by pankhuri bhutani
photo courtesy of munn
With more than 115,000 active monthly listeners on his Spotify channel, this artist hails from Indiana. Picking up his first guitar at just the age of fifteen, MUNN is currently set to re-release his iconic track “I Lost Myself” along with a phenomenal music video, this time with affiliations to Atlantic Records.
The track, which was inspired by the past mistakes that one makes in life, gives out a very subtle and impacting message that these mistakes do not define us in our future. MUNN is definitely one of the most talented upcoming artists in the industry who in no time will have his music successfully reside in everyone’s hearts.
MUNN reveals insights about his music journey and tells us what the process was like behind “I Lost Myself” in a really fun interview!
Hello MUNN! Thank you for joining us on Unclear. For the people who have yet to be introduced to your music, kindly tell us something about yourself!
MUNN: “Hey guys! Thank you for the opportunity to talk a little about myself and my music! I’m a 21-year-old singer/songwriter based out of Nashville, and have lived there for a year now! I make all my music out of my bedroom alongside my manager and producer Dylan Stiles!”
Was there anything you planned out to do before setting out in the music industry?
M: “Music was never the plan for me growing up. I have always had a strong business mindset and subsequently started a company that I ran for three years and just recently sold. I went to business school for a year and a half before dropping out for music. I always thought I’d spend my life growing companies, but as soon as I found myself making music, I knew it was what I was made to do.”
You are about to re-release your track “I Lost Myself,” this time in affiliations with Atlantic Records. Congratulations on that! What was the inspiration behind the track?
M: “Yes, thanks so much! There was quite a bit of inspiration for the song I Lost Myself. I wanted to write something that was both true to myself and my situation, and more importantly, something others could relate to. We’ve all made mistakes, and too often we feel like those mistakes are holding us back. Through this song I hoped to paint the picture of what it is like to be in the middle of this struggle. The struggle of our past mistakes or ‘demons’ still haunting us and ever getting closer to dragging us down, while simultaneously trying to show the people in our lives that we’ve changed and that our pasts don’t define who we are today.”
What was the creative process like and did you face any challenges during the making of the song?
M: “The creative process of this song was pretty interesting! I wrote and recorded the song a few nights before my move to Nashville. The song was actually built and written around the guitar that can be heard throughout the track. I played the guitar on loop and wrote the song in no more than an hour. At the time I was recording out of my bedroom and had minimal equipment for doing so; no sound proofing, fancy microphones or interfaces. It was one of those songs that came together so fast. From writing to recording, it all just felt right. Once in Nashville, my manager/producer, Dylan Stiles, took what I had recorded and added minimal but invaluable production to it. What he added really completed the track. The biggest challenge was easily getting the production around the bridge to flow correctly.”
You are about to release a music video as well for the track. How was the experience like filming it?
M: “While filming the music video was super stressful and time consuming, it was one of the most fun experiences I’ve ever had. I can’t speak highly enough of the videographer/director/editor Jake Heidecker and his company Jelly House. He took my vision for the video and truly brought it to life. We spent a couple weeks in planning this video, and even then, still ran into challenges on the filming days. Jake and the rest of the team took on these challenges in stride and were still able to put together this music video even better than we had initially imagined.”
If you could choose one word to describe your music, what would it be?
M: “Genuine.”
Who are your musical influences?
M: “I have quite a few musical influences. I love writers and artists like JP Saxe, Ed Sheeran, Dermot Kennedy, and Julia Micheals. But to me, Jon Bellion is probably my biggest influence. While my music itself doesn’t reflect a lot from Jon Bellion’s style, it’s his artistry and persona I admire. His songs are often bluntly honest about his life, but he writes in such a unique fashion that everything about the lyricism feels profound. His entire craft as an artist is really quite beautiful. From his writing, to production style, to vocal abilities, Jon Bellion creates true art.”
If you could have the chance to collaborate with any one artist/band of your liking, who might they be and why?
M: “As I'm sure you can guess by my high praise of Jon Bellion, collabing with him would be more than a dream come true. Seeing how he works in the studio and his creative process as a whole is really incredible and something I’d love to be a part of.”
Lastly, is there any message that you would like to convey to your fans?
M: “There’s so much I would love to say to my fans if only I had the time to say it all. I’m just so thankful for those who have gone out of their way to support me and my music. The music is truly for them, and all the fans down the road. Lastly, as cheesy as it sounds, I want each one of them to know they have a purpose and I care about what they’re going through, whatever that may be.”