Q: Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how your childhood impacted your musical direction?
A: Hi, online I go by Myslie and I’m from California. I’m a big fan of video games, anime and hanging out with my friends.
I would say my childhood impacted my music in many ways. For instance I sing like I’m in a punk rock band because I like Green Day, my instrumentals sound like they come from a video game in the early 2000s, and my chords and sometimes the structure of my songs derive from Japanese music.
What really set me up to start making music I think was the game rhythm heaven DS. It’s a fun game but it’s difficult to 100% since the margin of error is so small. They make it very clear in the UI if you haven’t 100% a level so it really incentivized me to continue to continuously play. What’s interesting is that the more I replayed the same level over and over again throughout my childhood I would notice little pieces of music that were small little inflections. Little details and motifs that make the track sort of sparkle, it could have been a nice drum break, or a lick on the pianos, but I would catch those little intricacies and I would gain an appreciation for them. The structure of the UI had shifted my focus from chasing the pink P to gaining an appreciation for the small details that make a song special.
Another game would be Pokemon Platinum. I remember getting to the end when your at the pokemon league after you use waterfall to get on top of the mountain, and it was like 6:00 PM, and the night version of the pokemon league theme song began to play, and I just sat there at the entrance for like 5 minutes. Such a beautiful track, I mean the sound track in that game was phenomenal but seeing the waterfall animation for the first time, this incredible like expression of power, and the symbolism of my first pokemon Piplup pushing up against this immense force of nature up to the Pokemon League, and hearing this beautiful score, I think that night something woke up inside me.
Q: Can you describe the musical style of Myslie in three words?
A: indie OST adjacent
Q: How do you stay connected with your fans, and what role do they play in shaping your musical journey?
A: My biggest supporters at the moment are my friends, family, and my coworkers. But they are the reason I started making music in the first place. Initially I was doing a little DJ stuff with one of my friends, nothing big but it was fun and fulfilling. Then I had this idea for a video game, and I initially asked this one guy to make the OST for me but it wasn’t working out, so I asked my DJ partner and she was like “dude make the music”, and that was enough. I had started making music in my free time and showing other people my creations and getting reactions was a pivotal step in the journey. Just getting feedback helps since it can be hard especially in the beginning to know what’s working and what isn’t. Double stepper was initially going to be only 1:30 because I was not intending on it being a full track, but while we were working on it my mom listened to the track and goes, “why didn’t you finish it?”. I had heard that from many people but hearing my mom was the final push to be like, yeah let’s finish it. I enjoyed making music so much I decided to make an EP around Double Stepper.
Q: You have just released your new EP, ‘Under Rental Lights’. Is there a story behind it?
A: Situationships, feelings and expressions I think were easier for me to make musically than to say out loud.
Q: What is your favorite track from the EP and why?
A:
Myslie – Double Stepper is my favorite on the EP because it was a fun time to make. That duet holds so much heart and passion. It plays during an incredibly important part in my video game. Double Stepper is the result of a lot of things crashing into each other in my life. It’s special to me for that reason.
Keira Jaylynne – I would have to agree and say my favorite is Double Stepper. It was my first time ever recording for a song, let alone singing in front of someone, but the entire process was a really great and memorable experience for me. As we recorded, the record just grew and new ideas and verses would be added. I’m really proud of the finished track and project overall.
Q: Can you walk us through the creative process of producing the EP, “Under Rental Lights”?
A: So Double Stepper was made for a scene in my game, and I intentionally made it sound like a karaoke machine for the instrumental because the characters are singing karaoke. So all the instrumentals were inspired by that cheap karaoke machine sound. From the same vein my cover of careless whispers comes from that idea. In general I was using a lot of plugins that have that sound to push that sound as well as a video gamey sort of vibe since they are for the video game.
Q: What has been the most memorable concert or performance for Myslie so far?
A: I had one performance, I played Double Stepper at my friend’s sister’s wedding party. I also sang Careless Whisper too, which directly inspired me to cover that for my EP. I don’t usually perform unless it’s karaoke so to have eyes on me was this anxiety I hadn’t had for a long time. Had it been something to the effect of a school presentation I knew many were not paying attention, but this was different because they were sitting there for me. I had to muster the courage to go out there and sing. But man seeing their faces light up and this wash of like moving people with something I made that came from the heart, such a special moment in my life. The bottle of pinaq I got from them forever sits on my desk as a momento from that event.
Q: Reflecting on your body of work, each song holding its unique significance, could you share a particular track that stands out to you personally? What makes that specific tune special, and why does it hold a place of pride in your musical journey?
A: I’ve only released 4 songs. I have a lot more in the logs. I just haven’t released anything because I want to roll things out slowly. If I’m going off released tracks I would say Double Stepper for all the reasons why it’s my favorite as well as the performance. If it were songs I haven’t released yet I would say a release that’s coming out soon called “Cabaret Another Saturday”. It’s a funny experience because a little before releasing the single I was talking with an old friend of mine and I was like I really want to make an anime intro but things aren’t clicking correctly. Homie goes, “It’ll come, or like keep making music it’ll come”, something to that effect. When I started working on it I didn’t think it would come so quickly, and so effortlessly too. Double Stepper is definitely a milestone in my musical journey, Cabaret Another Saturday is proof of that milestone.
Q: Exploring the diverse creative processes within the music industry is always fascinating. Could you provide insight into Myslie’s unique approach to crafting music? From the initial spark of an idea to the finished song, how do you navigate the creative journey and bring its musical concepts to life?
A: There’s this saying “A good chef is a good eater”. It means good chefs eat a lot of different foods and they pick up one small things like spices and techniques that can enhance that eating experience for the customer. I truly believe the same can be said for musicians. Always listen to different types of music and find what you like and try to translate that into the things you make. If I wrestle with those inspirations enough the end result is always something special. That fusion of your interests creates this blend that becomes your own.
I also know my theme too. I go in with intent to know what the theme of my song would be. 2 AM confessionals are a great example of this. I wanted it to be a song that was like a voicemail that someone sent out at 2 AM. The little audio effects, the way the vocal sounds, with its quality degression, and the clicks and the phone tones are all there to evoke that feeling. Double Stepper too with its karaoke aesthetic. I don’t make every song have a gimmick but when I do I make an effort to make it work.
Q: As we wrap up our conversation, looking ahead, what aspirations or dreams do you have, and what message would you like to share with your fans as they continue to accompany you on this musical journey?
A: There’s this one performance I saw online of Tsubi Club performing laced up, and I remember seeing the look on Sorens face when he saw the crowd. It was like he was proud of his work because it moved them. You can see that same face in some of Green Day’s performances too when Billie Joe looks around or sings a particularly emotional line. That moment of seeing something you created, your story, your expression making an impact on someone is a really special feeling, and I hope to continue to touch the hearts of others with my music.
To my fans I want to say thank you, you’ve done a lot to help me get where I am. Not to sound cliche but I make music that I like, but I share it so you all can enjoy and hopefully you all connect with me in the same way I connected with my inspirations.
