I think that’s when I really found my love for music so thanks Prince!!
LUNA: What inspires your artistry? Are there any artists that have been particularly significant in shaping your music and purpose as an artist?
MAMII: My actual life and whatever I’m listening to inspires my artistry. A lot of the older music has inspired me way more than anything else. Prince, The Beatles, Queen, Stevie Wonder, Amy Winehouse to name a few.
LUNA: How has your music influenced your life, and alternatively, how has your life influenced your music?
MAMII: Music has completely changed my whole way of life. I have to adjust my schedule to it. It’s like an enjoyable swing shift. My life always inspires something in my music. Whether it’s me writing about an experience, or I hear or see something in my life that makes me wanna produce. It doesn’t take much for me to want to create.
LUNA: Your exploration of love, relationships, self, and growth, as a curation of observations create such a nuanced landscape of emotions, how do you approach your music, what elements come first, how do you consolidate your feelings, or is it a spontaneous and constantly shifting process?
MAMII: Sometimes the music just comes to me out of nowhere. Other times, I write about something I just experienced. I never know what’s gonna happen when it comes to my process. Sometimes the lyrics come first or I’d have a melody in or a beat in mind. It’s very spontaneous and random but I never control it. I just let the music do what it does. I’m just a vessel.
LUNA: I love that you explore these themes. It feels as though you are hyper-comfortable with yourself, more so in a way where unpacking and sharing these layers feels so natural to you. Where does that driving force come from?
MAMII: It came from me under sharing as a child. I didn’t like talking much when I was younger. What I didn’t realize is that it was kinda destroying me. When I made my first song and shared it with others, I learned that other people were going through the same thing and I didn’t feel alone anymore. I just want to continue to share my experiences if it’s still helping someone else.
LUNA: From RnB, to the more jazz infused elements, details of alt/alt-rock, gospel sounds and funk, you intertwine elements from a range of genres, kind of blurring the boundaries between these conventions and renouncing the rigidity that can often be associated with releasing music. What types of music are you drawn to, and how do you pull from each of these to create your own sound?
MAMII: Well I do enjoy every type of music but the music that’s different than the norm always gets my attention. I usually will sit and listen to a record and instantly get inspired and make a song, maybe the next day, sounding like what I just heard. I never actually know what elements will inspire me but it usually ends up being pretty cool. The mains ones are artists like The Beatles in the late 60s through the 70s, Bowie, Prince, Stevie, Wings, Joni, Walter Hawkins, Clark Sisters, Harry Nilsson. The throwbacks.
LUNA: Your lyricism is raw and deeply vulnerable, it's so wonderful to find connection in music and upon listening to yours, I was definitely able to find points of understanding. As a listener, there is a relief in consuming music that genuinely seeps its way into your soul and eases the innate part of us that longs for understanding. How does it feel as the artist- to have created so purely and had that impact on your listeners?
MAMII: Sometimes it feels great and other times, it’s nerve wrecking. I’m very grateful to be able to connect with people on such a deep level. I’m glad that my experiences could help someone through a situation they may have. It’s also scary that billions of people could possibly hear my song and know who I am and judge me based off of my lyrics.
LUNA: From writing, to performing, what is your musical process? Has this shifted as you've grown?
MAMII: Honestly, it changes day by day. One day I’ll have a melody first, next day I’ll have some lyrics first. As far as performing, I have a horrible routine lol. First, I start off with some panicking. I’ll walk around and pray to calm myself. Then, I’l perform like none of that just happened.
LUNA: Are there any lyrics/moments/details or tracks on the mixtape that you hold dear to you?
MAMII: I have many but my favorite has to be recording background vocals and producing this whole entire thing. The recording process was so entertaining and exhausting. I’d be up at 2AM recording vocals and producing and writing the next track. The next morning, I’d do the same exact thing for the rest of the summer.
LUNA: You cultivate such a positive, warm energy when you perform, and your live performance of “Unwary” is such a beautiful demonstration of this. What experiences of live performances have shaped your own artistry?
MAMII: Singing at church and school shaped the way I perform now. I learned a lot about performance etiquette at a very young age. Another experience that shaped my artistry was when I had my very first “headlining” show. I had never done a show where I was the main act. It was terrifying but it opened my eyes. I learned that just performing is not enough. I had to really captivate my audience.
LUNA: What is the role of music for you?/ What drives you as an artist?
MAMII: At first, music was just a hobby for me. Now it’s an outlet. It allows me to really express myself and tell my story. It also allows me to connect with people and I think that’s what really drives me. Being able to make music and talk about real experiences that we all can relate to.
LUNA: Lastly, what are you looking forward to in your own journey? What can we look forward to seeing in the upcoming year?
MAMII: I’m looking forward to growing in my music as well as my personal life. In the upcoming year, I plan on releasing an album and a few videos here and there.
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