ME: The first thing I wanna say is Frankenstein is an utter masterpiece. It’s on my Spotify Wrapped top 100 and I can honestly say I streamed it to the max. Although there’s a clear storyline going on within the lyrics, did anything in real life inspire it?
AM: That's awesome, thank you so much! Frankenstein is probably my favourite out of the songs that I've released so far. The song is named after the classic novel of the same name which is about a doctor who creates a monster that eventually kills him by correlation. Love is a monster we create. We fall in love and we end up with broken hearts. That's what the song is about. You meet someone at a party and fall in love with them but all it does is hurt you.
Last year you got 2 mil streams and this year, 17 mil and you only released two songs! How does that feel?
I wanted to release my second album in 2019 but some things got in the way and it didn't happen. I'm actually pretty upset that I only ended up releasing two songs all of last year but what brings a tear to my eye is that so many people have stuck with me through it all and are still streaming my music. I'm so thankful for that and I can promise that there will be a new album this year. The new album is called "Blue Book".
When was it clear for you that music was something you wanted to do? Is it something you wish to go even further forward into?
Creativity is everything to me. Ever since I could speak I was singing (yelling) and writing songs. I would also drum on a little drum kit my family got for me. I remember in first grade when everyone was supposed to bring a book to read during silent reading, I would bring lyric booklets from my favourite CDs. The teachers didn't like it at first but they eventually stopped caring. I've been making music for as long as I can remember, it's always been what I wanted to do with my life.
You’re also the founder of Nyhla Records. What made you want to create a space for young up and coming artists that would essentially help their careers?
In my last year of high school, as all my friends were getting accepted to universities, I knew that I wanted to make music for a living but I had no idea what steps I needed to take to make that happen. I was 18 when I released my first song and I quickly realized that there was a severe lack of resources for the arts in my city. I thought the best thing to do was to start bringing as many people as I could together to support one another and that's when the company started. I don't want kids like me who have music embedded into who they are to feel like they have to choose between money and happiness. I want to build a platform that provides young artists with the tools they need to build themselves sustainable careers in music. I'm still working on it, but that's what Nyhla Records is. I named it after my grandma because she's like the CEO of my family, she keeps us together and supports us in all of our endeavours.
You don’t post often on Instagram (totally not a criticism, half the time I wish social media didn’t exist). Is social media not a priority for you despite it being quite a large thing for the music industry nowadays?
Yeah, I'm gonna post a lot more often this year. The reason I haven't been is because I want to make sure that everything I put out into the world is something I'm proud of, even if it's just a picture on Instagram. I just need to work a little harder. There's gonna be a lot more content this year. Also worth noting that I've always been super active on my Instagram story. I'd like to think that it's a glimpse into my chaotic mind and that my feed is my artsy side trying to make cool things.
Evidently, your music is really growing and reaching so many people these days. What is a goal for you? (Radio, TV, shows, etc.)
This year I'm super focused on consistency. After only releasing two songs all of last year, I want to make sure that never happens again. I'm gonna release a ton of new music including my second album. My goal is to build a bigger fan base so I can go on tour as soon as possible. I'm also gonna be releasing some really cool merch this year that I'm really excited about.
In terms of covers for your singles, what process do you go through to pick what you feel represents the song/music best?
Album artwork is so important to me. But I honestly don't take it as seriously for singles, in fact, I probably should now that I think about it. When it comes to singles, I just wanna make sure it looks cool and represents the song well. But for albums and EPs I spend a lot of time finding the right piece of art to represent the project. The artwork for my first album, Apricity, was designed by one of my favourite graphic designers, Dead Dilly. I was so happy when he said yes and I'm so happy with what he created for it. I just picked the album art for Blue Book today and I'm so excited.
You have a whole highlight dedicated to fans and people appreciating your work. Is it important as an artist that you have a good relationship with your audience?
Yes! I wanna connect with everyone who supports what I do. I'm so thankful for each and every one of them, especially right now in the early stages of my career. It's a priority of mine to make sure I give back to them one day.
Not related to your music but you recently dyed your hair very very blue! I’ve always wanted to dye my hair but never had much guts to go extreme - any encouragement?
Do it! But just make sure that you maintain it properly. I let mine grow out and fade and it ended up looking like I was wearing a bad clown wig all summer. I probably won't ever do it again, at least not that colour. I might do purple next.
Finally, what is one message you hope people take from your music?
Hmmm. One message I want people to take from my music. It depends what song I guess. But a lot of my music is about getting through shitty times and finding the positives in everything. I really believe that nothing happens for a reason or is predestined to happen, shit just happens and that's what makes life fun. I write music about the shit that happens to me – sometimes I sing about how I deal with it and other times I just dwell in it. Frankenstein is about one of the shittiest parts of life, heartbreak, but it's a super fun song to dance to. Sorry for saying shit so much. The new album is about the events that took place during my childhood and I hope it helps anybody who has or is currently going through the same thing.
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