MLBACARD¡ * 2001
( One For The Future? You Choose… ) - Wednesday 29th November 2023
Words by Isaac Solanki. Photography by Kid Circus. Thanks to Rick Moreno.
Introduce yourself and describe your sound…
“Hey, my name is mlbacard¡ and I’d like to say that my sound is eclectic - it’s a kind of indie-pop alternative, if that makes sense? I’ve been influenced by such a wide variety of different music throughout my life, that I think it’s hard to categorise my sound into one specific genre. For example, on my new EP, there’s a track called girl5 rul3 which is very upbeat, almost tech-like and it’s a complete contrast to the majority of the other music I’ve made. I feel like my music, especially the variation in my new stuff is purely just a reflection of who I am.”
What do you think makes you different to the other young up and coming artists of today?
“I feel like there’s a lot of artists nowadays trying to find their own niche and I think I'm just trying to make my own music, away from thinking too hard about all of that stuff - something that I like the sound of in the hopes that other people will too. I don’t actually think too much about the influences until after; I then start to subconsciously see what I’ve been influenced by when I listen back to it as a finished piece. I think that I’m just trying to make good sounding music and it’s naturally found its own unique sound - that’s something different in itself.”
What’s your story? How did it all start and what challenges have you faced along the way so far?
“It honestly all started when I was 4 - for Christmas, I asked for a dog and a guitar; I didn’t get the dog but I got the guitar and I suppose that was the very first time I showed an interest in music. The guitar kind of just sat there until I was about eleven, then I picked it up and began composing some really horrible sounding music… but that was where it all started and ever since then, I’ve wanted to pursue this as a full time career. Obviously while growing up with the ambition of making it big in such a competitive industry, I lacked a little confidence - I’d always say that I’d love to be a singer before following every sentence up with… “but I don’t think it’ll ever happen.” I never actually thought I’d even be able to release my first EP but the years of slowly realising that there genuinely was nothing else I’d rather do, really helped to define me actually going into it.
Right after graduating high school, I took a gap year - I didn’t really know where I wanted to start, I just knew that I wanted to give this music thing a shot. I sent out as many demos as I could and was pleasantly surprised by just how many people were interested in my music. I then thought “fuck Uni, that can wait, lets give this a shot” - I was supposed to go and do some history of art economics course in Milan, which would have been very different to what I’m doing right now. I think that what really gave me the confidence to pursue this fully instead of going to Uni was just me continuously telling myself that I don’t think I’ll ever be happy unless I went for it, you know? Then, actually seeing people liking my stuff definitely gave me a huge confidence boost and set me up on the way to where I am today.”
Moving forwards, what are some of your short-term and long-term career goals for the future?
“Well, the music industry as many of us are full aware, is often something that takes a very long time to build a name in, so right now, I’m focusing fully on what I have to do… which is making music in the studio, doing as many gigs as I can and evolving within that. I tell people that I’m giving myself three years to make a name for myself within the industry, however, I’m focusing more on doing the right things now and building the foundations properly, so that it can grow more naturally in the future. My goals right now are to just to make and release as much music as possible. Then, with that, I’ll be able to do more gigs and meet more like-minded people and begin to build my own little community.
I think the long-term goal would then be to watch it all keep on growing until I’m eventually selling out humungous shows. I know everything takes time and I don’t really want to put a specific time frame on it, so I only say three years because it’s my lucky number haha. Patience is a virtue - that’s definitely something that the music industry has taught me; slow and steady wins the race. Obviously if you’re moving in slow motion that’s a different story but I just don’t want to rush into things, I want to do it well and at my own pace.”
Talk to me about some of the unsung heroes of your music career to date. Is there anyone that you perhaps wouldn’t be here today without?
“Definitely my mum - although she can’t sing to save her life, she brought me up to music; I remember it playing all the time, night and day. I don’t think that my music taste would perhaps be quite as eclectic if it wasn’t for her. I have to give it to my mum for showing me the different sides it all, she made me love music, so big ups to momma.
Then people like Led Zeppelin, a band that have had such a big influence on me, perhaps not directly in terms of me making my own music but more on a personal note. I would lay there in my room at the age of twelve listening to Stairway to Heaven for hours. I suppose it was a bit weird for a twelve year old but I found it very therapeutic. I think the real inspiring moment happened when I discovered the album Let It Bleed by The Rolling Stones and more specifically the track Gimme Shelter. My English teacher Mr Jones showed me the album in my early teens and it really changed my life, for sure. Janis Joplin was another one who inspired me a lot, along with Amy Winehouse too. Then in terms of modern artists, definitely 070 Shake - she’s just straight up badass, she has such a diverse discography and that’s something that still really inspires me today.”
“GUINEA PIG” by mlbacard¡
“I wrote this track at a period of time in my life where I was relatively depressed. I found myself withering away watching the television, about two hours had passed and I thought “what the fuck am I doing.” I got up frustratedly and the opening lyrics of the song reflect that - it says “look at you staring at your TV, so very contently” and the song is all about that switch; that moment in time where I sat up and thought “why am I wasting my life away, I want to be out doing things with my life but I’m not.”
I feel like we’re currently living in a world that makes it really hard for us to be active and/or even somewhat mentally healthy. We’re constantly consuming information, trying to sieve through the crap and we don’t even have the luxury of being able to have our own thoughts anymore. The scariest thing about it is that it’s now almost all subconscious. I feel like breaking out of the mundane habit of staring at screens is so hard but if you focus on the little things, for example, finding lucidity in music, you can do it and subsequently become happier overall. I really do think that music is fundamental.”
Favourite lyric from the track…
“You’re just a slut to consumerism.” That’s my favourite lyric, it’s pretty self explanatory in terms of the whole meaning behind the song. It’s so direct and I love it.”
