MNERVA freely acknowledges that he speaks excessively. MNERVA has carved out his own niche in the Alternative music world by blending his rock, hip hop, and musical theater inspirations into a unified sound with his funny lyrics, sincere delivery, and energetic production. MNERVA, a native of Germantown, Maryland, relocated to Nashville in 2015 to perfect his skills. He debuted as a hip hop artist in early 2020 when his twenty one pilots-inspired jukebox musical went viral. However, after experiencing the Covid-19 pandemic, MNERVA embraced his rock roots and began speaking openly about his mental health difficulties and anxiety of the future. Talk Too Much, his debut EP, represents the culmination of five years of personal struggles and self-discovery. MNERVA has fully solidified his sound with this album and is prepared to defy the accepted knowledge of blending rock and hip hop.
If you were to ask the majority of non-Nashvillians what genre of music the city is renowned for, you would more often than not hear โcountry.โ While this is clearly imprinted in the consciousness of the majority of city residents, what is less well-known about Nashville is its vibrant underground rock scene. Matt Wagner, nicknamed MNERVA, is one of the rising indie artists of this burgeoning music industry. Most of his fans and peers recognize him for his high-energy live performances, infectiously catchy melodies, and incredible drumming abilities. On 11/11, MNERVA released โLove Song,โ one of his most enchanting tracks to date. A song that explores self-reflection and the discovery of experiences and emotions you did not know you were capable of. Check out the song and the exclusive interview below:
1. Can you tell us a bit about where you come from and how it all got started?
MNERVA:I am the son of two former musicians from Germatown, Maryland and music has always been a big part of my life. My parents met in a Jazz trio in the 80s; my mom sang and my dad played the drums. I got started behind the drums when I was five years old and some of my earliest memories involve going to my dadโs cover band gigs at a very young age. I started taking music seriously when I joined my first band, Remedy, at 13 and I very quickly caught the songwriting bug and taught myself piano. From there, I moved to Nashville in 2015 to hone my songwriting craft and then dived head first into all things hip hop for four years while playing drums for various up and coming pop artists. I also spent those years writing a jukebox musical based on Twenty One Pilotโs catalog and released a trailer for it in 2020 to viral success. Sadly that project received a cease and desist letter, but the publicity gave me a foundation to launch my solo project, MNERVA, and I have now been releasing music under the moniker for almost 3 years.
2. Did you have any formal training or are you self-taught?
MNERVA: My dad was my first and most important drum teacher. I studied exclusively under him til I was 16 and then started attending summer drum camps in Cleveland and Chicago to take my playing to the next level. But whenever I go home, my dad and I still duke it out with two drum sets in the basement for hours and itโs a great time. Regarding songwriting, my college years were spent pursuing a BS in Songwriting (yes, I know itโs hilarious) and looking at songwriting from an analytical perspective was invaluable to my artistic growth.
3. Who were your first and strongest musical influences and why the name โMNERVAโ?
MNERVA: I would not be making music without The Fray and Linkin Park. When I first heard โYou Found Meโ by The Fray in 2008, I was in awe and finally started analyzing music for the first time. To this day, I still reference that song to this day for inspiration and I think it has a perfectly provocative lyric and a gorgeous soundscape. Linkin Park first introduced me to rap and freed me from the shackles of genre. Because of their influence, every song I make is a grand experiment of putting disparate elements together to create something new and exciting. Finally, the name MNERVA originally came from a Deftones song and itโs the name of the Roman Goddess of Wisdom. I was listening to the song on my last day working at my last desk job and, at that moment, I wondered what would happen if someone took the atmospheric shoegaze elements of Deftones and fused it with hip hop drums and big guitars. The name encourages me to change the conventional wisdom of alternative music and prove, once and for all, that rock and rap can be combined without being โcringy.โ
4. What do you feel are the key elements in your music that should resonate with listeners, and how would you personally describe your sound?
MNERVA: MNERVAโs sound has had quite the evolution since I debuted as a Hip Hop artist in 2020 but, today, I would describe my sound as combining anthemic choruses, big guitars, and ambient synths with hard-hitting punchlines and honest lyrics. As Iโve progressed, more of my musical theatre and punk rock influences have leaked into my music and Iโm not mad about it at all. I hope listeners leave my shows singing along to my choruses and that my music reminds people that itโs okay to be afraid of the future and struggle with your mental health as long as you keep moving forward.
5. For most artists, originality is first preceded by a phase of learning and, often, emulating others. What was this like for you? How would you describe your own development as an artist and music maker, and the transition towards your own style, which is known as Rock?
MNERVA:
My artistic journey has been all over the place but thatโs why I have so many influences to pull from. I started out writing exclusively piano rock music in the style of Coldplay and The Fray and then switched gears entirely to progressive rock and nu metal as I became a better writer. From there, I abandoned Rock entirely for a long time and then wrote exclusively hip hop and showtunes for half a decade. Although this phase felt the least authentic to me, I became a much better lyricist during this period so it was well worth it. Following my rap era, I finally came back around to writing anthemic pop rock again after the pandemic but this time I let my hip hop, experimental, and musical theater influences shine through. I donโt know many other artists who combine these disparate influences together but I truly love and believe in the music Iโm releasing and Iโm gonna keep pushing until it connects with the right audience!
6. Do you feel that your music is giving you back just as much fulfillment as the amount of work you are putting into it or are you expecting something more, or different in the future?
MNERVA:
Since 2021, I have been making the type of music Iโve always dreamed of and I am extremely personally fulfilled with my art. This past year, I was my own top artist on my Spotify Wrapped and thatโs because I am a huge fan of what Iโm creating and I believe all artists should feel that passionately about their work. From a financial perspective though, I have definitely put in much more money than I have gotten back. But, the thing is, thatโs all a part of the process and I know if I keep pushing, something will eventually connect with audiences and Iโll then be able to make back my many investments. Until that day comes, seeing my audience relate to my music at live shows gives me all of the personal satisfaction I need; itโs a high I never get over.
7. Could you describe your creative processes? How do you usually start, and go about shaping ideas into a completed song? Do you usually start with a tune, a beat, or a narrative in your head? And do you collaborate with others in this process?
MNERVA:
I usually start the majority of my songs by myself on a piano and then bring in a co-writer about half-way through the process once I feel like Iโve taken the idea as far as I can on my own. I almost always start with a melody and a chorus punchline lyric and then I usually craft the song backwards from there. My main co-writer, Kory Shore, is the master of writing catchy melodies and visual lyrics and we have been working together for over seven years; heโs a big part of my sound and if you look at my song credits, heโs been a part of over half of my catalog. Once the song has been fully written and revised (I am the king of the lyric re-write), Iโll then send a vocal acapella or a piano, vocal track to my producer, Andrew Gomez, and then weโll spend one or two days producing track and transforming it into a MNERVA song. I believe collaboration is essential for creating good art and I am beyond proud of the creative team I have assembled over the years!
8. What has been the most difficult thing youโve had to endure in your life or music career so far?
MNERVA:
As with most independent artists, the pandemic absolutely destroyed my momentum and I almost quit music multiple times during lockdown. That period made me question if I even loved making music anymore and I quickly realized that I never wanted to be a rapper and rock music was what truly excited me. Now almost three years later, even though I wish the pandemic didnโt happen, I am very grateful that I changed directions and I now feel like my own biggest fan and love what I do!
9. On the contrary, what would you consider a successful, proud or significant point in your life or music career so far?
MNERVA: This is a small victory in the grand scheme of things, but when my song Sorry (Forget About Me) hit 100,000 streams, I was beyond proud of myself. Sorry (Forget About Me) was the song that made me fully transition into being a rock artist and I always had a feeling that it would be my most successful single. Being proven right by finally reaching the six figure club validated my artistic intuition and helped me keep going when some personal tragedy hit my life in late August of this year. Itโs still growing at a very steady pace and I still believe itโs gonna be a very important song for my long term career.
10. Creative work in a studio or home environment, or interaction with a live audience? Which of these two options excites you most, and why?
MNERVA: There is no better feeling than performing in front of an engaged crowd. Planning setlists is one of my favorite parts of being an artist and watching an audience singing along to my songs is the best feeling in the world. For me, the live show is where I get to see the fruits of my artistic labor first hand and itโs also the best time to experiment with my music. If something doesnโt land, itโs only a moment in time and then I will have learned something for my next show. The immediate feedback is invaluable!
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