Steadily on the Kurrent Music radar, musician Mishti has been capturing our attention. With her enticing brand of rock n' roll, her latest singles "Obsessed" and "Weight of My Heart," brings her musical essence to life. Heading into the new year we expect to hear a lot more from the buzzworthy new artist, that hones her sound in New York. We have an exclusive interview with Mishti that you can read below. Remember her name for 2018!
1. What is the inspiration behind the latest single release, " Weight of My Heart"?
This is probably the only non-narrative song I’ve written… which I guess is my fancy way of saying the lyrics make no sense! I was trying to use the lyrics and mood to create a sense of lusting after something you’re not supposed to lust after, and then finding peace in that. And trying to accomplish all of that with a danceable beat.
2.What made you discover your passion for creating an eclectic blend of indie rock with an edge?
Well, I’m happy to learn that’s what I’m doing! I as big of a pop fan as I am a rock fan, so I aim to live straddling both. So those can definitely rub against each other get eclectic.
3. What places in your mind do you channel to craft your songs?
The places that crave, after they’ve been soaked in wine and oxidized.
4. What are your favorite venues to perform at? and if you had to choose, do you feel more comfortable in the studio or onstage, and why?
Performing live is everything. I am ALWAYS nervous, and the promise of new things happening (good or bad) at any given second is pure exhilaration. I love playing at Rockwood Music Hall in NYC, one of the only venues left truly devoted to supporting original music and collaborating with artists on creating a scene and a vibe. And everyone who works there are true music lovers and curators. I also love playing dive bars, and any place where I have to fight for attention. I don’t really believe in the “sshhh someone is performing” vibe. I like to work for your time. Studio work as been a process for me --- it is less forgiving, but in the best way! It took me a while learn how to sing in a studio, but the cool thing that I’ve found recently is that working on my vocals in a studio has actually informed the way I sing tunes live.
5. How do you create your songs? What is the process like? Does it take you days, weeks, even longer? How does the perfect Mishti piece come together?
I still feel writing process is so elusive to me. I wrote “Weight of My Heart” in exactly an hour, with some melodic parts added in the recording process, but that was the fastest song I wrote. “Obsessed,” my second single, was knit together over years. I wrote the chorus and guitar riff quickly years ago, and then I tried various ideas that never worked (to my irritation because I knew the core of the song was solid)… then I had a moment of inspiration I guess (tequila-related, I think) and the rest came pretty easily. I edit A LOT. I throw out so much. For me, if I can salvage 4 seconds out of 4 hours, I feel good. I trust that if I’ve thrown out something good, it’ll come back. Wishful thinking perhaps, but I’d really rather be selective than forgiving.
6. How did you create a sound throughout time that is so uniquely your own? What defines your sound to you?
I am very lucky to work with Alex Nolan, who is taking her first foray into producing. She has an amazing ear and I just trust her taste implicitly. She is professional guitar player who’s played with a variety of artists and I’m awe of her ability to use her immense talent to elevate everyone around her. And now, she is doing the same thing but in the studio as a producer. The only thing I can say is that I want to be all the artists that inspire me --- Michael Jackson, Jeff Buckley, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Blondie… so I assume that the sound is a product of all those wants, plus my own ego! I think my direction at the moment is similar to what Haim is doing which is creating cool pop songs but clearly being a rock band when performing live. You can tell that they have a lot of influences that they feel in deference too as well.
7. This year is already shaping up to be a huge year for you. What do you hope to accomplish in the remainder of the year?
It’s definitely been a blessing to be able to put my music out on iTunes and Spotify for the first time. I feel very grateful to work with awesome musicians and live in a time you can put your music out into the world in an accessible way. I’m looking to release my first EP early next year so that is my main focus over the next few weeks. Keeping the momentum going is always a challenge, but it is also rewarding… eventually!
