An interview with Maeve @ Mona on what makes Music "Awesome!"

"Life creates my music and music also creates the good parts of my life.” 

22 year old Maeve Cunningham is a unique and enthusiastic singer/songwriter who is just beginning to liven-up the Northern Beaches acoustic scene. I had the pleasure of interviewing her at the semi-final of the Ultimate Songwriters Competition at Mona Vale Hotel about what has shaped her sound and love of music to date.

What are your favourite artists to listen to and do you think they influence your own sound? Powderfinger are definitely my favourite band. I've listened to them since I stopped listening to “Kiddie Music” (laughs). I find their music really calming but exciting too. They are very connected to their sound and develop lots of different emotions in their songs. I think they've really shaped how I want to imagine myself as a performer but I'm not sure if that influence really comes through in my stuff. I think it probably used to when I was starting out and mimicking the sounds of performers that I felt inspired by but I think I'm finding my own sound now. I know one of my earliest songs sounded a lot like Evanescence because even my brother agreed with me! 

You're a solo singer/songwriter. Do you find any other solo artists inspiring? Oh Yeah. Solo and Australian female vocalists. Definitely. Like Missy Higgins (I do a cover of one of her songs actually), The Howling Bells (well, they're a band really!), Sarah Blasko, Claire Bowdich and, especially, Kate Miller-Heidke, because she has had classical training like me. Oh, and Washington is also awesome.

Why are you a solo performer? I'm solo out of circumstance really, but I like it. I get to do exactly what I want to do, which is good while I'm starting out, trying to find my own place. It is good to have total control over my own performance and not have to worry about coordinating too much apart from myself.

What genre of music do you think your own stuff fits into? Pop-Folk, Folk-Pop (I think), Pop-Awesome?! (laughs) And, acoustic – I like how that sounds with my voice and the “singer/songwriter” style at the moment, though I don't want to box myself in! I'm keen to try to collaborate with others in any style really in the future.

What are some of your first musical memories? The Spice Girls! (laughs) and prancing around while my Dad played guitar when I was really little. That was the guitar that I learned to play on. I grew up in a very musical house and often used to get up and perform with my brother at family gatherings. Mum is a singer too. 

When did you decide that you were going to pursue your love of music? While listening to Good Charlotte when I was about 15 (laughs). That is amusing to look back on but yeah, I like how they came from nothing and very much became “something”. I just knew I really wanted to pursue singing, so that was when I really started to get into learning the guitar. It has taken me about 5 or 6 years to teach myself and I've been writing songs since then too.

Why do you play guitar? Good Charlotte! (laughs) Well, I did learn piano but I've always had my Dad's guitar and guitar is so much “cooler” and easier to carry around! But, yeah, probably because Dad plays guitar. 

Why do you take part in Songwriting Competitions? Have you pursued performance in any other ways? Well, I could have pursued performance in many different ways. I could have gone straight into recording but I don't have access to any good recording equipment and I could have studied at AIM but I've only just finished my Arts Degree (in Ancient History and Biology). I think its best to start off with live performing though because there is so much more to it. Every performance is unique and I think it is more viable than recording – it is visible and you have an audience! Recording is frustrating because it isn't interactive. Live performance is fun. You get a reaction that has a real buzz.

Where have you performed so far and where would you like to perform in the future? Just bars, so far. I've performed at Mona Hotel and Manning Bar. Ideally, I'd like to play in a quieter place like a cafe.

What is your favourite song to perform? “Fly” because it is so uplifting and I feel confident with it because I've been playing it for a while. I feel like it has a clear message and I know that it makes me and the audience happy.

How do you decide what you're going to perform? Do you always play the same songs? I work out my setlist the day before (but I do really think it through!). The first and last song are very important to a set, as well as making sure that there is a mix of sad and happy songs. You want a journey feeling in a longer set. I like to try to get a journey message across because music does take you places. 

How else do you prepare before a performance? I try not to eat too much before and drink lots of water. I practice in the morning and try not to go out the night before! I just try to be happy and relaxed. (smiles) 

What do you think makes a good performance? A good performance is one that you can get lost in. You engage with yourself, while others engage with you, all at once. You're in a separate space – just you and your music. 

You said that you like performing “Fly” because it has a clear message. What is your music about and what do you try to convey to your audience through it and while on stage? I have my own songs and I choose to present a certain part of myself on stage. I'm very self-aware and try to dress in a way that suits the mood of the music – natural, folky and floral, since a lot of my music refers to nature! I guess I try to make a look that is warm and mellow. My songs are inspired by old memories, nature (since I'm a bit of a biologist!), love and loss and all that lovely sort of stuff! I want to convey the human experience and show that everyone has things in common, which I find so interesting. I really feel like music can bring people together and you can cross so many different boundaries with it. It is a special sort of communication in which everyone can relate. Some thoughts and feelings can only be expressed through music – I want to convey them.

How do you go about writing your songs? Do you have a particular method? There are many different ways to write a song. All of mine have come about differently. 'Frozen' was originally a poem that I posted on an online art forum. Someone recommended that I turn it into a song so I changed some of the words and put them to a melody. So, now its a song - and its awesome! I had the chords and melody for 'Tell Me' for ages before I found the words. It was really frustrating! Friends suggested that I record it and replay it to myself but I just ended up singing it to myself over and over and eventually the words came.

Ok. What is the best way to write a song? I think the best way is to sit strumming on a guitar – that is how my favourite song 'Fly' came about. You really have to be in the right mind space. You can't push yourself, you just have to capture the moment. Sometimes mucking around on guitar can get you into it, sometimes not. 

What are your biggest challenges so far? Probably learning to play the guitar. I remember picking up dads guitar then throwing it down frustratedly after trying to play “Yellow Submarine”. I picked it up six months later and eventually made something out of it – with a lot of practice! The transition from school performances to those in public arenas was also challenging. I found my first pub performance so scary that I wanted to throw up! (Maeve is one of the most confident girls I know, so I'm shocked at this revelation) It was just so different to a school performance where you have unconditional support. Instead, you have people to impress. You need a certain attitude and strength in your performance!

Do you think that your sound has evolved much since leaving school? I don't really think that my sound has evolved much, since I'm only starting out. It has changed though.

You market your performances with a bit of wit: 'Maeve at Mona', 'Maeve at Manning'. Does that relate to the reaction that you want to get out of your audience? I use alliteration because its catchy and memorable. I guess it reflects that I want people to have fun listening while also engaging with the songs. I want to make them feel things, send out a good message. 

Awesome. Any final thoughts? Life creates my music and music also creates the good parts of my life. It is awesome. I love it. :D 


*Check out some of Maeve's stuff on myspace now: http://www.myspace.com/maevecunningham