Hailing from Bradford, UK, MXY emerges as a groundbreaking force in the music industry, seamlessly blending fresh electronic influences with retro contemporary R&B. With a career spanning nearly two decades, MXY’s unique style and commitment to breaking barriers make her an artist to watch. After a triumphant return with “Mind Body & Soul” and subsequent releases, MXY continues to make waves with her latest offerings, including the “Feel The Fire” EP, setting the stage for an upcoming album. In this exclusive interview, we delve into MXY’s musical journey, influences, and what fans can expect from her highly anticipated album.
Your musical journey has seen you merge electronic influences with retro contemporary R&B. How do these diverse elements come together in your creative process, and how has your sound evolved over the years?
When I was growing up I had diverse influences from my parents’ record collections, my dad would have all the dance cds and my mum was into her r&b. I guess I’ve evolved my sound as an artist through having both of these genres influences in the mix during my childhood. The sound that I have now is different to five or ten years ago but what it does is combine both these elements into one sound and the love that I have for both genres together in one album.
“Mind Body & Soul” marked your comeback with a feel-good anthem. Can you share the inspiration behind the track and the significance of making a return after half a decade?
The comeback single was marked by my mental health story and how I’d come back full circle to making music again. The inspiration behind the track was wanting to share with the world my love for doing what I do and to convey the message that no matter how deep in that dark place I was, I’ve always kept that vibe strong for making music even through the hardest times of my life. I wanted to share my journey in coming through that and how coming back to music after half a decade was so important to me by telling the story in a feel good way. The significance of a return was absolutely massive for me! It was hard and daunting but It’s by far the biggest comeback of my life. I’m glad I’m back in full swing making music again and long may it be!
Your recent releases, including “Tender Lovin Care” and the “Feel The Fire” EP, showcase a range of styles and emotions. What themes or messages are you exploring in this latest body of work, and how does it set the stage for your upcoming album?
“Tender Lovin Care” creates a downtempo style on all the music I’ve produced for the album and shows a softer side of me as an artist. I really enjoyed producing this track as it allowed me to enter a slightly different space with my ideas. The latest EP of mine was actually the off cuttings that didn’t make it on to the Album, but it’s still good music, so I thought why not i’ll put it out in the build up to the album to give people a taste of what to expect next. It has given people a teaser of what kind of sound will be at the forefront of my up and coming album.
Having worked with industry heavyweights like Chad Dexter and Elliot James, how have these collaborations influenced your artistic growth, and what have been some key lessons learned along the way?
Both are absolutely amazing people, I’ve broadened my connections so much since coming back to music in the past few years and I can honestly say they are some of the most important contacts I’ve made during my entire career. Working with the right people really allows you to blossom as an artist and that’s what they’ve done. They’ve taken my sound and made it into a commercially viable product. I’ve learnt that you need to trust your engineer and mastering process wholeheartedly and if you’re working with the right people, the process will naturally flow the right way, as they will make the correct sound that you want stand out for you.
You’re a trailblazer in the UK Asian music scene, challenging norms and advocating for underrepresented groups. How does your identity influence your music, and what message do you hope to convey to others through your work?
At some point in the future I would like to start using more eastern instruments in my production and this will incorporate my cultural identity more into my music. However this isn’t something that’s the be all or end all for my music it’s more of a marketing angle to fill a gap in the market to help with creating awareness for under represented groups. I think as long as my music is good and has the right sound I’m happy and want to share that with others in a way that gets my core messages across of what I stand for as an artist such as mental health and empowering women, and representing women from ethnic minorities in the music industry.
Fans are eagerly anticipating your upcoming album. Can you give us a sneak peek into what they can expect in terms of sound, themes, and any surprises you have in store for them?
There will be a few twists and turns during the album and the vibe starts off slow and gradually builds on tempo towards the end. Expect the unexpected with some tracks on the album as I’m versatile as a producer and songwriter, but mainly the album flows well and expect for it can get deep into my life story too. The sound transports you on a journey through different types of moods and this is important for me when expressing myself through music, so I really wanted to showcase that on the album. Each song represents a different part of me with different emotions and feelings from dark and twisted to upbeat and melodic. There are a range of styles involved because it’s a crossover between House, R&B and Pop music. Some of the tracks I wrote myself, others I’d use vocal samples that I produced the track with myself and made it work to still fit in within the overall vibe of the album I was looking to create. My song writing is about different subjects from love, relationships and real life to just feel good and pure energy. I rap and sing on some of the album but I’m primarily a DJ and producer and this is what I pride the album on going forward. Look out for the release in 2024!
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