StreamLINE Artist Feature & Interview: M-RITZ
StreamLINE INTERVIEW SERIES - M-RITZ
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StreamLINE had the pleasure of connecting with the multi-talented recording artist and songwriter M-Ritz. The charismatic popstress provided a wealth of insight into her most recent projects, her path to music and expansive background, including some fun facts outside of the music spectrum. Read on to catch the entire interview below.
Enjoy!
Hi M-Ritz, please tell us a bit about your background, where you’re from etc. What were your early music influences?
I’m originally from Seattle, WA but I currently reside in New York City. I was surrounded by a lot of wonderful musical and cultural influences growing up. As a child, my parents raised (my brothers and) me on lots of “Oldies”–what was then MoTown, the Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel, Aretha Franklin, etc., as well as on Rodgers and Hammerstein musical films. My parents both played some guitar, and from that shared passion for music they taught the joy of singing together on road trips and hikes.
I also grew up in the Lutheran Brethren church and was molded by Christian liturgy. Linked to that religious community, I traveled fairly extensively during my pre-teen and teenage years to places in Central America and East Africa, and I was affected by the intensity I would hear congregations effuse during services.
Things like my mom taking me to the ballet instilled within me a deep appreciation for Classical music. And as an adolescent, after my younger years of listening to Britney Spears, N’SYNC, and the Backstreet Boys, I was super into Rock–Punk Rock, Heavy Metal, Ska, Alternative. I also loved Dance, House, Disco, and Trance. Furthermore, I absorbed the music of my three older brothers, such as ’90s Hip Hop and R&B, and ’80s Rock. So I feel that I was definitely drawn towards and influenced by edgier, heavier sounds as I grew older.
What was the defining moment or time in your life when you decided to pursue music on a professional level?
Music has always been a major part of my life. I began voice lessons around the age of 12 or 13, at the recommendation of a choir teacher. I was trained in classical, jazz, and some musical theater, and I ended up going to college as a Vocal Performance major with a vocal scholarship with the intention of singing opera. However, I switched majors to History (as I’m also a major nerd), with the intention of getting a PhD to become a professor, and ended up getting my Master of Arts degree in History. I always kept a foot in the music world by singing in select choirs, local bands (funk and blues), etc., though.
It was not until 2016 when I really began working on creating my own music. I was living in New York on my own at the time and had decided I no longer wanted to stay in academia and was unsure what direction to take my life. I began looking over poetry I’d written over the years, got a keyboard, and started experimenting with songwriting. I loved it. After some time I felt like I had something substantial that was developing, so I decided to pursue it. Once I started working with other people on making music, I became hooked. Creating music is now one of my greatest passions, and I am very grateful for all the circumstances in my life that led up to me discovering and then developing that passion.
How would you characterize your sound and what inspires your creativity? Is it actual life events/experiences or just a vibe that you get into?
I would generally characterize my sound as an experimental “Jazzy Pop” — Alt. Pop, with some strong House music vibes. For creativity I am inspired by everything–whether it be philosophical writers, politics, New York nightlife, or my own experiences in life. When I create music and write songs, I attempt to tap into universal messages that will connect with the listener and either soothe or uplift in some way.
How did the By Now album come about? What was the recording process like and what’s your favorite track off the project?
Around the beginning of 2021 I drafted the concept for “By Now”. At the time I was living
in Seattle during a break from New York. James Bond/007 was an overarching
inspiration for this EP. I wanted to create something that demonstrated greater artistry
and maturation as a growing singer-songwriter. I was inspired to put together some
songs that reflected on romance as well as on society in a deep and meaningful way,
that still leaves the listener with some hope.
From across the country I collaborated with Cortex from hOLLANDjUNGLE Productions, eventually moving back to New York in the fall of 2021, and thereafter was able to spend hours upon hours working with him on the EP and a couple of singles to follow. It was amazing working with talented musicians for each of the songs, especially for the title track “By Now (When Will This End).” I was thrilled to have a live oud on this recording. I wrote the song years ago and it originally was more of an EDM/lounge track, but I was inspired to develop it into more of a motion picture kind of composition. It’s probably my favorite from the album, and I hope to do another variation of it in the future.
By Now
Listen to By Now on Spotify. M-Ritz · Album · 2022 · 7 songs.
The visuals for By Now (When Will This End) are extremely captivating with the blend of the natural shoreside scenery and intimate metropolitan club setting as you perform the song. How did the concept develop? Did you envision it in the midst of writing the song or was it more of a collaborative effort in coming up with the vision and direction of the video. Awesome fashion selections as well by the way!
Thank you so much! Actually when I wrote this song back in 2016, I imagined a concept more like someone making their way alone through a long desert with reflections on a new romantic interest. At the time of making this current music video (filmed in Washington State and California), it was a collaborative effort. I had developed this present concept to incorporate a theme of loneliness, sadness, and grandiloquence that an accompanying seaside scape would effectively capture. The metropolitan club setting was an additional idea added by the Ax-Ra Films team I worked with while we were shooting, which I thought was terrific. And as for the outfits, I loved these Indian dress designs and felt that they added that extra majesty to the production.
By Now (When Will This End) by M-Ritz
Written & Performed by M-RitzProduced by @hOLLANDjUNGLEMixed by Robert “Cortex” SparksMastered by DebonaireMUSIC VIDEO by Ax-Ra Films
How do you feel that the internet and social media has benefited indie artists?
Although the music industry is so saturated now largely due to accessibility with recording equipment, advances in technology, and the ability to connect with people all across the globe via the internet–all things from which I myself benefit, the internet and social media have benefited the indie artist by providing the opportunity to present one’s work with anyone from anywhere.
It has given the indie artist more opportunity to get discovered than the more traditional politics and bureaucracy of the music business.
What’s the best advice you’ve been given; either personally or professionally?
Don’t take advice from people with whom you wouldn’t trade spots (i.e., as in their position in life and where their decisions have led them).
What activities do you enjoy outside of your music endeavors?
I love to read; travel; spend time with friends and family; watch films or TV series; do volunteer work to learn more about the communities around me; try different cuisines; go to the theater or museums; and be out in nature when possible. For reading, I enjoy historical, philosophical, feminist, and postcolonial books; anthologies of good poetry; Beat Generation books; nonfiction; and books about bohemians and radicals in Greenwich Village in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
We love to hear what type of music other recording artists are vibing to. What are a few songs that are personally on repeat for you or at the top of the pack in your personal playlist?
There is just so much good music out there! A newer pop song at the top of the pack for me lately is Dua Lipa’s “Love Again”. But in general for what I’m vibing out to it’s Bossa Nova, Disco, James Brown, Aretha Franklin, and Bob Marley. I have “Easy Skanking” and “Waiting in Vain” by Bob Marley on repeat a lot, “Papa Don’t Take No Mess” and “Cold Sweat” on repeat a lot, and plenty of João Gilberto tracks playing often.
What’s next up musically for you in 2022 and beyond? Any projects, music videos, features or solo live shows on the horizon? What’s your goal for the M-Ritz artist brand?
I’ll be releasing two more singles this year. The first one will be “Alter Ego” on August 5, accompanied by a fun music video put together by a talented film crew. The second one, “Baubles,” will be coming out around October. I’ll be more focused on performing around this time, and then gearing towards continuing the creation of my M-Ritz craft of “Jazzy Pop.”
Connect with M-Ritz
- Website: https://www.m-ritz.com/bio
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mz.ritzy/
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/mritzofficial
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