MANELLA (Maria Jimenez) is a singer-songwriter from Vancouver based in Montréal with Venezuelan and Colombian roots. She melds a variety of genres to create a full performative storytelling experience with enthralling vocals and a powerful stage presence. Her songwriting focuses on honest lyric writing from a feminist lens. Influences include: Joni Mitchell, Phoebe Bridgers, and Fiona Apple. Her debut album “Songs My Mother Never Taught Me”, is not your typical breakup album, but dives into themes of mental struggles, objectification, sexual violence, and the loss of innocence as we grow older. It’s about the lessons of life that a parent couldn’t prepare you for, but rather you have to live through.
By Kamil Bobin
Discovered via Musosoup
Kamil) Hey MANELLA, super nice to have the chance to chat with you. What is your dream project?
I would love to do a project that involves both of my main passions; acting and music. My dream project would be to mount my own musical!
Do you have any hobbies or interests outside of music?
I love theatre and I’m very involved in the theatre scene in Montréal. It’s always such a welcoming community, and you get the chance to connect with people from all walks of life.
Your latest song is 'Pain'. Can you tell us more about the making of it and if there were any unusual things happening during the process?
I wrote this song during a pretty turbulent time in my life and told myself that if I could just finish a song in a day I’d feel better. I came up with the main line of the chorus “I can’t help but think that you don’t feel the same pain I do” and from there the song really just flowed together. I worked with some great collaborators: Carolina, Rodolfo, Joshua, and Cole to really make it come alive in the studio.
When you are working through problems in your work, who do you talk to?
I have a really close group of friends, musicians and non-musicians alike that I’ll go to for feedback when I’m tackling a songwriting issue. I think because my friends know me so well and also know how I think, they can really help in tackling songwriting problems head-on with me.
What are you doing to ensure you continue to grow and develop as an artist?
Working and learning from fellow musicians and artists that I trust and inspire me has been one of the best ways to grow and evolve as an artist. I love collaborating and I hope to get the chance to work with even more artists I admire this year.
Describe your favorite and least favorite part about being a musician.
I love being able to tell stories through music, and share with my friends and fellow artists on stage; there’s nothing quite like live performance. I think one of the hardest parts about being a musician for me is the sheer amount of patience you have to have. When creating a project or writing a song, you have to learn that good things take time, and it takes a lot of effort to reach the full potential of a song or piece of art.
Can you write what was your best performance in your career? How do you remember it?
My album release show in February was pretty memorable. It was a sold-out crowd and the musicians and I were just so connected and in the moment. When you’re letting the music take you as a band it’s pure magic, and I’m always reminded in those moments of the reasons I do music as a career.
What makes you angry?
Definitely injustice, it can be something large like the lack of equity in society or the industry, or small injustices faced personally, in the classroom, or a workplace. I think new generations are bringing some of these injustices to light however, and I hope we can continue to find more ways to have a society that continuously discusses and makes an effort to solve issues in the world.
What is an artistic outlook on life?
I think that without art I wouldn’t be the person I am today. Great art makes you think, reflect, share with others, and brings on strong emotions to the surface. I try to take these ways of thinking about art into my personal life and relationships as well.
What accomplishments do you see yourself achieving in the next five to 10 years?
There’s so many things I’d love to do, but I just hope that my music can keep speaking and connecting to people in 5 or 10 years time. My favourite artists create music that stands the test of time, and I hope I can make art like that in the future!