w/ Mary Okie
Thursday, February 9
9:30 p.m.
$6
18+
Called "a grab-bag singer-songwriter of styles, ranging from snarling, twisted guitar jams to violin-accented noir-folk" by the A.V. Club, Cheyenne Marie Mize is an up-and-coming folk/jazz/indie/blues artist whose authentic collection of sounds has had the New York Times and Sputnik Music raving about her "whimsical, haunting, dreamlike, folk music" that "makes it a challenge not to fall in love with her."
An independent musician who has been touring throughout both the United States and Europe for two years, Mize released her first album Before Lately in 2010 and has since put out five more albums since, including a compilation album with fellow Louisville performer, Bonnie "Prince" Billy. Her latest album, We Don't Need, was released in November. In addition to performing her own vocals, Mize plays all the instruments on her tracks, (most of which are self-taught) which include the drums, violin, and the guitar, among others. Once characterized as a soulful, dreamy, indie pop artist, Mize has, with her latest tracks, experimented with a number of new sounds, including the upbeat and catchy "Going Under" which still manages to retain the same bluesy, folk quality of her voice. While she might not be a household name yet, this young musician is certainly making an impact in the music world. Live Buzz had the opportunity to speak to Mize in anticipation of her upcoming Bloomington performance.
Live Buzz: At what point did you first get into music? What was the first instrument you ever played?
Cheyenne Marie Mize: Piano, at about 8 years old. From there I just started exploring several more.
LB: Did you come from a musical family or was music something that you picked up by yourself?
CMM: I had musical relatives, for sure. My aunt played piano and that's why I wanted to play, and my uncle played guitar and what's why I wanted to play guitar. My parents did not play any instruments, but they were in the radio business in the '70s.
LB: Can you recall the first song or artist that truly inspired you to become a musician?
CMM: I don't know that there was one specific artist. I think I was always inspired by music, and hearing my aunt play and sing was huge in doing that. Hearing my mom sing harmony on the radio was huge as well. I have been influenced in lots of different ways by lots of different artists
LB: What's your favorite record?
CMM: I have three. Pink Floyd's Meddle, Radiohead's OK Computer and Ngoni-ba's I Speak Fula. They're a band from Mali.
LB: How would you describe your working methods? Do you have a specific outline for a song before you begin writing, or do you rely largely on inspiration?
CMM: It's different at different times. Sometimes I just sit around with my guitar and just find a pattern or a chord progression that I like. And other times I get lyrics and lyrical ideas in my head and kind of have to find ways to put those ideas down. I don't consider writing lyrics to be my strong point. My strong point is writing the music and fitting it together the musical lines. I feel like most of the time the lyrics come second but it's not always the case.
LB: Where do you find inspiration? Is it from other artists, or are you influenced by books and movies--that sort of thing?
CMM: I think more life experiences and relationships between people-not always romantic--but relationships of how people interact with the world. That's my lyrical inspiration at least. As far as the music side of it-- I don't think I could put it down to one thing. I think it comes from everything.
LB: Coming from Louisville, was it ever difficult to distinguish yourself from the music scene back home?
CMM: No. I think my music tastes and a lot of what I do have been fostered by that music scene. There's so many different things going on here. I can go see some friends playing in an old time band, who'll be playing in a rock band the next night. It's really diverse and people have really diverse tastes here. There are lots of crossover and genre tastes here. Rock and hillbilly rock, a bluegrass scene and indie rock as well. I feel like there's just lots of crossover. I feel really free to just kind of explore.
LB: Was there a struggle to establish yourself as a serious performer in the beginning of your career?
CMM: (Laughs) Well, I've only been performing as a solo artist for the last two years. What I love about playing music is playing music with people. When I decided to do more performing I found that I could still play music and do it in from of people as well.
LB: Last year you toured with Will Oldham. What would you say was the best part of that experience?
CMM: I think the first time we sang together we realized there was something special. Using your voices to connect with one another is a really special thing. Doing the Among the Gold album and getting to travel around and see a lot of places and do a lot of things and play a lot of music was really amazing.
LB: With just vocals, violin, guitar and piano, and I believe there were some bells in there as well, on "We Don't Need", you have a very minimalistic style to your sound. What can you say about artists who rely upon extensive equipment and lots of sound?
CMM: Do what works for you. I happened to put my past two records together mostly myself and I played all the instruments. I like the idea of exploration and trying new things so I definitely think I'll be doing new things. Still, just the guitar, bass, drums and a plethora of other string instruments and maybe some horns. Those are just your basic instruments.
LB: The New York Times called your music a "tough, dreamy, cloudy-sky country and chamber pop." Is this the kind of sound you've always gone for, or have you ever wanted to produce anything different?
CMM: I think more than a specific sound necessarily I'm looking for a mood or an atmosphere. Just trying to find what instruments work. I think my sounds are so vastly different. On "Wishing Well," when I wrote the vocals for that it was just begging for a bombastic rhythm section and it wasn't making any sense to not to do it. On "Call Me Beautiful" where there's more space and atmosphere more sounds worked to make the environment that I wanted, to bring across the feeling that I want people to feel when they were listening.
LB: Many of your lyrics and riffs have a repetitive quality to them that make them rather haunting. I'm thinking especially of your track "Before Lately" from your first album. That weary, soulful "it was all for the best" sort of sticks with you. Was this technique something you discovered yourself or were you inspired by another artist?
CMM: That song in particular was just kind of a mantra. I was going through a situation where I needed to tell myself that over and over again.
LB: Your lyrics from "Call me Beautiful:" 'I thought that I could be strong...I thought things would be different this time...I guess that I was wrong,' seem rather personal. Are they based on any particular experience?
CMM: The idea being that I'm sharing my music because I think that I'm talking about experiences that everyone shares. Everything will have something in their lives that they can relate to those feelings that they're not living up to what they want to at certain times
LB: It certainly juxtaposes your much more upbeat "Going Under." The first thing I thought about when I listened to this was actually "You Make My Dreams Come True" by Hill and Oats. Was there something particular that influenced this track? It doesn't seem to fall in character with your earlier melodious, dreamscape tunes like "Lull," and " Rest."
CMM: It wasn't a real intentional thing. When I wrote the song that's what came out of what I was feeling at that time. The more I played the more it became this upbeat rocker.
LB: "We Don't Need" as a whole seems to be generally more upbeat than "Before Lately." Is there something that provoked this change?
CMM: I think it's just the natural process of growth. Some of the songs on before lately were some of the first songs I ever wrote. I didn't know in the beginning that those songs would ever hit anyone but me. The difference is that some of those songs were written back in 2005 and now its 2012. It was just more life experiences and different life experiences and more time with writing.
LB: Do you have a favorite track that you've put out?
CMM: I like a lot of different ones for different reasons. My favorite is on my new record, which is actually already recorded. But you haven't heard it yet. (Laughs) I think again, because my stuff kind of goes from one thing to the very different thing, there are times when I like songs more than others.
LB: As a musician, where do you see yourself being in ten years?
CMM: I don't really have any expectations as far as career goes. That would be pretty self-destructive in the music industry. (Laughs) I do know that I'm just working to be able to play music and have my friends with me and see places. And that's what I really hope for.
LB: What would your advice be for anyone pursuing a career in music, or in any art?
CMM: I think you have to be doing what you love and be doing it for yourself. And if those things are your main goals and the other parts work out, albeit it be finances or attention or whatever it is you're wanting. But if you're doing what you love and you love doing what you're doing then it doesn't matter. If you're setting yourself up for any other reasons you're just going to be disappointed.
Post by Brandon Cook
