MNERVA talks too much and isn’t afraid to admit it. With his witty lyrics, honest delivery, and energetic production, MNERVA has forged his own lane in the Alternative scene by fusing his rock, hip hop, and musical theatre influences into a cohesive sound. Originally hailing from Germantown, Maryland, MNERVA moved to Nashville in 2015 to hone his craft and debuted as a hip hop artist in early 2020 after going viral by writing a jukebox musical based on the catalog of twenty one pilots. But after enduring the Covid-19 pandemic, MNERVA embraced his rock background and began opening up about his struggles with mental health and his fear of the future.
By Kamil Bobin
Discovered via Musosoup
Hello MNERVA. What made you want to become a musician?
I am the son of two musicians and music has been a big part of my upbringing since I was five years old when I first started playing drums. At first, music started as a fun way for me to bond with my parents, but after I joined my first band at age 13, I immediately knew I wanted to do music professionally and then spent the next 10 years honing my craft before finally releasing my first song as MNERVA in February of 2020.
Who helped you most in your musical journey?
Meeting my producer, Andrew Gomez, right before the pandemic completely changed my creative process and helped me become so much more than just a rapper. He encouraged me to fully embrace my rock background and the current MNERVA wouldn’t exist without him. Also, my main songwriting partner, Kory Shore, helped me development my honest, witty lyrical style and taught this formerly tone deaf drummer how to write an awesome melody. I wouldn’t be where I am now without my team and I can’t wait til y’all hear the new stuff we’re working on because it keeps getting better.
Your latest release is 'Love Song'. Can you share with us the background of its creation and did any unusual things happen during its creation?
Love Song is one of my favorite song’s I’ve ever written and I wrote it when I hit my one year anniversary with my ex-girlfriend. Music has always been my outlet for my negative emotions and I’ve never been proud of any happy song’s I’ve written before this track. But somehow, when I sat down at the piano, Love Song came out super organically and I finished writing it in about an hour, which is unheard of for me. From there, producing it was extremely painless and it is by far my favorite vocal track I’ve ever recorded. Especially live, this song always strikes a chord and I couldn’t be prouder of how it turned out.
What social issues are you most passionate about?
I grew up as a theatre kid and was surrounded by a lot of LGBTQ kids who struggled to find themselves when they were ostracized for being themselves. As such, promoting love and acceptance for all sexual identities is very important to me because no one should feel like they can’t be who they were meant to be. Additionally, I am extremely passionate about environmental protection because we have been abusing our resources for centuries and something must be done or we won’t have any planet left to protect.
How do you stay up-to-date with the latest musical trends?
Going to shows is my favorite way to discover new music because its a social way to see artists in their element. I also use Tik Tok frequently to pick up on what’s popular and then try to find where my music fits in based on what I think is missing from the current music scene.
Is there a hidden meaning in any of your music?
I have always been a very straight forward lyricist and I try to write song’s for people who are struggling to voice their frustrations with other people, the world, and themselves. I wouldn’t say there is any hidden message per se, but I am a big fan of long form storytelling and if you pay attention to the instrumental melodies in my tracks you’ll start to hear reprised motifs and musical Easter Eggs that excite me.
What’s an average day like for you?
Sadly, I am not a full time musician yet and I spend a good chunk of my time working in cover bands and in service jobs to amass enough money to jumpstart my career. But in my perfect day, I wake up next to my incredible girlfriend and watch a little anime before heading off to a songwriting or production session and then finish my day with some admin and social media work.
Please discuss how you interact with and respond to fans.
Every artists says this, but I have the best fans in the world. I usually interact with them through DMs or see them at shows and we either tend to have really deep conversations about Mental Health or be complete nerds about media together. It’s really important for me to make sure that my fans feel heard and get my full attention when we interact because there’s nothing worse than an artist who is only half present with the people that support them.
What advice would you have for someone wanting to follow in your footsteps?
Learn. Video. Editing. If you don’t like it, don’t try to be an artist. You will hate your life. I never realized how much music is a visual medium as well a sonic medium and trying to make up for my lack of design skills has made me want to up and quit numerous times. But thankfully, I have now learned to love it even though I still have so much more to learn everyday.
What are your plans for the future?
2023 is the year I have been waiting for. I’ll start the year by finally dropping my sophomore EP, “Invincible” and then I’m planning on playing a lot of shows to promote the record for the rest of the year. From there, I also have a bunch of collab singles planned with some bad ass artists as well as some Remixes of the singles off of “Invincible.” Finally, I plan on creating an interconnected music video series for the songs as well as a symphonic arrangement of the EP called “Fragile” to end out the year. Behind the scene’s I will also be finishing up my Debut Album, “From Beginning To End,” and I can’t wait for y’all to hear it.