Hiya Mars! thanks for joining us in the virtual RGM lounge today, grab a brew and take a seat.

What made you decide that music is a thing for you?

I’ve been performing ever since I was young; since then, I knew music and art in general was what I wanted my life to be centred around! There’s something so magical about being able to strut your stuff on stage and knowing that people are enjoying what they see! 

Even though it was only a few years ago when I finally gained the confidence to embark on my musical journey, the passion for it has always been there!

If I were to give specifics, I’d have to say the moment I decided this was for me was when I did my first open mic in Saison bar in West Didsbury about a year and a half ago! As much as I enjoyed the high I got when I finished performing, what really drove me was the high I gave to those watching! The audience is really what keeps me going! 

I hear what the people want, and I aim to give it to them in the best way I know how! 

Introduce us to you all and your musical history

My musician history is still in the blooming phase! I’m extremely new to the music scene, a fresh face, so to speak! I’ve only recently released my official debut single a month ago! I feel I still have a long way to go and a lot to learn!

Until then I used to only write music in my head and in my notes app, only really thinking about music and watching others from afar rather than being the go getter I am today! 

That being said I’ve always had a flair for performing since I was young; I started playing in shows hosted by my music teacher and even the buzz of playing in talent shows was enough of a spark to make me want to keep going! 

What’s the live music scene like in Manchester right now? Anyone we should be looking out for (Bar you of course)

There’s a wide variety of wonderful acts in Manchester right now, 

I adore all music; if I was to list every artist in my recommendation list, we’d be here forever. 

The band Venus and the Stars really hold a special place in my heart: it’s always a blast to watch them perform with their sparkly and intergalactic ethereality! Venus is a really good friend of mine, even without the contrasting names and their music is really something you can let loose and have fun to!

On the other hand, Schmoo is truly a hidden gem on the heavier side! Their music really gives me the freedom to let loose, the last gif I went to, I left the night with violent whiplash and a sore throat that made me unable to speak to days!  

I’ve seen a lot of people struggling for support recently online. Whats your view on the industry?

I can relate! We’re all aware of the dreaded algorithm that everyone is so desperate to feed these days! Everyone’s trying to grab the limelight and it feels like there really isn’t a lot to go around! 

For me, I feel like I’m in a tricky situation. I’m aware there’s a machine to feed, but I don’t want to be posting every single part of my life; for me, it just doesn’t fit what I want to express as an artist! I prefer to keep mystery and I really don’t want to be taking part in whatever’s trending if I personally don’t resonate with it! 

I already struggle with imposter syndrome, and I feel like artificially conforming to the biggest thing will only cause things to worsen! 

I feel like the need to constantly churn out content for the sake of staying relevant and keeping up with trends is overshadowing what music is about! Music! 

Where do you feel you currently sit within the music industry?

I’m a complete newbie, truth be told; I’m still navigating my way through the music scene and, as someone who’s doing it by themselves, it can get overwhelming at times! But that doesn’t mean I’m not going to keep going. I have a long way to go and the most important part is to enjoy the journey and not just focus on the end goal! 

I’m confident in considering myself an up and comer, and I have faith it’s only going to get better from there!

Do you ever worry about people taking things the wrong way or cancel culture? Discuss….

I feel like cancel culture has been turned into a buzzword by the internet, which I’m not surprised about. What started out as a way to hold those accountable for abhorrent things has turned into something people shout when they mildly disagree with something. 

The internet is black and white thinking place, where there’s no in between and the idea of duality is lost. 

However, I believe there is a place for “cancel culture” or the act of not giving people a platform who express hatred and bigotry. I just don’t believe it should be used as liberally as it is; that’s when it becomes the aforementioned “buzzword” and it loses its meaning and importance! 

I’m personally not worried about cancel culture because I know in my head and heart that I’m not here to cause offence or trouble, I’m here to have fun and share myself and my music with the world! The idea of constantly picking on a group of people for no good reason is an alien concept to me and I truly see it as an exhausting existence!

I’m a pretty open-minded person, and if I ever were to find myself in that kind of situation, I’m mature enough  hear people out! 

What was your best experience on stage?

Probably when I performed for Norisettes’ fabulous “fluff fest”! Not only was it my first paid gig, but it was my first chance to perform with backing tracks so I could really let loose on stage! 

Up until then, I was often hiding behind a guitar and as fun as that is, I’m a dancer, I want to be able to give flare and power when performing. So being able to use all that space felt like a huge breakthrough and I felt like people could truly see the real Mars!

Tell us something about you that you think people would be surprised about. 

People are often surprised to hear I’m an introvert and my social battery truly has the lifespan of a fly! Maybe it’s not so surprising to me because I’m the one living in my head, but I often have people taken aback when I tell them. It’s not that I don’t like talking to people, I do, I just tend to get so excited that I end up completely overthinking and feeling like I’m overbearing! 

 I do also get shocked looks when I tell people I’m a good cook. I don’t know what it is about me that makes me look like I burn water. But, to be honest, it just means when people do try my cooking, their astonishment is even more fun to watch! I make really good ramen, by the way!

I hear you have a debut single what can you tell us about it.

I do! Come and Haunt Me is what I like to describe as “my baby”! I hold that song dear to me because lyrically, it was one of those songs that came so effortlessly to me! 

I’m usually not good at writing choruses, but with “Come and Haunt Me” it was almost immediate! 

I think overall, it’s a song about yearning and obsession, even if the object of obsession is nothing but malicious and cruel! It’s always funny to say to a crowd “have you ever loved someone so much you want them to murder you”; it’s always met with confused silence. There’s truly an inner turmoil throughout the song as you know that someone you’re thinking of has only caused you harm, you don’t really know anything else. You can hear it when the backing vocals come in at the end when I sing “oh let me be” and “oh why not me” 

On the other hand, I’ve also had people tell me they saw it as a breakup anthem where even though the love is long gone, that person still “haunts you” and you can really seem to get them out of your head, causing a rot in the brain! 

It’s flattering really, knowing that people interpret your song in different ways! 

Hopefully I can bring out more music that inspires that kind of discussion!

What was the recording process like?

It was honestly the most relaxed I’ve ever felt during a recording session; I was lucky enough to recruit the help of Oliver Shillito and he was amazing to work with. Not only did he have the skills and the knowledge to convert my vision into reality, but he was also just a blast to be around and it really made me feel at home, even if the studio was absolutely freezing at the time! 

It was also good having that kind of honestly present during the process. I’m often worried that people only tell me what I want to hear purely to preserve my own feelings, but with Oliver, it was the complete opposite. 

Don’t get me wrong, I did screw up at first and missed first day of recording purely because I got dates mixed up. Hopefully he doesn’t hold it against me!

But all in all, I can’t wait to get back in that studio again in the future! 

What was the biggest learning curve in writing the new tunes?

Always write your ideas down! No matter how late it is and how crappy it seems, write your ideas down the minute you get them! I can’t tell you how many times I told myself “I’ll remember it in the morning” only to have it completely wiped from my memory when I wake up! 

I have a lot of voice recordings and notes on my phone of potential ideas, and it’s really been a life saver; I’ve had voice notes from last year that I’ve managed to revisit and use in songs just because I remembered to jot it down! 

Would you change anything now it’s finished?

I’m a perfectionist at heart! No matter how good something is, you can bet I’m going to want to change something the day after! 

Most of my changes would be to do with singing; I take a lot of pride in my voice and I do have a habit of wanting to show people what I can do with it. So I think I would’ve liked to have sang a few parts differently! 

But, at the end of the day, this track is truly something I hold dear to my heart and I’m still extremely proud I came this far!

Is there anything else you would like to share with the world?

I do plan on releasing a single sometime in the future, so I’d suggest to keep your eyes and ears open! 

Other than that, all I want to share is how happy and excited I am to have come this far, and how fun it’s been to share myself with the world! Queer music is really becoming more prevalent in today’s society and to be apart of that truly means a lot!

Flowers are forever!

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