A Conversation with Melanie Martinez – HuffPost 4.21.14
Mike Ragogna: Melanie, are you ready for unbridled fan love from your Dollhouse EP release?
Melanie Martinez: Yes! I’m stoked to finally put out original music!
MR: It looks like you co-wrote with Kinetics and One Love. How did that come together?
MM: We wrote “Dollhouse” our first time ever meeting! I’d say they are a huge part of how I found my sound. They’re so talented and every session is just better and better. I couldn’t be more grateful to work with such amazing guys.
MR: What was the process like putting together the EP together?
MM: Well like I said earlier, “Dollhouse” was written the first time I met Kinetics and One Love. We kind of just kept writing intense stories together and eventually it became this collective body of work. Same thing with Robopop. Every session is a new song and a new story I get to tell and it’s so exciting. There are a lot more songs besides the ones on the EP that I’m also very excited to put out eventually.
MR: How do you like being on the road touring? Have any adventures you can share?
MM: No crazy stories yet, but it’s definitely been fun and I love performing and having people sing along. I can’t wait to tour again in June! It’s going to be a lot different than the other shows I’ve done.
MR: It’s been suggested that you’re the American version of Lorde. But how would you describe your music?
MM: People are always going to try to find other artists they can relate and compare artists to. If I had my own genre it would be called “heavy-child.” My reasoning for this is because my music has childlike qualities to it, such as toy sounds and words that are very nostalgic and relate to childhood. It also has a heavy beat and a heavy story behind it. I like to tell dark, honest stories and sugar coat them with a child like aesthetic.
MR: Your new album will also feature collaborations with Robopop. What was that creative process like and how eager are you to get that debut album out?
MM: My EP has collaborations with Kinetics and One Love , as well as Robopop. All are so talented and have been wonderful during the making of the EP. The creative process is always different. I can be inspired by different things each time and it’s always really fun just thinking of different ways to tell different stories. I’m so excited to finally put original music out. I am a songwriter primarily and its so nice to be able to finally show that. That was the hard part about being on The Voice, I had to sing covers every week and it was very hard to show who I was entirely. It’s going to be great seeing people’s reaction to this EP.
MR: What advice do you have for new artists?
MM: Well, I am a new artist myself. I’ve learned a lot so far and I’m excited to learn more. But I think the only advice I can really give is to just really ask yourself if you want to do this. If you have a plan B then it isn’t going to work out for you. You need to have every part of your heart and mind devoted to being an artist.
MR: Any thoughts about your time on The Voice?
MM: It was a great experience and I learned a lot from the other artists that were there with me. I’m very thankful for being able to touch people and gain a following off the show. I’m truly grateful for all the support. I’m so excited to finally be able to do my own thing and really start my journey.