Q: Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how your childhood impacted your musical direction?
A: I’m very much the “golden retriever type”, people pleaser, all round goofy as hell and love chatting on the radio. Aside from that I created a podcast called “Queer & The Beat”, and hosted the red carpet at The Brits this year, which was wild! I’ve been in love with music since I can remember. I’ve seen old home VHS tapes of me in the past playing a little toy electric guitar and a little headset microphone, wishing to be an entertainer just like Michael Jackson, and his cool guitarists!
I was raised on Michael Jackson, 90s pop and UB40 growing up, then once I started college I really got into pop-punk, rock, and a little bit of metal too. Mum told me once, when I was 2 years old, my parents took me to see Michael Jackson at Wembley Stadium and all I was doing was blowing kisses to MJ, I was his number 1 fan! I was so little so I don’t remember haha. His albums “Thriller” and “Dangerous” were a staple at home in the 90s. So I always linked Michael Jackson and music in general to my parents, and family is super important to me, which is why I feel like this artist had a special place in my heart growing up.
Q: How are you planning on growing your fan base and sharing your podcasts and music interest with the world? What message do you have for anyone who is about to discover Paris Munro?
A: I’m made up just sharing this podcast with you, but just keep doing what I’m doing, bringing the artist a little bit closer to you! I’ve always wanted to be part of paving the way for upcoming artists and the music industry, so I teamed up with The Brits and Heavy Music Awards by joining forces with their voting academies, putting forward some of the most talented artists on the radar.
If you’re discovering me for the first time, get ready and I hope you enjoy the journey! The video podcast is available on Spotify, and audio only on Apple. I’m also posting snippets from the interview on instagram @ queerandthebeat so keep your eyes peeled.
Q: Who is the most inspiring artist for you right now?
A: I’m inspired by so many and listen to a mix of artists, depending on the mood. One minute Arlo Parks, the next Willow, Pvris, Ashnikko, Nova Twins, Lofi Girl, to Lizzo, Joesef and Bebe Rexha. I’d say the band Nova Twins, they’ve come such a long way!
Q: Can you tell us more about your brand-new podcast ‘Queer & The Beat’?
A: With a focus on music, Season 1 features House DJ Martin Ikin, pop artist Joesef, dance artist Ultra Nate, house artist HoneyLuv, alt-pop singer Caroline Rose and pop queen Zara Larson. Expect a deep dive into the artist’s lives & inspiration behind their songs, with plenty of music & hilarious banter.
Growing up, I struggled with parent abandonment and gender identity issues, so I turned to music as a form of escape. Music was a saviour for me in healing trauma. On my new podcast, I want to show you another side to artists that you’ve never heard before. So I’m curious to know how upcoming artists, to some of the biggest names in pop realised that music was their safety blanket too. I’m taking a deeper look so you can really understand the person behind the songs and I can’t wait for you all to hear it, you’ll have to let me know what you think!
Q: Is there another podcast being worked on? Any tea to spill on the release date or artist names?
A: I’ve only just released this one haha but I’m brainstorming around video game ideas at the moment, so who knows. All I’ll say is an artist I’ve mentioned features on a future episode of Queer & The Beat.
On a separate note, I’m working alongside OutcastUK as the voice over. This podcast brings a mix of woke, LGBTQ chat, reporting, reaction and analysis of what’s going on in this crazy world for LGBTQ+ people. It’s a mix of the serious, the emotional and the laugh out loud funny. You’ll find OUTCAST UK wherever you get your podcasts right now.
Q: Who is your dream artist to chat with? (dead or alive)
A: An artist who makes me feel something, takes me on an emotional journey with their music and their lyrics. An artist who loves talking about random things and is even happy to talk about deep stuff too. A fun and lovable person who’s open to talk about the important things like mental health, and how important it is to fight, pick yourself up, try again, and believe in yourself. Lady Gaga.
Q: What is your advice for people interested in pursuing music as a career or for those trying to enter the industry?
A: Don’t be hard on yourself if you find it hard to find inspiration, or if you go through peaks and troughs of creativity, sadness, confusion or even at one point fall out of love with your craft. My girlfriend always says “it’s only temporary” and this is something that really helps me. When you feel ready and you’re in the right headspace – go at your pace!
Q: If you could go back in time and give a younger you some words of wisdom, what would they be?
A: When I read this question, my heart just hurt a little and it made me emotional. The heartbreak and soul shattering things I’ve had to overcome felt damn near impossible, but somehow I held on by a thread and I’m so grateful that I did. If I was genuinely face to face with my younger self, little me would have floods of tears streaming down their face and say “You’re still here?” and this is why my heart hurt, battling with depression and anxiety from a young age.
Little me would also say “WOW. I finally did it, I finally became me, I finally see me!”. It took me a long time to understand who I was, have the courage to take that leap of faith and finally live for me as terrifying as it was. I was so scared to lose my family and the love of my life. I had to transition! Alongside that growing up and trying to understand mental health, money and, the heartbreak of my dad leaving from the age of 4 was hard. I would say to them… “No matter how much it hurts, put one foot in front of the other. It gets easier to understand and heal over time. You’ll eventually start loving you”.
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