Q: I like the energy in “Big Bear.” Can you tell me more about what this
song is about?
MNYS: When we’re kids, we live fearlessly & aren’t insecure about nearly anything. I miss that. It’s only as we grow older do we start to live more cautiously and care what other people think. “Big Bear” is about chasing that feeling again.
Q: What is the creative process like?
MNYS: Usually, I play or find a guitar riff that I think can carry an entire song. It has to be just as catchy or memorable as the vocal melody for me. I tend to start with a verse first and tell the story leading into the chorus. I hardly ever know what I want to say until it comes out.
“Big Bear” was written with some of my closest friends when we were on a writing trip. After a deep convo about the impact Kid Cudi had on all of us, the song just naturally came about on a guitar.
Q: What do you like most about making music?
MNYS: I have been making music for over 10 years – I write and produce for other artists which allows me to create in such a different way from my own project. It in a way gives me a break.
Music tells a story much deeper than I think listeners realize. It’s the only way I can directly communicate how I feel about something or someone. When I can get out exactly what I want to say, there’s no better feeling.
Q: How did you find your creative path?
MNYS: I’m inspired by so many people, companies, brands, artists, etc. I love that we have the freedom to build or create something out of thin air and put it out into the world. When I was younger, I’d always want to make music – but felt no one around me was as serious about it as I was. I just kept working with other creatives who wanted to work with me, I didn’t care if they were big or small. I learned what I loved about creating and what I didn’t like about it – I hated the technical side of it. I don’t have the patience to sit and mix down a song, but I loved holding up a guitar to a speaker and seeing what weird sounds would come out of that. Slowly I figured out where I’d like my vocal to sit in a song, and began to make the MNYS project. The last few years of experimenting have been the most fun for my, the biggest thing I learned creatively was to stick to my gut.
Q: What are some things you have yet to try but would like to explore in the future?
MNYS: I really want to have a studio lockout with my favorite collaborators and make an EP/album or just a full body of work. I’d love to experiment with sounds and direction the way bands did it when I was growing up. The only people putting out full albums are A-list artists, they can disappear for months or even years and just drop an album.
I write about one song per day by myself and then bounce around sessions like speed dating. Trying to find the right paring for my own project has been a struggle. Now that I’m in a better place with collaborators, the goal is to post up in an Airbnb with them for a month and just create with no outside noise.
Q: Are you currently working on something?
CHIONE: Right now people are going to see a few more singles drop before 2022. I’m finishing up another 5-10 songs which will help build out a more cohesive EP to tell the MNYS story.
Also, be in rehearsal like crazy so more shows are in the works! If you are reading this and live in Los Angeles – I hope to see you at my Hotel Cafe show on Oct 15th!
Interviewed by Katrina Yang
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