{"id":15477,"date":"2016-06-10T17:27:48","date_gmt":"2016-06-11T00:27:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/?p=15477"},"modified":"2016-06-13T10:05:20","modified_gmt":"2016-06-13T17:05:20","slug":"video-feature-interview-monica-lionheart","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/2016\/06\/video-feature-interview-monica-lionheart\/","title":{"rendered":"Video Feature &#038; Interview: MONICA LIONHEART"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>VIDEO FEATURE &amp; INTERVIEW<\/strong><\/p>\n<h1>Artist:<strong> \u00a0MONICA LIONHEART<\/strong><\/h1>\n<h3>Song:\u00a0 \u201c<strong>Sure Fire<\/strong>\u201d<\/h3>\n<h3>\u00a0<img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-15494\" src=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Monica-Lionheart-2.jpg\" alt=\"Monica Lionheart-2\" width=\"561\" height=\"376\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Monica-Lionheart-2.jpg 561w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Monica-Lionheart-2-300x201.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 561px) 100vw, 561px\" \/><\/h3>\n<h2><strong>MONICA LIONHEART Web-Exclusive Interview<br \/>\n<\/strong><\/h2>\n<h2><strong>with\u00a0<em>M Music &amp; Musicians<\/em>\u00a0magazine publisher, Merlin David<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/4paY9hhwhiM\" width=\"660\" height=\"371\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>How did the idea of \u201cSure Fire\u201d come to you?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSure Fire\u201d is a story about hindsight. In this case, it\u2019s highlighted regrets inside the mind of a person arguing with him\/herself. When writing it, a particularly close friend of mine was suffering over an inflammatory email she\u2019d sent\u2014which quickly ended a long and complicated friendship\/relationship. She confided that her intent was to launch a missile of emotions, even if the explosion would knock her down with it. It was supposed to be a quick means to an end\u2014a sort of pulling of the plug that was intended to cause less pain down the road. Witnessing that whole breakdown, along with a few personal experiences of my own, is what created \u201cSure Fire.\u201d In the instrumental arrangement, I wanted it to sound like a detective program (set in late \u201970s or early \u201980s New York City) because it\u2019s about the messy and constant finding of clues through mistakes. For the most part, it\u2019s never as cut and dry as a \u201ccase closed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-15497\" src=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Monica-Lionheart-1-photo-by-Shan-DuVault21.jpg\" alt=\"Monica-Lionheart-1---photo-by-Shan-DuVault2\" width=\"660\" height=\"660\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Monica-Lionheart-1-photo-by-Shan-DuVault21.jpg 660w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Monica-Lionheart-1-photo-by-Shan-DuVault21-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Monica-Lionheart-1-photo-by-Shan-DuVault21-300x300.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>What is your creative process for writing songs?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>It runs the gamut between being struck by inspiration and completing a song within one sitting, or it\u2019s an idea that comes together like a quilt\u2014you just work on it little by little throughout the season.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>What songwriting tip would you like to offer?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Oh I couldn\u2019t. It\u2019s like\u00a0Basquiat offering painting tips to Monet. The methods vary greatly for each artist, and it\u2019s that originality that makes it art.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-15487\" src=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Monica-Lionheart-5.jpg\" alt=\"Monica-Lionheart-5\" width=\"660\" height=\"441\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Monica-Lionheart-5.jpg 660w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Monica-Lionheart-5-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>What works for you?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Having a little recorder and trying things out in different ways. I feel having a book of poetry\u2014that you can always refer to\u2014is important. Sometimes the melody will come, and then I try to fit the syllables. But text is captivating when you can start with the story.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>How did Berklee College of Music influence your career in music?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>It provided a network of musicians, some of which I still collaborate with today. On this track, for example, I worked with Ryan Alfred (he plays the bass in a well-known band called Calexico, and his own project Sweet Ghosts). He was probably one of the first people I spoke with at Berklee, and is still someone I enjoy being around and bouncing off ideas with.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>How did playing in a band influence your songwriting and your music?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I think the analogy I\u2019d use here is acting. An actor is always himself, putting his\/her whole self into a role. The movies and costumes, of course, change\u2014but I always infuse that skill which is distinctively my own. The bands I worked with varied in a sense because some were very democratic, where each member\u2019s idea was heard and valued. Other projects were as a work for hire. It\u2019s important that you bring your ingredient into the effort at the right time and with the correct amount \u2013so that the product can be optimal.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-15481\" src=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/MONICA-LIONHEART-Album3.jpg\" alt=\"MONICA-LIONHEART-Album3\" width=\"330\" height=\"329\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/MONICA-LIONHEART-Album3.jpg 330w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/MONICA-LIONHEART-Album3-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/MONICA-LIONHEART-Album3-300x300.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 330px) 100vw, 330px\" \/>Tell us about getting a Masters in Music Technology from New York University.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I was juggling that while teaching music <em>and<\/em> having an actively touring band (Zigmat) that was signed to record labels in both Spain and Brazil. Though I left NYU with my head spinning, I think it\u2019s important to diversify yourself. Musicians in this day and age, generally speaking, have to be able to do many different things in order to maximize on opportunity.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>How do you keep song ideas fresh?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>We all deal with such an array of emotions, and thus I don\u2019t believe there\u2019s a time where song ideas aren\u2019t \u201cfresh.\u201d The topics of human life are endless, all the while, being relatable, and so, there\u2019s always something inspiring to write about.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>You write in Spanish as well as English. Do you prefer one over the other?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Well, because music is a universal language, I\u2019d say that I can shift gears rather easily without thinking about it. However, Spanish is my first language, so when writing of my first emotion, love, I do feel it\u2019s more romantic\u2014more felt and perhaps more poetic. Even if you don\u2019t speak the language, listening to a foreigner pour their heart out will affect you because the transcendence of music is what carries it.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-15479\" src=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/MONICA-LIONHEART-Album1.jpg\" alt=\"MONICA-LIONHEART-Album1\" width=\"330\" height=\"294\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/MONICA-LIONHEART-Album1.jpg 330w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/MONICA-LIONHEART-Album1-300x267.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 330px) 100vw, 330px\" \/>Tell us your experience with other revenue streams for songwriters\u2014like commercials and song placements in TV\/movies.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>One of\u00a0<em>Indian Summer<\/em>\u2019s two Spanish tracks, \u201cRelampago\u201d was used in an episode of the HBO Latino series\u00a0<em>Capadocia<\/em>. I have also worked independently on commercials for Audi, Nissan and Le M\u00e9ridien.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Top 5 Musicians or Songwriters\u00a0who inspired you to become a musician?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>It seems that as of this year they are slowly graduating into their next life. David Bowie and Prince are an incredible source of inspiration. Joni Mitchell, Kate Bush and Bj\u00f6rk made me lean in and listen, and painted the path ahead.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>I believe you started piano lessons at age 5. Is that still your main instrument?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m just as comfortable with percussion, as well as guitar. I\u2019m also a professional flautist. I play whatever I can get my hands on, and see sound\/timbre as a color, finding ways to incorporate these textures into a song. I have a collection of peculiar instruments\u2014everything from a Cu\u00ecca to a Rainstick to an Oud, etc.)\u00a0that you\u2019ll hear, especially in my earlier albums. In \u201cSo Sure,\u201d a song I did with Zigmat, I play a typewriter\u2014which you can see in the music video.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-15480\" src=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/MONICA-LIONHEART-Album2.jpg\" alt=\"MONICA-LIONHEART-Album2\" width=\"330\" height=\"330\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/MONICA-LIONHEART-Album2.jpg 330w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/MONICA-LIONHEART-Album2-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/MONICA-LIONHEART-Album2-300x300.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 330px) 100vw, 330px\" \/>One instrument you can\u2019t live without\u2014that helps you write, record or perform?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Let me tell ya a story \u2019bout \u201cBertha.\u201d <em>(Laughs)<\/em> She\u2019s my big, backbreaking Fender 78 key Rhodes. I sold her about a year ago and couldn\u2019t stop thinking about her. I wrote so many songs with her, even if the Rhodes wasn\u2019t in the recording. Well, after several haunting nights of hearing her call my name, I traveled to the state I sold her in\u2014conveniently, I was having a show there\u2014and bought her back for more than I sold her for. She had a couple of loose teeth (keys) but that\u2019s alright.\u00a0I\u2019m just happy that Bertha and I will continue to turn out tunes together.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Tell us about your new album <em>Missed Connections<\/em>, and the inspiration behind it.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Spiritually, I was going through a growth spurt and shedding a lot of old skins.\u00a0Inadvertently lay a pile of songs that were thematically similar\u2014they all seemed as if they could be stories pulled from the \u201cMissed Connections\u201d section of the newspaper or Craigslist. The titles themselves (\u201cSandcastles,\u201d \u201cDiamonds and Ashes,\u201d \u201cStrangers,\u201d \u201cGhost,\u201d \u201cRun\u201d) tell of connection\/disconnection.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>For someone who is only now discovering your music, what one other album should they listen to\u2014to give them valued perspective on their new Monica Lionheart journ<\/strong><strong>ey?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>If you listen to <em>Indian Summer<\/em> and <em>Missed Connections<\/em> and still want more, I would recommend you check out <em>Sounds of Machines <\/em>from Zigmat. I formed this band when I first moved to NYC, and I still think our full-length record is a color blast, and would give you a clearer image of my music.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>What are your Top 5 favorite albums of all time?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>Nevermind<\/em> (1991) \u2013 Nirvana<\/p>\n<p><em>The Whole Story<\/em> (1986) \u2013 Kate Bush<\/p>\n<p><em>Rumours <\/em>(1977) \u2013 Fleetwood Mac<em> (I never get sick of it)<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Los Abrazos Rotos<\/em> \/ <em>Broken Embraces<\/em> (2009) \u2013 Alberto Iglesias (really any Pedro Almod\u00f3var movie soundtrack composed by Iglesias)<\/p>\n<p>Prince &amp; David Bowie\u2014anything they\u2019ve done\u2014it\u2019d simply be crazy not to.<\/p>\n<p><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-15482\" src=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/album4.jpg\" alt=\"album4\" width=\"210\" height=\"210\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/album4.jpg 210w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/album4-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 210px) 100vw, 210px\" \/> <img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-15483\" src=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/album3-FleetwoodMac.jpg\" alt=\"album3-FleetwoodMac\" width=\"210\" height=\"210\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/album3-FleetwoodMac.jpg 210w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/album3-FleetwoodMac-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 210px) 100vw, 210px\" \/> <img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-15484\" src=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/album2-KateBush.jpg\" alt=\"album2-KateBush\" width=\"210\" height=\"210\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/album2-KateBush.jpg 210w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/album2-KateBush-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 210px) 100vw, 210px\" \/> <img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-15485\" src=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/album1-Nirvana.jpg\" alt=\"album1-Nirvana\" width=\"214\" height=\"210\" \/>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>What\u2019s next for you?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Right now, I\u2019m promoting <em>Missed Connections<\/em>. I also work with OneBeat (1beat.org)\u2014work with people from around the world, to help them express music and come up with social solutions. It is collaboration with artists from everywhere. I am touring this Fall. I\u2019m working on getting my music into film and commercials. Other than that, more touring and more writing. I plan to start work on a third album next year.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>For more info and to stay updated:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>MonicaLionheart.com<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-15488\" src=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Monica-Lionheart-4.jpg\" alt=\"Monica-Lionheart-4\" width=\"660\" height=\"413\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Monica-Lionheart-4.jpg 660w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Monica-Lionheart-4-300x187.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>VIDEO FEATURE &amp; INTERVIEW Artist: \u00a0MONICA LIONHEART Song:\u00a0 \u201cSure Fire\u201d \u00a0 MONICA LIONHEART Web-Exclusive Interview with\u00a0M Music &amp; Musicians\u00a0magazine publisher, Merlin David \u00a0 &nbsp; How did the idea of \u201cSure Fire\u201d come to you? &nbsp; \u201cSure Fire\u201d is a story about hindsight. In this case, it\u2019s highlighted regrets inside the mind of a person arguing [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15490,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[7725],"tags":[7771,5261,7776,2981,7770,7774,3010,7772,7767,7766,1626,7769,5786,7773,7768,7775],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15477"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15477"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15477\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15501,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15477\/revisions\/15501"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15490"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15477"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15477"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15477"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}