INTERVIEW: MeMe Detroit — Music Musings & Such

INTERVIEW:

PHOTO CREDIT: Jennifer Stone

MeMe Detroit

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SOME of the biggest names in music…

PHOTO CREDIT: Jennifer Stone

have adopted personas and applied war paint in order to deliver their music with extra intrigue and mystery. I have been speaking to MeMe Detroit about her looks/makeup and whether it provides freedom and release. She talks about her band and the new song, Soc Med Junkies; whether we will see some more material coming along – the artists who made an impression on her growing up.

I discover the way MeMe Detroit’s music has changed through the years; whether social media obsession is damaging our health; if she, and the band, have a standout moment from music; what gigs are coming up – MeMe Detroit provides a few new names we need to get our music minds around.

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Hi, MeMe Detroit. How are you? How has your week been?

My week's been an eventful one, with our new single due out this week. It's deadline city with rehearsals and behind-the-scenes prep!

For those new to your music; can you introduce yourself, please?

I'm MeMe Detroit; an Indie-Grunge-influenced artist from Birmingham. Myself, drummer Barney Such and Bassist Ross Adams make up our three-piece band. If you like your sleazy Grunge guitar-style bangers laden with riffs and a whole lot of melody, then that's us…

Soc Med Junkies has a pretty obvious derivation. Was the song compelled by other people and their need to spend their lives online – or was there a personal wake-up, too?

All of the above.

The whole social media phenomenon has taken society to a whole new level of ironic loneliness. It’s weird. On the one hand, it’s great that you can be in touch with people across the globe and ‘meet’ people (virtually) who you’d never get the chance to meet normally: on the other, it’s created this fake social acceptance where we’d rather talk across a keyboard or message platform than face to face.

It’s a real wake-up call if you’re ever on a train during rush-hour and you look up from your own phone…you’ll just see a sea of other phones and tablets with zombified lit-up faces staring into them. It’s really bloody weird when you take a step back and actually look at it.

It’s almost unreal.

Do you think, for a musician, it is hard detaching from social media? Do you think the negativity on our screens is damaging our health?

Totally! I’m a very positive person and believe strongly in positive energy. Social newsfeeds, however, seem to have a knack of fucki*g with your emotions. I don’t think there’s a single day that I’ve been on social media where I haven’t felt either anger, sadness or disdain from at least one post. There’s plenty of fun/happy stuff on there as well - but it does seem to get outweighed by the neghead (negative-head) posts quite often. If I wasn’t working in the entertainment industry, I don’t think I’d be on there to be honest.

As a musician, social media is a vital key nowadays for promotion - but it can become a pain in the arse. When you’ve got a shed-load of admin. work to do but keep getting distracted by kitten, dog and prank videos (L.o.L.). The great thing about being a musician/business owner on social media, however, is there are tools to help you schedule posts out in advance for the entire week/months. Even so, that lets me have a break from it - which does do wonders for the mindset!

Is there going to be a new E.P. or album later this year?

There certainly is. We have another two singles due out in July and September with a full E.P. due out in November and a new album in the works for a 2019 release.

PHOTO CREDIT: Jennifer Stone

How do you think you have grown as a writer since 2016’s Live to Love You'll Love to Live?

I feel a lot more confident in my writing now and I have a much stronger vision for the direction I want to go in as a musician and artist. A big part is down to meeting Barney Such, my drummer. We have this natural chemistry, musically, and as mates. We’re on the same page: it just works and I feel like the new material packs a much bigger punch. Meeting him has also given me the buzz back…the buzz, where all you want to do is play and write twenty-four-seven. It’s ace!

Live to Love You’ll Love to Live will always have a special place in my heart, as it was kind of proof to myself that I could do something on my own after playing in bands previously and not always being 100% happy. It was kind of my catalyst for standing up on my own two feet and following my heart.

What was the reason for the persona or ‘MeMe Detroit’? Where does that name come from?

I wanted a name that was away from my own to have that distinction between me as I am (I’m quite a private and reserved person, to be honest, until I get to know you properly) and me as a performer (a whole different kettle of (vegan) fish!). 'MeMe' was a nickname given to me as a kid and, when brainstorming, my other half happened to be wearing a tee with ‘Detroit’ on it. Ha.

That was it really...

How does it feel putting on the ‘warpaint’ and becoming someone else? Does it create empowerment and protection, would you say?

Becoming ‘MeMe’ is the best feeling in the world. Although, it is still me; once that paint goes on, MeMe also comes out and with her comes a much bigger, more confident; no fuc*s given persona.

When did music enter your life? Which artists did you grow up around?

Music entered my life before I can remember. I was singing into a mic as soon as I could hold one. I began classical training on piano at the age of six; then violin and, eventually, guitar in my teens. I grew up on a hugely diverse spectrum of music. My dad is Colombian, so I heard a hell of a lot of Latin music growing up.

I was handed down a big box full of my family’s generational vinyl with bands such as The Beatles, Bob Marley; Elvis Presley, old skool Ska records (Toots & the Maytals and Prince Buster); Michael Jackson, Madonna; right through to 1990s bands such as Radiohead, Foo Fighters and Oasis.

That was pretty much my childhood.

Can we see you tour soon? What gigs do you have coming up?

Yeah. We will be touring in conjunction with the new releases. We have a short run of dates this week and a fuller U.K. tour scheduled in May - and again in the autumn with the festival season in between.

What do you hope to achieve in 2018?

To keep growing our fan base and keep building on what we do and love - and enjoy every second of it!

Have you got a favourite memory from your time in music – the one that sticks in the mind?

Playing the Main Stage at Silverstone last year was pretty rad! The sun was setting in the distance as we played, and I remember thinking ‘Fu*k me! This is amazing! This is what it’s all about!’.

PHOTO CREDIT: Jennifer Stone

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Keep believing in what you do and never let anyone tell you otherwise. Unless it’s someone giving you constructive criticism…that’s different, of course. I mean, don’t let any negheads sway your belief or focus. As long as you hold on to your own belief in yourself as an artist, the rest will fall into place.

I heard someone today say they “hate that phrase “When we make it…..there is no ‘it’” - and they’re right!

Life is a journey to be enjoyed, so savour every moment. Appreciate the now and just enjoy the ride without obsessing over a non-existent ‘it’.

IN THIS PHOTO: Rews

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

I’m currently loving a band called Rews; A band called Asylums have just literally dropped a brand new banger today called When We Wake Up.

Also, another Birmingham-based band, Blue Nation (are worth checking out). Their latest single, Rich Girl, is a melodic, yet riff-driven delight.

Do you get much time to chill away from music? How do you unwind?

Playing music is my release, to be honest. It’s what I do to unwind. I also do acting as well which is an ace buzz…but I guess my favourite chill-time bar-playing music is time spent chilling with my family, my two cats or hanging with my mates.

Finally, and for being a good sport; you can choose a song and I’ll play it here (not any of your music - I will do that).

A bud of mine’s band, SULPHER, have just released a killer track that I’m loving at the moment: Take a Long Hard Look.