July 2, 2025 • 31 mins
On this week's In Service Of Maneskin frontman Damiano David sits down for an incredibly revealing conversation with co-host Steve Baltin. David owns up on being an introvert, why he made his solo album so sonically different, his admiration for Lana Del Rey, wanting to tour with artists like Billie Eilish, Ed Sheeran, and much more.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:04):
Hi, It's Steve Balton and this week on in Service
UF I sit down with Monuskin from Me Doniano David
to talk about his first solo album. It's an incredible
record and great conversation when we're talking about vulnerability and songwriting,
why he decided to do the solo project now, how
it differs from his band projects, and.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
What he's exciting about now musically. Hope you enjoy this
conversation as much as I did. Thanks for being here today.
Congratulations on the record. Man, It's funny. I was just
(00:48):
looking at your Instagram. You know, it's such an interesting thing.
I've talked about this with so many artists. When you
do a solo record as opposed to being in a band,
it does feel like because it's under your name, it's
much more more personal, and you know, it feels like
this one is more It's funny. I remember when we
were talking, you know, with Monuskin about the Supermodel and
being influenced by La and it feels like this one
(01:10):
was more internal, Like it was much more internal stuff.
Was that the case? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (01:16):
I think I think, especially the last record with minds Kin,
it's a lot about what I was seeing externally, while
this record is a lot about the effects that all
that I've seen had on me.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
That's interesting, you know, because I'm always a big believer
in writing being subconscious, Right, So when you started doing
this and started putting all this into the song, were
there things that you were surprised? Because I talked about
so many artists too. When you're in the middle of stuff,
when you're like blowing up and you're doing fallin and
you're doing all this stuff, you don't really get a
(01:52):
chance to process it. So then when you sit down
and write about it, you're like, oh shit, I don't
even know I was thinking that.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
Yeah, I it was. Actually it's quite accurate. It's really
my experience. It's like, I feel like everything that happened
with the band happened so fast that I never really
had the chance to absorb it and understand like the
(02:22):
effects that he was having on me. And I was
like so moved by this boost of energy and enthusiasm
that like all the problems were kind of going into
the back of my brain. But you can delay stuff
for only for as long as possible. At one point
it's going to come out, and this was the time
(02:45):
for me.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
So were there still early here in LA Were there
specific songs that really surprised you when you went back
and listen to the lyrics and you were like, again,
sometimes you know what you're thinking, Like you say you
can put the problems away first only so long and
then it's like they're gonna come out and song. So
were the specific songs of the record that really surprised you?
Speaker 3 (03:07):
I think that in like pretty much with every song
what happens to me. It's like after I wrote it,
I read back the lyrics and yes, I realized that
I didn't even know that I was feeling that so
strongly or that like that was the source of my problem.
(03:28):
And this is really like generalized to pretty much every
song I right, and in general in the record. I
was surprised by the level of of like honesty and
vulnerability and disconnects. Also like with with the level of
connection that I managed to have with like all the
(03:50):
producers and some writers I worked with, and that it
was surprising for me as a very how do you
say it, like internal person, I don't I don't share much,
so it was surprising for me the level of understanding
and the level of like also confidence that that that
(04:13):
I can see in the songs.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
That's interesting. But you know it's funny because you say,
like as a very internal person, but do you find
also that I've talked to so many people about this
that music is your way of communicating. So it became
something where it was like you had to put all
this out in music because you had to, like you say,
you have to get it out there.
Speaker 3 (04:34):
Yeah, definitely, definitely, Like the word that was searching for
was introvert. But yeah, it's it's for me. It's really
it works like opening the lid of a bottle and
letting everything come out because I'm not a great talker,
(04:58):
so music that the trick for me.
Speaker 2 (05:01):
Well, you know it's funny though, because we've interviewed a
few times, so relative to some other introverts i've interviewed,
you're a much you know, it's funny. I went to
a party once at Prince's house at one of the
like these party season. He literally did not talk to
anybody who wasn't playing music with. He did not say where,
he would nod at you like to acknowledge you were
at his house, but that was it. So, I mean,
(05:22):
it's funny how often like, you know, when did you
figure that out? For you? That's so interesting to me
because like Chris Cornell was a friend, and Chris was
an amazing front man, and the thing was that he
could really only commune like he could. He told me
about being an outcast when he was a kid and
then he became a musician and became this iconic front man,
(05:43):
but as a kid he really didn't fit in. So
like music becomes this way of communicating and you know,
sort of fitting in with the world.
Speaker 3 (05:53):
I think for for I think especially for songwriters, but
I think it also for musicians in general. I think
many times it starts as a way to be seen
or understood. It's like, I feel like a very common
(06:15):
sentiment is wanting to say something or to show something,
and maybe like not having the platform or not having
the confidence, or coming from an environment that doesn't really
let you do it. And so music works as this
kind of not revenge, but like you know, counter counter attack,
(06:39):
where you're like, I'll put myself on a stage, so
you kind of have to listen to me. And then
when when you grow older and you're not that like
mad and instinctive anymore, you understand that it's actually your
way to communicate strong, strong feelings that can be like
overwhelming most of the time. And when you have like
(07:03):
the the safety of the stage, which is counterintuitive, but
stage makes me feel, makes me and I think a
lot of colleagues safe safer. You kind of have the
strength to to talk about these things.
Speaker 2 (07:21):
Well, that's really interesting then for you. No, it's funny
because Chris told me once, he's like, you know, no,
great frontmen come from like, you know, the high school
football players and the popular people. It always comes for
the outcast. Probably true more often than not. Yeah, but
it's interesting for you then, you know, because there is
this history of you know, front men who are like
(07:44):
shy or don't communicate well. When Monaskyin started to become
this huge fucking behemoth that everybody responded to, was there
a feeling of like, huh, how does this make sense?
Because it's like you, personally, you feel like you don't
you don't communicate well, and all of a sudden, ever
ready in the world loves your band and there's twenty
dozen people listening the ship to it.
Speaker 3 (08:07):
It didn't really like of course, if you think about it,
it feels weird because I think there's there's no again.
If you break it down, it's it's always weird to
think that there's that amount of people giving attention to you.
(08:28):
I think it will never get normal for me. But
I think that for me felt a lot like I
was right then, like I had something to say and
I thought it was worth listening, and like this is
finally the evidence that I was right.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
And it's funny though, because that then give you the
confidence to be able to do as a record that
is more vulnerable and more you know, more of you,
because all of a sudden, it's like, Okay, all these
people are responding, all these people love it. And it's
also the other thing, of course that happens is you
just get older, and as you get older, I've talked
with everyone about this, you just get more confident, you
(09:10):
start to care less, you worry about the people think.
Speaker 3 (09:14):
Yeah, I would say, it's definitely true.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
So what did that start to happen for you?
Speaker 4 (09:23):
I think.
Speaker 3 (09:27):
It happened like during the process of the record, like
I felt like I needed to communicate something and the
only way possible to do it was to make a
solo project. And then of course after that, all the
fears and self doubting and the thinking about what people
(09:50):
would think came about. But I would say it less
than very, very, very few days because I was really
paying attention on about how writing this music was making
me feel, and it was extremely positive for me. So
I didn't want to let the idea that maybe tomorrow
(10:14):
or something is gonna hate it deny me from having
such a beautiful experience.
Speaker 2 (10:21):
What was the first songwriting for this record? Was there?
It's funny you say that, you know kind of during
the process you realized it was a solo record. At
what point, like, was there one song that made you realize, wait,
this is something different, like this should be a solo project.
Speaker 3 (10:38):
I knew from the start it was going to be,
like I started with the purpose of doing a solo project,
so I knew that a very defining song was born
with a broken Heart because it's a type of sound
that I didn't imagine for myself at the beginning of
(10:59):
the process, and then it ended up being the one
I feel more comfortable with right now and more like
represented by and so that was really like a breaking
point for me, and it was like, Okay, I think
we just found the sound of the.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
Record interesting because even going back with Monskin, I mean,
you know you definitely then we've talked about this. You
guys always were able to, you know, explore different worlds,
and then when you work with different directors, for example
on film stuff like we talked about, you know, there
was always that versatility. But what was it about this
sound that for you was like okay? Because again the
(11:37):
other thing, of course that happens Toll I talk about
those people all the time. Your music tastes changed you
get older, and also stuff that you identify with. It's
funny like you can know a song your whole life, right,
and then you get older and you understand it much
more because you have different experiences. So what was it
about this sound that just blew you away?
Speaker 3 (12:00):
I think I felt like it would allow me to
be many different things at the same time, which is
what I feel like I am and what I want
to show the people. Like I feel like I'm a before,
a songwriter, an artist, a performer, or whatever. I'm a person.
(12:21):
I'm a human being and people are made of many
different layers and many different levels of emotions and experiences.
And I felt like this type of sound, which is
very like influenced by theater and musicals, like what would
really give me the chance to explore a huge amount
(12:45):
of emotions and dynamics and would allow me to dance
if I wanted to dance and be very serious, if
I wanted to be serious, be very cinematic, like I
feel like it has such a wide range of emotions
and allowance and my main goal is to have fun
with music, so that I felt like this would allow
(13:08):
me to really have fun.
Speaker 2 (13:11):
When you say that, are there artists that you look
at the way they evolve and continue to grow that
you kind of Admire's funny. The person that comes to
mind when I talk with you as a huge compliment,
because I'm a huge fan of Business Market Hall of
Fame is Rod Sewart because he's always been really good
at that sort of chameleon thing of just but it
hasn't been, like, you know, intentionally being a chameleon. He
(13:33):
just fucking loves everything. He loves the Great American Song,
but he loves rock, he loves disco. So are there
people for you that you look at us like sort
of role models so that you admire for the way
they've been able to, you know, evolve and continue to
grow and do different things.
Speaker 3 (13:48):
I have a huge respect for every artist that was
able to reinvent themselves. But I also think reinventing it's
the wrong word. I think it's just like exploring all
the different parts of your personality. You're not inventing anything.
(14:09):
You're just like like moving the spotlight to a different
side of yourself. But at the same time, I really
respect people that had a genre and maybe didn't work
from the very beginning, but they kept pushing on that
because it's what they really believed in and they then
ended up being huge. Like I don't know, Lanna Dray
(14:32):
is someone who created her success on having this very
strong image and rather you like it or not, this
is what I am, and this is what I have
to offer. And it's more like this state of mind
that I really appreciate, like being convinced of something despite
(14:53):
maybe like the immediate feedback, and having like being so
sure of who you are that you know that sooner
or later it's gonna happen.
Speaker 2 (15:03):
Interesting. No, I know what you're saying about reinventing, because
it's like you know, of course, the greatest community in
the music history, no question, was Bowie and you know,
everything Bowie did, no matter how different it was, it
was still fucking Bowie. You heard it, you felt it
was Bowie.
Speaker 4 (15:19):
You know, it was all aside of him. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (15:37):
Yeah, So what are two glass for the record?
Speaker 3 (15:40):
Yeah? No, we have ah Now, I have some festivals
coming and then uh war tour.
Speaker 2 (15:48):
So what have been the favorite songs from the album
to do live? And if they know? It's funny because
you can love a song right, like Born with a
Broken Art you can love that right, And then you
know there are other songs on the record, like Voices
or whatever that you may feel like, you know, okay,
this is good, but it's not my favorite, and then
when you do in front of an audience, they're like,
holy shit, this is my favorite song ever, and the
(16:10):
audience makes the song their own take at data side.
So there have been songs you can surprise by the response.
Speaker 3 (16:20):
People are connecting a lot with, like Zonbie Lady, and
and and which is a single, so it kind of
makes sense of the non singles. I think Tangerine it's
surprising me because it was very close to not even
make the record, and then like a bunch of things
(16:40):
that happened, we reproduced the song. I send it to David.
We had the theatering, so like the whole like feeling
around the song changed and and I don't know, it's
beautiful to see that. I just like followed my instincts
because I thought that, like the lyrics of the song
were special, and they ended up being kind of what
(17:02):
people are connecting with right now.
Speaker 2 (17:06):
Well that's an interesting thing, right. I've always found this
to be the case. The more vulnerable you are as
an artist, the more people connect with it. Have you
found that, like, you know, that's been the case. And
I know the record's only been out a short time,
but of course there have been many singles out and
then of course you know fans now they listen to
everything the second that comes out. So have you been
(17:26):
surprised by how deeply people connect with it? Because, like
I said, I do feel like the more vulnerable you are,
the more you put yourself in there, the more people
respond to it.
Speaker 3 (17:38):
I think that like the people that are appreciating me
now are doing it in at like a deeper level.
They're appreciating like me as a human rather than like
the idealization of me. And like this this kind of
(18:02):
exaggerated portrait that they had of me. I'm also seeing
like how many old fans were actually not as deeply
connected with me and my music, and it was all
about like my image and my I don't know verve
in that moment, but it's it's also good to do
(18:23):
something clean up.
Speaker 2 (18:25):
So for you, do you feel like, I mean, it's funny,
were the records for you when you think back to, like,
you know, vulnerability and those records that spoke to you
that that intimacy. Are there records from other people that
really like were role models or examples or that you
just think of like where you're like, wow, that's such
an open records Like of course still don't plug on
(18:48):
the tracks. It's like a classic one, but there are
so many where you're just like Lincoln Park for example,
was a great example too because Chester was a friend
that you know, he puts so much of himself in there.
So what are those records for you that really spoke
to Yeah.
Speaker 3 (19:02):
The last record by Nothing but Teeves, it's it's very sick,
it's beautiful and it's various. There's like it was really
inspiring to see like how how beautiful the music was
(19:23):
and also how they developed as a band and how
much their sound always sounds like them but in a
different way. Also, Steven Sanchez album on a on a
lyric level, it was it is very, very beautiful and
(19:44):
again like he managed to really put himself in into
into a whole world. He created an image and a
sound that really goes together. So when I when I
listened to his music, but I think it's general experience.
I'm really like feeling it. Also, like on a environment level,
(20:07):
it's not just music, and I think it really nailed
this thing of being someone very recognizable with a very
clear identity.
Speaker 2 (20:17):
Interesting. Are there artists that you would love to dour
with just for fun, not because you know they would
be like you know, because it would be a good
box off straw, but just someone you would like to
watch from the stage every night that you think it
would be fun to share the stage with.
Speaker 3 (20:32):
I mean, there's so many I think, like, I don't know.
Bruno Mars is one of the best performers and hit
maker of our generation. At Sharan is one of the
most like various and prolific and like gifted artists of
our generation. Billie Eilish, it's amazing I don't know another ray.
(21:01):
She's incredible, Adele, there's so.
Speaker 5 (21:03):
Many well, well, one element of the podcast that I
do is, you know, we talk about giving back and
it's called in service of you know, we talk about
like what it means as a musician to give back,
and of course that's such a broad thing because just
making music that people connect with is an aspect of
giving back as well as as an artist, by nature,
(21:24):
you have to get back because you're sharing yourself with
the world.
Speaker 2 (21:27):
So for you talk about how you get back either
musically or you know, like through charities that are important
to you and why that is. And you know, it's
interesting how you find it fuels your music.
Speaker 3 (21:42):
I think that music it's something higher than humans. It
comes from like a like a higher place, and it's
like way closer to the divine that we can ever be.
So I always say that, like my conversation am I,
(22:06):
giving back is actually to music, Like it's like songs
come from the sky, like I don't know where they
come from in my brain, and it's like this beautiful
light from heaven that comes and gives me the song.
So what I'm focused on giving back is to the music,
and I always say, like we work at the service
(22:26):
of the music. Is not the opposite. It's not the
music that has to work for us. We have to
be the vessel of music. And then it's the music
itself that is going to do all the works. It's
the music that moves people. It's not the fact that
I'm singing that, it's the music itself, and it's something
that it's so like ancestral basically, like since the beginning
(22:51):
of time, we trial we have fun with like music,
It's in our lives, it's in our evolution as a species.
So I think that both like fans and the artists
really have to have their conversation with music itself rather
than between them, because then there's also like a lot
(23:13):
of idealization and everything. I'm just a normal person and
I have and I'm like lucky enough to have the
connection to have like the music's phone number, like I
can talk to to music. But then everything I do,
it's it's yes, it's for me and for my fulfilling,
but as soon as it comes out, it becomes of
(23:34):
the people. So it's like we already had the conversation
and we have to talk with like the higher, the
highest Yeah, that's.
Speaker 2 (23:42):
So interesting because I've had that conversation with so many
people and it's so true, and I most recently had
it with Lenny Kravitz. But it's interesting because you the
way you put it up, like having the conversation with
the divine? When did you first know that you have
that talent? Like when did you first sort of pick
it up? Because you know, not everybody recognizes that they
can hear those messages.
Speaker 3 (24:04):
I don't know. I this is a very good question.
Speaker 2 (24:08):
I think that.
Speaker 3 (24:11):
During my life, I've always been like a huge listener
of music, and I always had like such strong opinions,
like I felt like I understood it because we always say,
like there's no way to define a good song and
a bad song. There's actually a way to distinguish a
(24:32):
good song from a bad song. You just, you know,
be willing to admit it. I know that I wrote
so many shitty songs.
Speaker 2 (24:41):
So it's like I never had a problem admitting that.
Speaker 3 (24:44):
Yeah, all right, I don't know. I think I have
the Rick Rubin thing I have, like my job is
the confidence in my taste. It's kind of bad, Like
I'm so confident in my taste and in my own
self defining of but he's a good song that then
I started thinking that I could make it.
Speaker 2 (25:05):
Interesting. All right, well, I won't keep you much longer,
but that's fascinating to me. I will never ask you
to talk shit on the song. But being any example
that of like something you heard does like just a
good song, something you knew right away. That's like because
I know what you're talking about. You can hear a
song and it's just you know, a great song connects
with your gut, like you know why you love it.
(25:26):
It's like funny. I always talk about this as an
interview or too. It's the same with people. Sometimes you
fucking connect to the person and sometimes you don't, and
it's like food everything, it's just connection. So me like
two songs that just like hit you in the gut
where you're like, that song is special.
Speaker 3 (25:43):
That song speaks to me, Okay, I think like I
can see there to make you feel my love the
greatest love song ever. And it's because he talks about
a topic that it's so complex like love and relationship
and everything in such a simple way. And I think
(26:06):
that every time a songwriter manages to take something that
it's like a big live question and melts it down
to like, let's try to explain this to a kid.
It's it really moves me because it's like we don't
actually need that much to describe beauty. Beauty it's there
(26:27):
and we just have to point to it. And a
very treash song, a very treash song. I don't want
to see you.
Speaker 2 (26:37):
That's why I said, I want to ask you to
talk shit on it, So unless you want to, I mean,
you know, certainly for me, I can tell you songs
that I fucking hate.
Speaker 3 (26:45):
I have a bunch too of camera.
Speaker 2 (26:50):
But yeah, so all right, So for you it's interesting now,
I mean talk about you know this record. Obviously it's
a change trapping for you. Like we said, it's more vulnerable,
it's a different side of you. So will that continue then?
Put my skin will come back to more what it
was or is this like do you see how do
you see all this coming together for you in the future.
(27:10):
It's always interesting to see, you know, how you sounded.
It needs to grow and evolve, like you talked about.
Speaker 3 (27:16):
I think that like Mynuskin's identity and sound will will
always be that because that's what connects us I hope
that I will manage to bring like more of myself
into into into the band's music, but always like never
(27:38):
forgetting that it's not my band, but we are a band,
and I have to always include and respect and and
and take care of also the other three members opinions
and point of view, not only if the lyrics are
good or bad, but like do you feel represented by
what I'm saying, Like does it connect with your view
(28:01):
of things? So of course there's going to be a
different level of involvement by me because I'm talking from
like a four people point of view. I'm kind of
the vessel of the band lyrically, so that this difference
it's always going to be there. But of course I
(28:22):
hope that like we all as a group are in
the process of like being more confident of who we are,
and so it will allows us and allow us in
the future to be more honest as a group.
Speaker 2 (28:35):
Cool last question, but I want to go back to
something you're talking about, you know, with the antenna, And
it's so interesting because I talked about there's so many songwriters,
you know, I even talked about like Mike Stoler ninety
years old, he coro stand by me and Joe House Rock.
You know, he's written like some of the greatest songs
of all time. He's like, I have no idea where
songs come from. No one knows so for you, but
(28:56):
like you know, Jimmy Cliff was telling me he wrote
the hard did they come in ten minutes? For you?
Have there been those one or two songs where like
every song is kind of a mystery, but there's ones
where it's just like it comes to you like lightning,
and you have no idea where it came from, but
in like ten minutes, five minutes, you know you've written
like a song that blows you away.
Speaker 3 (29:17):
It's crazy because this happened with the first song of
the record and the last song of the record that
then ended up being the opener, not the opener, not
of the record, but like the first single Next Summer,
and the outro of the album, which is Solitude second single,
Next Summer. Sorry, but it's the first song we wrote.
(29:40):
And I truly don't know what happened in both cases,
but like half an hour in the session, the song
was there and it was just about like you know,
putting the last the cherry on top.
Speaker 2 (29:55):
Nice. So when you go back to listen to those
are you like like you? You like you like? They kind
of are surprised to you. It's weird because when that happens,
you can almost listen to the song as a fan
because it's almost like you need to write it. Mm hmm.
Speaker 3 (30:10):
Yeah, it's now. I have these songs in my phone
since like six months, so I'm kind of used to that.
But like the feeling was was very dead like sometimes
it's like until they're out. Actually, I kind of listen
to my songs as if they were from an x
y Z artist.
Speaker 2 (30:32):
Cool man, what do you want to have that? Do
not ask you about?
Speaker 3 (30:36):
I think you got it all.
Speaker 2 (30:39):
Well. I try and keep it different, you know. I
don't want to ask you the same boy questions out
of time, but yeah, I see it, cool man. Thank
you so much for the ton you guys listen to
the record.
Speaker 3 (30:49):
Thank you. I have a great one.
Speaker 2 (30:51):
Thanks to Manci
Hi, It's Steve Balton and this week on in Service
UF I sit down with Monuskin from Me Doniano David
to talk about his first solo album. It's an incredible
record and great conversation when we're talking about vulnerability and songwriting,
why he decided to do the solo project now, how
it differs from his band projects, and.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
What he's exciting about now musically. Hope you enjoy this
conversation as much as I did. Thanks for being here today.
Congratulations on the record. Man, It's funny. I was just
(00:48):
looking at your Instagram. You know, it's such an interesting thing.
I've talked about this with so many artists. When you
do a solo record as opposed to being in a band,
it does feel like because it's under your name, it's
much more more personal, and you know, it feels like
this one is more It's funny. I remember when we
were talking, you know, with Monuskin about the Supermodel and
being influenced by La and it feels like this one
(01:10):
was more internal, Like it was much more internal stuff.
Was that the case? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (01:16):
I think I think, especially the last record with minds Kin,
it's a lot about what I was seeing externally, while
this record is a lot about the effects that all
that I've seen had on me.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
That's interesting, you know, because I'm always a big believer
in writing being subconscious, Right, So when you started doing
this and started putting all this into the song, were
there things that you were surprised? Because I talked about
so many artists too. When you're in the middle of stuff,
when you're like blowing up and you're doing fallin and
you're doing all this stuff, you don't really get a
(01:52):
chance to process it. So then when you sit down
and write about it, you're like, oh shit, I don't
even know I was thinking that.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
Yeah, I it was. Actually it's quite accurate. It's really
my experience. It's like, I feel like everything that happened
with the band happened so fast that I never really
had the chance to absorb it and understand like the
(02:22):
effects that he was having on me. And I was
like so moved by this boost of energy and enthusiasm
that like all the problems were kind of going into
the back of my brain. But you can delay stuff
for only for as long as possible. At one point
it's going to come out, and this was the time
(02:45):
for me.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
So were there still early here in LA Were there
specific songs that really surprised you when you went back
and listen to the lyrics and you were like, again,
sometimes you know what you're thinking, Like you say you
can put the problems away first only so long and
then it's like they're gonna come out and song. So
were the specific songs of the record that really surprised you?
Speaker 3 (03:07):
I think that in like pretty much with every song
what happens to me. It's like after I wrote it,
I read back the lyrics and yes, I realized that
I didn't even know that I was feeling that so
strongly or that like that was the source of my problem.
(03:28):
And this is really like generalized to pretty much every
song I right, and in general in the record. I
was surprised by the level of of like honesty and
vulnerability and disconnects. Also like with with the level of
connection that I managed to have with like all the
(03:50):
producers and some writers I worked with, and that it
was surprising for me as a very how do you
say it, like internal person, I don't I don't share much,
so it was surprising for me the level of understanding
and the level of like also confidence that that that
(04:13):
I can see in the songs.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
That's interesting. But you know it's funny because you say,
like as a very internal person, but do you find
also that I've talked to so many people about this
that music is your way of communicating. So it became
something where it was like you had to put all
this out in music because you had to, like you say,
you have to get it out there.
Speaker 3 (04:34):
Yeah, definitely, definitely, Like the word that was searching for
was introvert. But yeah, it's it's for me. It's really
it works like opening the lid of a bottle and
letting everything come out because I'm not a great talker,
(04:58):
so music that the trick for me.
Speaker 2 (05:01):
Well, you know it's funny though, because we've interviewed a
few times, so relative to some other introverts i've interviewed,
you're a much you know, it's funny. I went to
a party once at Prince's house at one of the
like these party season. He literally did not talk to
anybody who wasn't playing music with. He did not say where,
he would nod at you like to acknowledge you were
at his house, but that was it. So, I mean,
(05:22):
it's funny how often like, you know, when did you
figure that out? For you? That's so interesting to me
because like Chris Cornell was a friend, and Chris was
an amazing front man, and the thing was that he
could really only commune like he could. He told me
about being an outcast when he was a kid and
then he became a musician and became this iconic front man,
(05:43):
but as a kid he really didn't fit in. So
like music becomes this way of communicating and you know,
sort of fitting in with the world.
Speaker 3 (05:53):
I think for for I think especially for songwriters, but
I think it also for musicians in general. I think
many times it starts as a way to be seen
or understood. It's like, I feel like a very common
(06:15):
sentiment is wanting to say something or to show something,
and maybe like not having the platform or not having
the confidence, or coming from an environment that doesn't really
let you do it. And so music works as this
kind of not revenge, but like you know, counter counter attack,
(06:39):
where you're like, I'll put myself on a stage, so
you kind of have to listen to me. And then
when when you grow older and you're not that like
mad and instinctive anymore, you understand that it's actually your
way to communicate strong, strong feelings that can be like
overwhelming most of the time. And when you have like
(07:03):
the the safety of the stage, which is counterintuitive, but
stage makes me feel, makes me and I think a
lot of colleagues safe safer. You kind of have the
strength to to talk about these things.
Speaker 2 (07:21):
Well, that's really interesting then for you. No, it's funny
because Chris told me once, he's like, you know, no,
great frontmen come from like, you know, the high school
football players and the popular people. It always comes for
the outcast. Probably true more often than not. Yeah, but
it's interesting for you then, you know, because there is
this history of you know, front men who are like
(07:44):
shy or don't communicate well. When Monaskyin started to become
this huge fucking behemoth that everybody responded to, was there
a feeling of like, huh, how does this make sense?
Because it's like you, personally, you feel like you don't
you don't communicate well, and all of a sudden, ever
ready in the world loves your band and there's twenty
dozen people listening the ship to it.
Speaker 3 (08:07):
It didn't really like of course, if you think about it,
it feels weird because I think there's there's no again.
If you break it down, it's it's always weird to
think that there's that amount of people giving attention to you.
(08:28):
I think it will never get normal for me. But
I think that for me felt a lot like I
was right then, like I had something to say and
I thought it was worth listening, and like this is
finally the evidence that I was right.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
And it's funny though, because that then give you the
confidence to be able to do as a record that
is more vulnerable and more you know, more of you,
because all of a sudden, it's like, Okay, all these
people are responding, all these people love it. And it's
also the other thing, of course that happens is you
just get older, and as you get older, I've talked
with everyone about this, you just get more confident, you
(09:10):
start to care less, you worry about the people think.
Speaker 3 (09:14):
Yeah, I would say, it's definitely true.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
So what did that start to happen for you?
Speaker 4 (09:23):
I think.
Speaker 3 (09:27):
It happened like during the process of the record, like
I felt like I needed to communicate something and the
only way possible to do it was to make a
solo project. And then of course after that, all the
fears and self doubting and the thinking about what people
(09:50):
would think came about. But I would say it less
than very, very, very few days because I was really
paying attention on about how writing this music was making
me feel, and it was extremely positive for me. So
I didn't want to let the idea that maybe tomorrow
(10:14):
or something is gonna hate it deny me from having
such a beautiful experience.
Speaker 2 (10:21):
What was the first songwriting for this record? Was there?
It's funny you say that, you know kind of during
the process you realized it was a solo record. At
what point, like, was there one song that made you realize, wait,
this is something different, like this should be a solo project.
Speaker 3 (10:38):
I knew from the start it was going to be,
like I started with the purpose of doing a solo project,
so I knew that a very defining song was born
with a broken Heart because it's a type of sound
that I didn't imagine for myself at the beginning of
(10:59):
the process, and then it ended up being the one
I feel more comfortable with right now and more like
represented by and so that was really like a breaking
point for me, and it was like, Okay, I think
we just found the sound of the.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
Record interesting because even going back with Monskin, I mean,
you know you definitely then we've talked about this. You
guys always were able to, you know, explore different worlds,
and then when you work with different directors, for example
on film stuff like we talked about, you know, there
was always that versatility. But what was it about this
sound that for you was like okay? Because again the
(11:37):
other thing, of course that happens Toll I talk about
those people all the time. Your music tastes changed you
get older, and also stuff that you identify with. It's
funny like you can know a song your whole life, right,
and then you get older and you understand it much
more because you have different experiences. So what was it
about this sound that just blew you away?
Speaker 3 (12:00):
I think I felt like it would allow me to
be many different things at the same time, which is
what I feel like I am and what I want
to show the people. Like I feel like I'm a before,
a songwriter, an artist, a performer, or whatever. I'm a person.
(12:21):
I'm a human being and people are made of many
different layers and many different levels of emotions and experiences.
And I felt like this type of sound, which is
very like influenced by theater and musicals, like what would
really give me the chance to explore a huge amount
(12:45):
of emotions and dynamics and would allow me to dance
if I wanted to dance and be very serious, if
I wanted to be serious, be very cinematic, like I
feel like it has such a wide range of emotions
and allowance and my main goal is to have fun
with music, so that I felt like this would allow
(13:08):
me to really have fun.
Speaker 2 (13:11):
When you say that, are there artists that you look
at the way they evolve and continue to grow that
you kind of Admire's funny. The person that comes to
mind when I talk with you as a huge compliment,
because I'm a huge fan of Business Market Hall of
Fame is Rod Sewart because he's always been really good
at that sort of chameleon thing of just but it
hasn't been, like, you know, intentionally being a chameleon. He
(13:33):
just fucking loves everything. He loves the Great American Song,
but he loves rock, he loves disco. So are there
people for you that you look at us like sort
of role models so that you admire for the way
they've been able to, you know, evolve and continue to
grow and do different things.
Speaker 3 (13:48):
I have a huge respect for every artist that was
able to reinvent themselves. But I also think reinventing it's
the wrong word. I think it's just like exploring all
the different parts of your personality. You're not inventing anything.
(14:09):
You're just like like moving the spotlight to a different
side of yourself. But at the same time, I really
respect people that had a genre and maybe didn't work
from the very beginning, but they kept pushing on that
because it's what they really believed in and they then
ended up being huge. Like I don't know, Lanna Dray
(14:32):
is someone who created her success on having this very
strong image and rather you like it or not, this
is what I am, and this is what I have
to offer. And it's more like this state of mind
that I really appreciate, like being convinced of something despite
(14:53):
maybe like the immediate feedback, and having like being so
sure of who you are that you know that sooner
or later it's gonna happen.
Speaker 2 (15:03):
Interesting. No, I know what you're saying about reinventing, because
it's like you know, of course, the greatest community in
the music history, no question, was Bowie and you know,
everything Bowie did, no matter how different it was, it
was still fucking Bowie. You heard it, you felt it
was Bowie.
Speaker 4 (15:19):
You know, it was all aside of him. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (15:37):
Yeah, So what are two glass for the record?
Speaker 3 (15:40):
Yeah? No, we have ah Now, I have some festivals
coming and then uh war tour.
Speaker 2 (15:48):
So what have been the favorite songs from the album
to do live? And if they know? It's funny because
you can love a song right, like Born with a
Broken Art you can love that right, And then you
know there are other songs on the record, like Voices
or whatever that you may feel like, you know, okay,
this is good, but it's not my favorite, and then
when you do in front of an audience, they're like,
holy shit, this is my favorite song ever, and the
(16:10):
audience makes the song their own take at data side.
So there have been songs you can surprise by the response.
Speaker 3 (16:20):
People are connecting a lot with, like Zonbie Lady, and
and and which is a single, so it kind of
makes sense of the non singles. I think Tangerine it's
surprising me because it was very close to not even
make the record, and then like a bunch of things
(16:40):
that happened, we reproduced the song. I send it to David.
We had the theatering, so like the whole like feeling
around the song changed and and I don't know, it's
beautiful to see that. I just like followed my instincts
because I thought that, like the lyrics of the song
were special, and they ended up being kind of what
(17:02):
people are connecting with right now.
Speaker 2 (17:06):
Well that's an interesting thing, right. I've always found this
to be the case. The more vulnerable you are as
an artist, the more people connect with it. Have you
found that, like, you know, that's been the case. And
I know the record's only been out a short time,
but of course there have been many singles out and
then of course you know fans now they listen to
everything the second that comes out. So have you been
(17:26):
surprised by how deeply people connect with it? Because, like
I said, I do feel like the more vulnerable you are,
the more you put yourself in there, the more people
respond to it.
Speaker 3 (17:38):
I think that like the people that are appreciating me
now are doing it in at like a deeper level.
They're appreciating like me as a human rather than like
the idealization of me. And like this this kind of
(18:02):
exaggerated portrait that they had of me. I'm also seeing
like how many old fans were actually not as deeply
connected with me and my music, and it was all
about like my image and my I don't know verve
in that moment, but it's it's also good to do
(18:23):
something clean up.
Speaker 2 (18:25):
So for you, do you feel like, I mean, it's funny,
were the records for you when you think back to, like,
you know, vulnerability and those records that spoke to you
that that intimacy. Are there records from other people that
really like were role models or examples or that you
just think of like where you're like, wow, that's such
an open records Like of course still don't plug on
(18:48):
the tracks. It's like a classic one, but there are
so many where you're just like Lincoln Park for example,
was a great example too because Chester was a friend
that you know, he puts so much of himself in there.
So what are those records for you that really spoke
to Yeah.
Speaker 3 (19:02):
The last record by Nothing but Teeves, it's it's very sick,
it's beautiful and it's various. There's like it was really
inspiring to see like how how beautiful the music was
(19:23):
and also how they developed as a band and how
much their sound always sounds like them but in a
different way. Also, Steven Sanchez album on a on a
lyric level, it was it is very, very beautiful and
(19:44):
again like he managed to really put himself in into
into a whole world. He created an image and a
sound that really goes together. So when I when I
listened to his music, but I think it's general experience.
I'm really like feeling it. Also, like on a environment level,
(20:07):
it's not just music, and I think it really nailed
this thing of being someone very recognizable with a very
clear identity.
Speaker 2 (20:17):
Interesting. Are there artists that you would love to dour
with just for fun, not because you know they would
be like you know, because it would be a good
box off straw, but just someone you would like to
watch from the stage every night that you think it
would be fun to share the stage with.
Speaker 3 (20:32):
I mean, there's so many I think, like, I don't know.
Bruno Mars is one of the best performers and hit
maker of our generation. At Sharan is one of the
most like various and prolific and like gifted artists of
our generation. Billie Eilish, it's amazing I don't know another ray.
(21:01):
She's incredible, Adele, there's so.
Speaker 5 (21:03):
Many well, well, one element of the podcast that I
do is, you know, we talk about giving back and
it's called in service of you know, we talk about
like what it means as a musician to give back,
and of course that's such a broad thing because just
making music that people connect with is an aspect of
giving back as well as as an artist, by nature,
(21:24):
you have to get back because you're sharing yourself with
the world.
Speaker 2 (21:27):
So for you talk about how you get back either
musically or you know, like through charities that are important
to you and why that is. And you know, it's
interesting how you find it fuels your music.
Speaker 3 (21:42):
I think that music it's something higher than humans. It
comes from like a like a higher place, and it's
like way closer to the divine that we can ever be.
So I always say that, like my conversation am I,
(22:06):
giving back is actually to music, Like it's like songs
come from the sky, like I don't know where they
come from in my brain, and it's like this beautiful
light from heaven that comes and gives me the song.
So what I'm focused on giving back is to the music,
and I always say, like we work at the service
(22:26):
of the music. Is not the opposite. It's not the
music that has to work for us. We have to
be the vessel of music. And then it's the music
itself that is going to do all the works. It's
the music that moves people. It's not the fact that
I'm singing that, it's the music itself, and it's something
that it's so like ancestral basically, like since the beginning
(22:51):
of time, we trial we have fun with like music,
It's in our lives, it's in our evolution as a species.
So I think that both like fans and the artists
really have to have their conversation with music itself rather
than between them, because then there's also like a lot
(23:13):
of idealization and everything. I'm just a normal person and
I have and I'm like lucky enough to have the
connection to have like the music's phone number, like I
can talk to to music. But then everything I do,
it's it's yes, it's for me and for my fulfilling,
but as soon as it comes out, it becomes of
(23:34):
the people. So it's like we already had the conversation
and we have to talk with like the higher, the
highest Yeah, that's.
Speaker 2 (23:42):
So interesting because I've had that conversation with so many
people and it's so true, and I most recently had
it with Lenny Kravitz. But it's interesting because you the
way you put it up, like having the conversation with
the divine? When did you first know that you have
that talent? Like when did you first sort of pick
it up? Because you know, not everybody recognizes that they
can hear those messages.
Speaker 3 (24:04):
I don't know. I this is a very good question.
Speaker 2 (24:08):
I think that.
Speaker 3 (24:11):
During my life, I've always been like a huge listener
of music, and I always had like such strong opinions,
like I felt like I understood it because we always say,
like there's no way to define a good song and
a bad song. There's actually a way to distinguish a
(24:32):
good song from a bad song. You just, you know,
be willing to admit it. I know that I wrote
so many shitty songs.
Speaker 2 (24:41):
So it's like I never had a problem admitting that.
Speaker 3 (24:44):
Yeah, all right, I don't know. I think I have
the Rick Rubin thing I have, like my job is
the confidence in my taste. It's kind of bad, Like
I'm so confident in my taste and in my own
self defining of but he's a good song that then
I started thinking that I could make it.
Speaker 2 (25:05):
Interesting. All right, well, I won't keep you much longer,
but that's fascinating to me. I will never ask you
to talk shit on the song. But being any example
that of like something you heard does like just a
good song, something you knew right away. That's like because
I know what you're talking about. You can hear a
song and it's just you know, a great song connects
with your gut, like you know why you love it.
(25:26):
It's like funny. I always talk about this as an
interview or too. It's the same with people. Sometimes you
fucking connect to the person and sometimes you don't, and
it's like food everything, it's just connection. So me like
two songs that just like hit you in the gut
where you're like, that song is special.
Speaker 3 (25:43):
That song speaks to me, Okay, I think like I
can see there to make you feel my love the
greatest love song ever. And it's because he talks about
a topic that it's so complex like love and relationship
and everything in such a simple way. And I think
(26:06):
that every time a songwriter manages to take something that
it's like a big live question and melts it down
to like, let's try to explain this to a kid.
It's it really moves me because it's like we don't
actually need that much to describe beauty. Beauty it's there
(26:27):
and we just have to point to it. And a
very treash song, a very treash song. I don't want
to see you.
Speaker 2 (26:37):
That's why I said, I want to ask you to
talk shit on it, So unless you want to, I mean,
you know, certainly for me, I can tell you songs
that I fucking hate.
Speaker 3 (26:45):
I have a bunch too of camera.
Speaker 2 (26:50):
But yeah, so all right, So for you it's interesting now,
I mean talk about you know this record. Obviously it's
a change trapping for you. Like we said, it's more vulnerable,
it's a different side of you. So will that continue then?
Put my skin will come back to more what it
was or is this like do you see how do
you see all this coming together for you in the future.
(27:10):
It's always interesting to see, you know, how you sounded.
It needs to grow and evolve, like you talked about.
Speaker 3 (27:16):
I think that like Mynuskin's identity and sound will will
always be that because that's what connects us I hope
that I will manage to bring like more of myself
into into into the band's music, but always like never
(27:38):
forgetting that it's not my band, but we are a band,
and I have to always include and respect and and
and take care of also the other three members opinions
and point of view, not only if the lyrics are
good or bad, but like do you feel represented by
what I'm saying, Like does it connect with your view
(28:01):
of things? So of course there's going to be a
different level of involvement by me because I'm talking from
like a four people point of view. I'm kind of
the vessel of the band lyrically, so that this difference
it's always going to be there. But of course I
(28:22):
hope that like we all as a group are in
the process of like being more confident of who we are,
and so it will allows us and allow us in
the future to be more honest as a group.
Speaker 2 (28:35):
Cool last question, but I want to go back to
something you're talking about, you know, with the antenna, And
it's so interesting because I talked about there's so many songwriters,
you know, I even talked about like Mike Stoler ninety
years old, he coro stand by me and Joe House Rock.
You know, he's written like some of the greatest songs
of all time. He's like, I have no idea where
songs come from. No one knows so for you, but
(28:56):
like you know, Jimmy Cliff was telling me he wrote
the hard did they come in ten minutes? For you?
Have there been those one or two songs where like
every song is kind of a mystery, but there's ones
where it's just like it comes to you like lightning,
and you have no idea where it came from, but
in like ten minutes, five minutes, you know you've written
like a song that blows you away.
Speaker 3 (29:17):
It's crazy because this happened with the first song of
the record and the last song of the record that
then ended up being the opener, not the opener, not
of the record, but like the first single Next Summer,
and the outro of the album, which is Solitude second single,
Next Summer. Sorry, but it's the first song we wrote.
(29:40):
And I truly don't know what happened in both cases,
but like half an hour in the session, the song
was there and it was just about like you know,
putting the last the cherry on top.
Speaker 2 (29:55):
Nice. So when you go back to listen to those
are you like like you? You like you like? They kind
of are surprised to you. It's weird because when that happens,
you can almost listen to the song as a fan
because it's almost like you need to write it. Mm hmm.
Speaker 3 (30:10):
Yeah, it's now. I have these songs in my phone
since like six months, so I'm kind of used to that.
But like the feeling was was very dead like sometimes
it's like until they're out. Actually, I kind of listen
to my songs as if they were from an x
y Z artist.
Speaker 2 (30:32):
Cool man, what do you want to have that? Do
not ask you about?
Speaker 3 (30:36):
I think you got it all.
Speaker 2 (30:39):
Well. I try and keep it different, you know. I
don't want to ask you the same boy questions out
of time, but yeah, I see it, cool man. Thank
you so much for the ton you guys listen to
the record.
Speaker 3 (30:49):
Thank you. I have a great one.
Speaker 2 (30:51):
Thanks to Manci
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