Exposed Vocals: How did you hear about Exposed Vocals? What made you decide to sign up?
The M.R.N : I was followed on Twitter by you guys and I followed back as I thought it could be a helpful page for me in promoting my music. I was then asked if I would be willing talk about my music and of course, I agreed!
Exposed Vocals: So tell us your story. Where did you grow up? What made you decide to become an artist?
The M.R.N : I grew up in Brunei listening to all sorts of music. 60s,70s,80s, 90s music, pop music, rock, jazz and so on. As I grew older, I took up a huge passion for rap music and learned how to rhyme words. I felt like I could relate a lot to the stories that were being told on those records. Rap music to me is a detailed story infused with poetry. Had a lot of tough times with my education. When I was seventeen, I was suffering with A-levels and around that time I started dabbing with music. Started out writing a lot of rhymes, progressed on to trying to learn songwriting and making beats. I went to the UK to study some more in 2012 and after some point in 2013 I stopped trying to make music anymore. Not sure why. I only got back into music early this year while smoking weed and I made a beat I felt that sounded nice. From there, I got back into writing rhymes again. At the same time tho, I was really really struggling with university. My course was too hard for me and I didn’t have the same passion for it like I do for music. To make a long story short,I got really, really depressed with that, flopped my exams, dropped out of uni,returned to Brunei and eventually put out a track called ‘Time to Chill’. I realised music was something I had to do and I had to follow my dreams and that for me, work is awesome when its play!
Exposed Vocals: How did you come up with that name? What was your inspiration behind it?
The M.R.N : My full name is pretty fucking long and The M.R.N is the initials of my full name. Everyone who knows me calls me Nandha but I didn’t feel like that was the right rap name for me. Also the letters M,R and N are part of my favourite medicine – marijuana! Kinda like an anagram. haha
Exposed Vocals: What do you think about online music sharing? Do you ever give your music away for free? Why?
The M.R.N : I’m totally cool with it. Yeah , I let anyone who plays my music on Soundcloud to be able to download the songs. I use it as a promotion tool to build my brand and fanbase. As far as online music sharing goes, I think its great for the music and artist whichever the genre even if an album or song has a lot of illegal downloads. Not everyone can afford to pay for music. Its an important remainder that poverty exists!
Exposed Vocals: Since everyone was a start-up once, can you give any smaller or local bands or artists looking to get gigs and airplay some tips?
The M.R.N : I am still pretty small as far as being an artist goes but I think perseverance is key together with patience. Also, you got to be in the right places where you can start building a fanbase.
Exposed Vocals: Do you ever make mistakes during performances? How do you handle that?
The M.R.N : I just keep going if I make mistakes. I think its good to be in the right positive mind state and be super confident in yourself when performing. As far as recording goes, if I make mistakes, I’ll always record again and again till I feel its right.
Exposed Vocals: Do you tour? Anything interesting happen on tour that you think our readers would enjoy hearing about?
The M.R.N : Unfortunately I don’t yet. I’m still trying my best to grasp a lot of things in this music business although I would be definitely be excited to go on tours and rock crowds of people with music!
Exposed Vocals: Where do you usually gather songwriting inspiration? What is your usual songwriting process?
The M.R.N : I listen to whatever instrumentals I like and try to figure it out from there and decide how I wish to tackle the song. I let the beat dictate the way I write and if its a rap song I’ll think of ways to flow on the beat. I like to put myself in the right emotional mind state when I write too. Some songs will come to me really quick while with others, I take my time sitting on the idea, writing them down so that it will sound the way I want it to. Those songs normally take days or weeks to finish.
Exposed Vocals: Do you have a band website? What online platforms do you use to share your music?
The M.R.N : No I don’t yet. Its a work in progress at the moment. I use Facebook, Twitter, SoundCloud and YouTube to share my music about.
Exposed Vocals: What are some really embarrassing songs that we might find on your mp3 player?
The M.R.N : Man that’s a hard question. Haha. Probably A Thousand Miles by Vanessa Carlton, one or two old Bieber songs. There’s probably a few others too
Exposed Vocals: If you were given half a million dollars and a year off, what would you do? How would you spend it?
The M.R.N : I think I would spend some of it by investing it into making music and promoting and marketing it. Would definitely leave Brunei and move somewhere else and get myself some weed to blaze! The rest of the money I’d try and save for as long as I can.
Exposed Vocals : Any planned studio upgrades? What are you working with now?
The M.R.N : Just got a new pair of work headphones to help me in producing. No other planned studio upgrades as long as I remain fairly broke. Haha. I’m working on FL Studio.
Exposed Vocals: How do you find ways to promote your music? What works best for you?
The M.R.N : I post my new song on Music promotion pages. I believe that as an artist, I will be able to grow with every song I put out.
Exposed Vocals: If you could perform anywhere and with any artists (Dead or Alive) where and who would it be with? Why?
The M.R.N : I wanna do a song with Kurupt Young Gotti and Redman! I think there are two of the greatest emcees ever in the rap game. Other than that I’m down with working with anyone as long as there is good musical chemistry. As far as performing goes, its a dream to be rocking in a large live festival. The atmosphere would be crazy especially when everyone’s smashed out of their heads!
Exposed Vocals: So, what’s next? Any new upcoming projects that you want to talk about?
The M.R.N : I recently finished producing and remixing a song which has The Weeknd’s vocals. As of yet, its not complete and I’m planning to release it as a single in the future. Its a song I feel would be cool to groove to in the clubs.
Exposed Vocals: If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing?
The M.R.N : I’d probably be a boring engineer perhaps in the oil industry or whatever like most people from here. Or else I’d be growing and selling weed like it ain’t no fucking big deal because it shouldn’t even be a big deal. Its a super chill and creative medicine.
Exposed Vocals: Do you remember buying your first album? Who was it? What was going through your head?
The M.R.N : It was the Outkast albums from 2000 and 2004 and Lil Wayne’s Carter 3. I was excited to get it and couldn’t wait to play the CDs
Exposed Vocals: How do you juggle the rest of your responsibilities while trying to stay ahead in your music life?
The M.R.N: Right now I can’t even find work here so I’m doing all I can with the music. But I suppose once I get a job, I’d still set aside time for the music.
Exposed Vocals: What should fans look forward to in 2016?
The M.R.N: The remix of that weeknd song for sure. I’m also planning to put out a mixtape called The Stuff In My Chest this year.
