Toronto based Erich Mrak is creating atmospheric hip- hop on a level that surpasses many of his more established peers, and incredibly so, on his new track titled ‘Girls’.
Mrak is a songwriter that is consistently evolving his talents and with his debut full- length, ‘Glimpse’, set for release later in the year, he is set to become one of the most prolific breakthrough artists in the coming months.
Sit back and enjoy, as we get the lowdown on the man himself...
Your live cover sessions are proving popular. How did this idea come about?
"Thank you! The idea came about at the beginning of April, when adjusting to quarantine
had become the new normal. My partner and I were thinking about how we could adapt
my initial tour/release plan for the summer, which had been based around weekly
performances at local bars in Toronto. Our collaboration spawned the covers as a way
to adapt so I could still perform, just online. My partner is a video editor in the film
industry, so she shoots and edits all of the cover sessions. We enjoy coming up with
ideas for what to film together. It’s a lot of fun!"
Do you think being able to cover songs is the mark of a good musician?
"I think being open to trying new things is the mark of a good musician. I had never done
covers before, but wanted to learn how other artist’s songs were formatted, mapped out,
what melodies they made, and how I could adapt them to my own style of performance
while also improving my skills. They started out as practice for me."
What is it that gets you hooked when listening to new music for the first time?
"Vocals and melodies are what capture my attention initially."
And what are your major dislikes?
"Undercooked pasta, and over-inflated ego’s."
Do you ever ask yourself what it is that others love about your music?
"Not really. I know that the music I make has elements of contemporary pop in it, and chances are if you enjoy pop music in general, you might also enjoy the music I make."
And would you say your music is for the masses? Or is it more tailored?
"I’ve never given it much thought. I’ve always just made music because I enjoy it. My sound in general has is a bit more pop-focused, which might make it more appealing to the masses."
'Girls' is your latest single, and the first from your upcoming debut album 'Glimpse'. Is it your best yet?
'Girls' is the most pop-oriented and fitting as a summer single, but I find myself grooving
to other songs on the project more. As an album, “Glimpse” is definitely my strongest and most concise project to date. It has a more polished sound than any other project I’ve made."
And in terms of the album, how did you know it was time to release a full-length?
"I’ve made and released 3 EP’s over the last 6 years. When we started working on the
first songs for 'Glimpse'(which at the time was untitled) I didn’t want to make another
EP, I wanted to make an album. As we continued to make more songs, the direction of
“Glimpse” became clearer and didn’t feel like any other project I’d ever done. I knew that
it was time for me to create a fully formed album. I felt ready."
Can we expect any major experimentation in your sound?
"Yes, on this project we took a step in a different direction both sonically and content wise. The more pop oriented sound on “Girls” led to us to create new songs for the project, and discarding older song ideas that no longer fit."
What have been your biggest WOW moments in your career so far?
"There have been a few. I passed 100,000 streams on 2 single releases last year, so that
was pretty cool. 2019 was the first year ever where I was able to pay for music with the
money I earned releasing it."
And when was the last time you felt truly happy about something?
"Every morning I wake up."
Thank you for your time! One last question, what is being an artist to you?
"Being an artist to me is being someone who wants to provide an experience."
Listen to 'Girls' HERE Instagram: @erichmrak
INTERVIEW BY ALISTER ROSS
Twitter: @ross_alister