It’s been a while but it has been a fairly
busy time for me: both in regards to
work and holidays. However, I’M
BACK! No more radio silence (more on this next post – Schedule Ed or
‘Sch-Ed’)! YAY! Not only that but I am celebrating another
anniversary: I have lived in Nepal for one whole year, to this very day! Break out the champagne, goat and roxi!
Whilst I plan to discuss this in more
detail on my next blog, I am glossing over it for this post. Why, I hear no-one ask? Because, I feel like this event deserves
something a little more special than just a blog discussing my year (which I’ve
already discussed). Something special
like chocolate covered strawberries, Deadpool or that ever-elusive perfect bowl
of cereal, so I am going to go with:
MY BIGGEST INTERVIEW YET.
It has been a while I know but luckily, I
get to come back with a bang! It is my sincere
pleasure to introduce ’10 items or less: part 3’.
10 items or less
MC Lars
MC Lars
Originator of ‘post-punk laptop rap’, MC
Lars is an American rapper and CEO of Horris Records. I remember when I first heard one of his
songs: it was at Michaels flat and was the single ‘Download This Song’. Needless to say, I was soon a fan, and for
good reason. Covering a multitude of topics,
ranging from the humorous (reindeer and giant robots) to the serious (suicide
and romance), MC Lars has 6 highly recommendable albums (plus various EPS and
singles) that are accessible to all but still manages to poke a little fun at todays’
culture, the music industry and himself as well.
On top of his albums and Horris Records,
Lars has an extensive touring resume, having toured or performed with: Wheatus,
T-Pain, Ludacris, Zebrahead, Bowling for Soup, Fightstar and Gym Class heroes…to
name a few! Finally, he has recently completed a
successful Kickstarter campaign to create a Greatest Hit album and,
interestingly, an Edgar Allan Poe EP: a well-written and clever tribute to the
author/Poet. Don't forget to check out his new video 'Flow like Poe' below!
This is a very quick overview but I think that’s enough from
me, except to say: if you haven’t already, check him out from the links at the
bottom of the interview and enjoy the words of a true artist.
1.
First of all, the obvious question: what made
you decide to pursue a career in Music?
Music was always a way for me to relate to the world and to people. I’ve always associated great memories with it and it’s what made me happy. Songs came to me and I captured them then figured out how to make a living promoting them.
Music was always a way for me to relate to the world and to people. I’ve always associated great memories with it and it’s what made me happy. Songs came to me and I captured them then figured out how to make a living promoting them.
2.
In your songs, you have highlighted how
difficult it can be as a musician. What
has kept you going all this time?
The passion for the culture of hip-hop and realizing that if
I don’t stop, I will be a success.
3.
You’ve played with a lot of bands and artists so
far but if you could play with any band or musician (alive or dead), who would
it be and why?
I’d love to jam with Kurt Cobain – his energy was
incredible. I wouldn’t mind rapping with
Tupac either. Such great talents that
both passed too young!
4.
Having personally listened to a large number of
your songs, you have some varied and interesting song topics from reindeer to hipsters
to summer love. How do you come up with
such varied songs?
A song is like an essay; your chorus is your thesis, and
everything else is in service of making it make sense. Any idea works with this format, so why not
try it?
5.
Your newest EP is based on the works of Edgar
Allan Poe. What inspired you to write an
EP based on his works?
I love how he plays with sound and meter. He wrote his poems to be read alive because
he really believed in the power of rhyme performed in front of an audience,
much like rap. I love his dark imagery
too – it’s awesome and timeless.
6.
When you were writing the songs, did you find it
easier to write the songs as the story was already there or did you feel
pressured because of how famous the books are?
Every time you revisit the past, you retell its stories in a
new way. I feel like the more famous a
story is, the more room there is for interesting reinterpretation. Writing songs about stories is fun and easy
for me.
7.
Should we be expecting any more albums about any
other famous authors?
I’d love to do Poe and Melville someday and an anthology of
science fiction!
8.
‘Flow like Poe’ is pretty educational for a song,
describing both Edgar Allan Poe and various linguistic techniques…what inspired
you to write a song like this and did you find it difficult?
I’m writing a history of hip-hop book and in writing it I’ve
analyzed the technical components of rhyme writing. That song was fun to write because the
mechanics of poetry flow so well with rap itself as a genre.
9.
The video ‘Flow Like Poe’, catches the tone of
the song well: how much input do you have into your music videos?
I like to be involved with everything. We storyboarded that one piece-by-piece and
I’m so happy with how it turned out.
10.
Do you have any advice for aspiring musicians?
Don’t quit, have fun, don’t quit your day job ever, enjoy
the ride and don’t try to copy anyone.
*Bonus question*
I loved the moustache in the video: will it make any live
appearances?
Maybe on Halloween!
Stay tuned.
A huge thank you to MC Lars for taking the time to answer my questions, especially with a busy schedule and for allowing me to publish it on my blog! I have added several links and music videos below for you to enjoy! If you don't know him already, check him out! You won't regret it.
Website: http://mclars.com/site/
Bandcamp: mclars.bandcamp.com
Flow like Poe
Hipster Girl
Twenty-three
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