Exposed Vocals interviews ManoloMusic

Exposed Vocals: How did you hear about Exposed Vocals? What made you decide to sign up?

 

ManoloMusic: After I made a twitter as an artist, Exposed Vocals showed up as a suggested friend.

 

Exposed Vocals: So tell us your story. Where did you grow up? What made you decide to become an artist?

ManoloMusic: My name is Manolo. I was born and raised in the Bronx, New York. Although, I moved around quite a lot during elementary school. From North Carolina, to Delaware, back to North Carolina, and ultimately ending up back in New York where I currently reside. I always wanted to be an artist but I was always waiting for it to come to me. The turning point in my career was when I lost my best friend in an accident. He was a talented vocalist/guitarist that never sought out his true potential and his passing made me realize life is too short to live in the what ifs.

Exposed Vocals: How did you come up with that name? What was your inspiration behind it?

 

ManoloMusic: I came up with the name Manolo quite simply as it’s my middle name. Upon doing more research on the meaning I found that it means “God be with us” and I knew it couldn’t possibly get any cooler than that. It also happens to be my Grandfather’s name who was always a good role model to me in my actual fathers absence.

 

Exposed Vocals: What do you think about online music sharing? Do you ever give your music away for free? Why?

 

ManoloMusic: I believe that music sharing is one of the greatest things to happen to music. Some people think that it will affect their sales but I believe that they just aren’t creative enough to find other ways to market themselves. As a creative individual, I thin k my job is to give the people what they want, and in today’s age that would be as much content in as little time as possible and more preferably that the content be free. I have given music away for free and I plan to continue to do so for as long as possible.

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?

 

ManoloMusic: DON’T GIVE UP!!!! I’ve seen many talented artists give up on their dreams simply because they were not getting the returns they wanted. My advice to those who are ready to quit is simple….Humble thy self!!! Part of the reason you are not seeing the return you think you deserve is partly due to the fact that you have not put in the necessary work needed to get where you want to be. Another thing is that you have to get used to being uncomfortable. People expect different results but keep doing the same things, its insane.

 

Exposed Vocals: Do you ever make mistakes during performances? How do you handle that?

 

ManoloMusic: Yes!!! I am only human. I know it sounds cliché but the show must go on. If you ever make a mistake, DO NOT STOP!!!! Most people won’t even notice your mistake unless you blatantly point out the flaw you just made. Understand where you messed up and keep the show rolling.

 

Exposed Vocals: Do you tour? Anything interesting happen on tour that you think our readers would enjoy hearing about?

 

ManoloMusic: I haven’t toured yet but I desperately want to. I am in the midst of learning the proper steps I need to take in order to get a successful tour set up. I am a “measure ten times, cut once” kind of guy.

 

Exposed Vocals: Where do you usually gather songwriting inspiration? What is your usual songwriting process?

 

ManoloMusic: Songs literally come from the heart. I do not sit down and write songs for hours, I actually come up with all of my lyrics on the spot. I feel the lyrics come out more authentic this way. It is the same way when I produce music, it’s all about how I’m feeling in that exact moment. My best work comes from after I have a crazy experience such as an awesome party or the girl I’ve been courting texting me back.

 

Exposed Vocals: Do you have a band website? What online platforms do you use to share your music?

 

ManoloMusic: I do not have an official site but I have a Tumblr. I know it is not as good as having a place to call my own but it’s a start. I use soundcloud mostly to post my music and I use other social media such as Tumblr, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter to promote my different projects.

 

Exposed Vocals: What are some really embarrassing songs that we might find on your mp3 player?

 

ManoloMusic: I’m not embarrassed at all of my music. I know myself well enough to accept that I’m not a typical listener. But to indulge the question; I have like every Drake song ever, Adele, Craig Morgan, Sisqo, Alicia Keys, and everything that is PartyNextDoor.

 

Exposed Vocals: If you were given half a million dollars and a year off, what would you do? How would you spend it?

 

ManoloMusic: I don’t care what anyone says, there is no such thing as a day off. That money and time would be reinvested back into my business to make us 100 times stronger than we were the year before.

 

Exposed Vocals: Any planned studio upgrades? What are you working with now?

 

ManoloMusic: Right now everything is done in my bedroom. I am the epitome of a bedroom producer. To be completely honest I love the fact that my room is my workplace. There is something special about being able to roll out of bed and record a track. In the future I do hope to have an actual studio space as I am also an audio engineer, so the extra space would do me well when working with other artists as we would not have to cramp in my small room.

 

Exposed Vocals: How do you find ways to promote your music? What works best for you?

 

ManoloMusic: I am currently in the process of working with different things to promote my music. I use facebook mostly and it is not working out as well as I want it to. But I have high hopes as I learn new things everyday.

 

Exposed Vocals: If you could perform anywhere and with any artist (Dead or Alive) where and who would it be with? Why?

 

ManoloMusic: I want to perform at Tommorowland. It is actually my biggest dream and the artist I would most like to perform with would be Tupac. He was such a smart artist and his message molded modern hip hop. To work with him would be like working with Jesus, to me at least.

 

Exposed Vocals: So, what’s next? Any new upcoming projects that you want to talk about?

 

ManoloMusic: I am currently in the process of 4 different mixtapes. Two of them are for an artists of mine, JC. Another one is a collaborative mixtape of Fact Tsunami (My record label); and the last one is my debut mixtape entitled “Bad Decisions”. I got the name for the tape from my life and the bad decisions ive made over the years. All the songs are very personal to me and are for the most part accurate depictions of my twenty two years on this earth. The names of the other projects are still pending.

 

Exposed Vocals: If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing?

 

ManoloMusic: Dying. If I wasn’t making music I’d be killing myself in the misery of lying to myself about what I wanted.

 

Exposed Vocals: Do you remember buying your first album? Who was it? What was going through your head?

 

ManoloMusic: The first album I personally ever bought was “The Marshall Mathers LP”. Upon buying the album I knew it would make my mother mad because she hates Eminem. But I didn’t care because he had always been one of my favorite lyricist and I knew it was money well spent. I actually owe a lot of my artistry to him as he was the artist who allowed me to not be afraid of who I was. Kanye West is also a very big influence on who I am artistically.

 

Exposed Vocals: How do you juggle the rest of your responsibilities while trying to stay ahead in your music life?

 

ManoloMusic: I hate to sound self-centered but I don’t. I spent my entire life living for what others thought/said what was best for me. I denied myself what I desired to be seen in the eyes of others as “successful” or “a good boy” but quite frankly I’m sick of trying to make others happy. IVe only been on this journey for just shy of a year and I already see more improvements in myself than I have ever saw in any aspect of my life. If you want to be in my life then you have to understand that my work comes first. A lot of people, my mom especially, think that I put too much time into my craft but I look at it like this; If I was researching the cure to cancer and I spent my whole life trying to get it, no one would bother me or say that Im self-centered or only worried about myself. I would be honored for my work. But since it is music instead of science, there is a difference? I think not!

 

Exposed Vocals: What should fans look forward to in 2016?

 

ManoloMusic: MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC!!!!!! MANOLOMUSIC!!!! I plan to break out of my inner circle this year and find the fans who are in desperate need of inspirational music. Life is hard. I want my music to make it easier.