1. Your music has advanced from different hip hop right into a genre-bending fusion of pop punk, rock, and musical theatre. What drove that evolution, and the way did you land on the sound that defines MNERVA immediately?
So I obtained my inventive begin in musical theatre and my declare to fame is that I wrote and organized a jukebox musical out of twenty one pilots’ catalog. As such, musical theatre’s sound and storytelling gadgets have been part of me since earlier than I began MNERVA in 2020. The undertaking’s preliminary sound was conceived after I listened to the tune, Minerva, by Deftones and questioned what would occur if a rapper took the guitars and synths of shoegaze music and mixed them with entice beats. From there, I shortly realized after a number of singles that I missed writing melodies and I began reincorporating singing into my songs for my debut EP, “Speak Too A lot” in 2021. After touring that undertaking and seeing how efficient my tune, “The Interview,” was dwell, I spotted that I had a expertise for writing anthemic refrain’ and I absolutely dedicated to being an alternate rock artist for my 2023 EP, “Invincible.” From there, I reconnected with my childhood love of Pop Punk and determined to lean in that route for my 2025 debut album, “From Starting To Finish” by answering the query, “what would occur if somebody rapped over a pop punk beat. After 5 years of inventive experimentation, I knew I needed “From Starting To Finish” to be the band’s official debut album as a result of our sonic voice has by no means been stronger and this undertaking takes each prior period of the band and elevates the sound right into a cohesive idea document.
2. From Starting to Finish is an idea album that tells the story of a relationship’s rise and fall. What impressed you to take that narrative method, and the way private is the story behind it?
“From Starting To Finish” is impressed by the true story of my final relationship and I got here up with the idea the morning earlier than I ended the connection. I knew that I needed to debate the nuances of changing into associates once more with a previous lover however that I wouldn’t be capable to justify that controversial resolution in a single tune so as an alternative I used the idea document format to show that me and my ex are “higher off as associates.” When writing the document, I already had written the primary tune, “You And Me” and the albums’ ballad, “Circles (18 Months)” so, to create a cohesive narrative, I simply needed to join the dots between every monitor to point out how the connection fell aside and the way I put the items again collectively within the aftermath.
3. Idea information like American Fool and The Black Parade are large inspirations for this album. What particular parts from these initiatives influenced your writing or manufacturing course of?
Everytime I take heed to American Fool, I’m amazed at how seamlessly the tracks transition between one another and I spent months sequencing every monitor off of “From Starting To Finish” and planning out correctly make the entire circulation like a single piece of music. I additionally love how, on each of these legendary information, you’ll be able to hear to every tune casually or dive deep into the lore of the complete undertaking. As such, I needed to ensure that each tune on my band’s undertaking may stand by itself however, when you needed to take the time to actually hear, you may see a story play out in entrance of you and listen to repeated musical themes all through the document.
4. You’ve talked about that this album runs gapless and contains recurring musical themes. Are you able to discuss your method to making a steady listening expertise—and why that mattered to you?
So when writing the document, as an alternative of simply writing songs with no harmonic plan, used the circle of fifths as a way to make the transition between every tune utterly seamless and even made positive that each tune began and stopped on a gentle beat to just remember to may bob your head to the complete undertaking. For me, all of my favourite information from my childhood ran gapless and I really imagine it elevates an album from a group disperate songs into an auditory expertise. Particularly as a result of this undertaking is an idea document with a steady narrative, I knew that making a gapless expertise would solely improve immersion within the story and make the album’s last monitor, which reprises each prior tune, hit a lot tougher.
5. Psychological well being and suicide prevention are clearly near your coronary heart. How does that mission present up in your music, particularly on this album?
The beginnings of MNERVA started in 2016 after I penned the primary draft of the tune “The Interview” and wrote the road “it’ll get higher than this.” That lyric has been the guiding mild for the band’s message of perseverance by adversity and jogs my memory to by no means hand over hope, irrespective of how darkish life appears. If I can persuade even one individual to maintain shifting ahead and never hand over, than I’ve completed my job as an artist and I’ll do something to verify I by no means lose one other good friend or fan to suicide ever once more. Relating to the album, my newest single “Ghost In The Shell,” dives deep into my lifelong battle with feeling nugatory and writing that tune lastly satisfied me to take the steps I wanted to lastly love myself for me. That tune helped me notice that I used to be utilizing my relationship for exterior validation and that, if I didn’t be taught to like the individual I used to be taking a look at within the mirror, I’d by no means be completely satisfied.
6. You’ve performed reveals throughout the nation, typically turning small venues into one thing that feels large. What’s your mindset going right into a dwell efficiency?
Each time me and the boys get on stage, we play as if we’re enjoying in entrance of 1000’s of individuals. This mindset is how we’ve transformed ten strangers at a useless present into diehard followers and I very a lot imagine within the grassroots energy of enjoying dwell reveals. There isn’t any higher technique to join with an viewers than enjoying dwell and I do know if I absolutely open myself up and put myself on the road emotionally for all to see that listeners shall be extra comfy opening as much as me and fascinating with the band.
7. With the album dropping in November, how are you making ready for this subsequent chapter—and what can followers count on from this period of MNERVA?
We’re dropping a brand new tune each month for the remainder of 2025 in addition to a canopy of Vanessa Carlton’s, “A Thousand Miles” on June fifth. We’re at present planning some excursions throughout the midwest and the pacific northwest as we communicate and I can’t wait to maintain connecting with new potential followers. Plus, with every new chapter that’s launched, the story of the album turns into extra fleshed out and I can’t wait till the followers can absolutely dive into the album, “From Starting To Finish (see what I did there).”
Finish of Interview
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