Every Monday we will be bringing you interviews with UK or Ireland artists for Independent Music Monday. Recently we caught up with London based artist Mezanmi to find out more…
Where are you from and how did you first get into music?
I grew up in the North East, in a town called North Shields. The North East as a whole has an amazing musical legacy but even just North Shields has produced a wealth of brilliant music, including Alan Hull (of Lindisfarne), Sam Fender, Lanterns on the Lake and Hector Gannet. I played classical piano from when I was young but was never a very good technical player. I came back to playing piano in my teens and also started drumming and playing guitar and started to find my feet more in terms of songwriting. I’ve subsequently loved delving more into ambient folk sort of sounds, with an electronic and classical elements.
My performance name, Mezanmi, is a Haitian Creole word that’s derived from the French, ‘mes amis’ and is pronounced the same way. I was in Haiti for about 6 months in 2010 and it’s a word that stuck with me from that time – mezanmi is a word that’s used to express surprise, joy or shock. I had spent a year in France before I lived in Haiti and so learning some Creole was an amazing experience because its spelling is phonetic. You can look at a word and have no idea what it means but the second you say it out loud, it reveals itself. Mezanmi is a good example of that.
Who were your musical influences when you were growing up and who are your influences now?
Playing in bands as a teenager definitely helped expand my musical tastes and introduced me to a lot of artists I’d never listened to, like the Pixies, Radiohead, Paul Simon, Joni Mitchell etc. I love music that blends electronica and folk or classical elements; I think the Erased Tapes label really pioneered that for a long time and there’s been an explosion of neo-classical, ambient music like A Winged Victory, Sigur Ros, Hammock, Bjork, Jon Hopkins (I listened to his collaborative album with King Creosote tirelessly for a long time and still love going back to it) but then I really love finding people who are pushing into a sort of ‘beautiful noise’ – Low, My Bloody Valentine and Perfume Genius are the particular examples that come to mind.
How would you describe your sound?
I’d describe it as ambient folk – mostly based around the piano or sometimes guitar and then with elements of electronica and at times orchestration built around it. But I’m trying to write in as varied a way as I can and just seeing where it leads. I’m also very lucky to work with Guy Massey, who I’ve been able to bounce ideas off over the past two albums. His influence has hugely helped push me in a direction that has felt right.
What is your latest release called and what was the influence behind it?
The latest song is called ‘Like Spun Gold’, which came out at the end of March. It’s a good example of what I mean by beautiful noise and probably the most dramatic thing I’ve released to date in that kind of ballpark. It’s a song that feels honest and angry. It’s a direct address to those people who can skilfully manipulate others with their words and actions but who can then absolve themselves of responsibility when there are negative consequences. Certain people are so power-hungry that they’d betray anything and anyone in order to cling to it. Guy and I wanted the music to feel quite violent in order to drive home the lyrics.
What’s your local music scene like?
I feel very lucky to have grown up in the North East where there’s always been a wealth of talent – not least folks like Nadine Shah, Lanterns on the Lake, Sam Fender, The Early Purple, Ernie, Imogen and the Knife. So much great stuff at every level and a lot of amazing music venues too, though so many are under threat of closure. I now live in London and it’s obviously so full of incredible artists across various disciplines. It’s nice to be at gigs as well as playing them and meet folks and build relationships and collaborative opportunities. I’ve met a lot of wonderful and inspiring folks that way.
What do you have planned for the next 12 months?
I released my first music under the name Mezanmi last year and there’s a lot of new music on the way later this year, which feels exciting as it’s been a little while. (I previously released music under a different name, AJIMAL). I’ve also composed music for a short film called ‘We/Us’ which is due to come out very soon. It’s the longest score I’ve written to date and I really enjoyed the challenge of responding to visuals and trying to create something that fits the shape of a story and helps enhance it. Launching Mezanmi as a new project last year was daunting but it felt like the right time and I’m looking forward to keeping making new music and seeing where we end up.
Is there anyone you’d love to collaborate with?
There are, in fact, a few that I’m currently collaborating with and that’s something I’m excited about. If you find me in my various social media habitats (@myfriendsmezanmi) then you’ll hear about them very soon…
Any funny stories surrounding your live performances?
There’s been lots of wonderful – and most definitely funny – moments performing over the past years – a bandmate and I got drunken tattoos of each other’s names in quite intimate places. That was a hangover…
What is the one thing that you want readers to know about you?
I’d love for you lovely folks to have a listen to what I’m doing. I know there are so many things vying for our attention spans these days and it can be hard to connect; I feel extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to make music and I hope that what I’m making connects with you.
Upcoming live dates and performances
Monday 13th May – supporting Vanessa Forero at the Green Note, London
Saturday 25th May – A Stone’s Throw Festival in North Shields / Tynemouth
Saturday 27th July – Cambridge Folk Festival
You can find out more about Mezanmi on his website or via Apple Music, Bandcamp, Facebook, Instagram, SoundCloud, Spotify, Threads, TikTok, X (Twitter) or YouTube.
Merryn 