Bleeding Heart's Disco: An Exclusive Conversation with MINOE

Written by: Keyali Mikaela

In the realm of independent pop music, a brilliant new star is emerging to captivate hearts and souls with her ethereal melodies and touching lyrics. MINOE, a talented and dynamic artist, has recently unveiled her first EP, "Bleeding Heart's Disco," on October 6th, 2023, and the music world is buzzing with excitement.

MINOE, with her undeniable talent and originality, promises to be a rising star in the ever-evolving world of pop music. Join us in this exclusive interview as we explore the mind and heart of the artist behind "Bleeding Heart's Disco," and discover what it takes to create music that not only resonates but leaves an indelible mark on the pop music scene.

Next Wave: So your EP just came out about a week ago. How has that been for you?

MINOE: I just had my EP launch and it went really well, we had a great night! I even sold quite a bit of merch, I felt really honored by that. But yeah, it's been really positive. I’m getting lots of positive feedback on Plastik which makes me really happy because I wrote that one for the girls. I think overall, it's a pretty varied project, there's kind of something for everyone. I've been noticing that everyone has a different favorite song and that also makes me so happy.

Next Wave: What would you say were your influences for this EP?

MINOE: So some of the songs I actually wrote for Tove Lo. Actually three of them; Cut Me Loose, Hands and Plastik. I wrote for her because I had met her and I got so inspired. She didn't get back to me, which I have no hard feelings about of course. It ended up being a good thing because I loved the songs. I felt really connected to them. I've always really liked making songs that people could dance to. I've been performing live since I was really, really young. So I always think of the crowd moving to the music, but it's also important for me to talk about what's truly going on in my life. So some of these songs, especially Hands, was a really deeply personal moment. I was crying in the studio while singing over this super danceable beat. It was messy, but I was happy to bring those two things together to have something really dramatic that also you could move to. I’m very inspired by MARINA, Tove Lo, and Charli XCX, for that reason!

Next Wave: You mentioned that you had sent those songs to Tove Lo for her to record. Do you think it's almost like a blessing that those songs came back to you?

MINOE: Yeah, 100% it's a blessing. I was sort of praying because I knew if she took my song it would be an amazing opportunity, but I wouldn’t have given it to anyone else for sure. So it was worth the risk even though I love the song. And when she didn’t answer, I was grateful, so it was a win either way. I wasn't upset, I was just really happy that I could take them back and release them, which doesn't normally happen with my music. This was sort of a special circumstance because I just met her on my own, it's not normal that I am deeply praying that an artist doesn't take the song so that I can take it. I love writing for other artists! But somewhere in my brain, I knew that these were for me.

Next Wave: It’s one of those, if it happens it happens.

MINOE: Yeah, exactly. I've written some cool songs for other people too and even the producers will tell me, you can take this if they don't take it. And I'm like, no it's for them, you know? Sometimes the intention is really there for them. I like to go into a session and sort of learn about someone else's life and what's going on with them. I'll study them and their sound for like, two weeks beforehand if I can. I'm a bit of a nerd so I'll even look for lyrics that they frequently use and try to incorporate them so it really feels like it's coming from them. These were just something I really loved, so I think that's where the difference was.

Next Wave: And then how does that songwriting process go for your own music when you're trying to put things together?

MINOE: Songwriting has always been really natural to me, I've been doing it since I was seven years old. So the process for me is hard to describe because it's just been the way that it is for so long, and it varies a lot. Sometimes I'll come up with something and it'll get kind of stuck in my head. I guess my process now is more of a process of elimination because I come up with multiple songs a day. If a little melody that I've kind of come up with gets stuck in my head for multiple days, then I know that it's worth putting down on paper and actually pursuing. And then in the studio, when things are actually moving forward, sometimes it'll be something that I've written on my own that we will try to put music to. Then other times it'll be a beat, but I think recently it's really been like my acapella musings that we take into the studio and we figure out. I don't really like writing over beats, I find it can be restrictive. I like to build from the ground up in the studio.

Next Wave: For those songs that don't get added, like the songs that didn't make the EP or that you haven't released yet, do you save those or are they just out into the void somewhere and not to be seen again?

MINOE: It depends. A lot of them are in my voice notes or in my notes or my phone. But I think, yeah, some of them are in the void. I think especially if a song comes at an inconvenient time, like if I'm in public and I have something I'm like, it's not worth it right now. But I really do try, especially since I've been releasing and being more professional about things. I always try to get things down. I think I used to let songs go a lot more often than I do now.

Next Wave: Do you have a favorite from the EP?

MINOE: I think Hands is my favorite, personally. That was the song I was the most proud of. For pouring my heart out into something, being hyper emotional and really, really getting a good fat journal entry into a song, but then also making it danceable. The thought was: crying at the club. That was really the inspo behind this project, was that I wanted to make intentional, emotional pop. So I feel like for me, that one hits the mark the best. Cut Me Loose was the first one that I made for this project, so that's a special one too. Then Cherry has become this super special thing because it's done the best out of all of them. I really wasn't anticipating that because we didn't really have much influence. We just went in and did it in our apartment. Then it just became this huge thing and it was a very visual one too. Sometimes when I write, I know immediately what visual I want for the song, and that was one of them. I knew exactly what I wanted for the music video, so I went into my room and sketched it all out that day. But I think those are my top three, but still probably Hands is my favorite one.

Next Wave: And have you seen that sort of reaction translate to a live setting?

MINOE: I have little things that I do in my live shows that I do specifically to engage the crowd. Like Cherry when I perform it live, I change the vocals a little bit and I really go hard on them. I love that one live. When I was planning for the London & Paris shows, I wanted to spice it up since we couldn't bring a live band with us. I did a costume reveal during Hands because there's a bit of an instrumental break and I wanted to still keep the energy. Now that’s become such a fun moment in my shows! I always try to spread those moments out throughout my set too, so that it keeps the energy up. And people seem to like my shows, I hope they do!

Next Wave: Do you think you'd do a tour for either this EP or maybe any future projects?

MINOE: I'm still on tour, technically. I did three shows in London, then I had a festival in Paris, and then I came back and I had my EP release so it was sort of like a pre -release tour. Initially, I was going to release the project first, and then I was like, actually it might be kind of cool to preview the songs while I'm out there. So it just worked out that way. My next show is on the 2nd [of November] in Montreal. Then after that I'm going to announce some more dates. I’d love to go to the US. A lot of my listeners are there, and I have never been, so that’s exciting!

Next Wave: Do you have any places you'd be excited to go to over here?

MINOE: Oh, of course. New York, for sure. That one's also pretty close to us, so quite doable. I really want to go to LA, Chicago, and I'm fascinated with the South specifically, because I have this idea of me being like a glittery cowgirl. I know it isn't realistic, but it's just in my brain, you know? Like I'm an old ranch lady who doesn't wear a bra and has a glittery cowgirl hat, and that's my life, you know?

Next Wave: I heard Houston is very kind of pop-y from people that I know over there.

MINOE: I have heard that about Houston, I have. And I think I'm gonna go to Nashville at some point for some songwriting.

Next Wave: That would also be a great place. Their downtown is all about the glitters and glamor.

MINOE: Rhinestones on those cowgirl boots, you know what I'm saying? Like this just sounds spiritual, it's amazing. You know, we'll see how that goes. I know I have no idea what I’m talking about because I'm from Canada and I've never been to that place at all. But I mean, it sounds fun.

Next Wave: And I really want to ask about your fashion style as an artist. How is it that you come up with the outfits that you wear for your videos or your shows? Do you have someone that helps you out with that? How does that go?

MINOE: That's mainly me, thank you! I've worked with stylists before, but I always know what I want to wear. It's always different. Like with Cherry, we had this designer, Morggan Jussaume, he is fantastic. He worked with me to make the costume for Cherry, it was all sort of inspired by the Fifth Element, if you know, Leeloo. We went through this whole process together to make this white leather strappy situation that I love, I still have even though it got completely destroyed. I'll never get rid of it. Then for Cut Me Loose it was completely different because we pulled from some designer brands. And then for Hands, I just wore a top that I had in my house, and I got those blue gloves off the internet. Then for the tour, I worked with a stylist who picked out the big red Kika Vargas dress. We picked that out and then I picked out the bodysuit underneath for the reveal from Poster Girl. So then I've been taking this gorgeous dress on tour with me and just completely beating it up because the reveal [during Hands]. But I think it's worth it for the payoff, hopefully. Sorry Kika Vargas.

Next Wave: Was that something that you considered when coming into being MINOE and starting to put out your own music?

MINOE: Oh, 100%. I'm very visual. I actually went to university for studio art and art history. I love painting and sketching and stuff, and I've always done that. MINOE's aesthetic and every image that we come out with in every video I think is just as important as the music. I've been very adamant about that, and even though it can be a very expensive thing I still think it's really important. I very much believe in the power of fashion and a good photograph and I think it's also been transformative even for the way that people see me. I think that that's played a huge role and I have people come up to me all the time saying, oh wow, you really had a glow up. And I'm like, thank you so much because that was a lot of work. I always knew what I wanted to do, but I just didn't have the resources to do it. I have a FACTOR JSR grant now which I’m so grateful to that jury for believing in me and allowing me to realize my vision completely.

Next Wave: I will ask just one more question and then I will let you go. So now that everything's out, you're playing shows, what do you see yourself within the next year or so as an artist?

MINOE: In the next year? Well, what I really want is to do music all the time. Whether that means performing or writing for other people or marketing or whatever that is. I just really want that to be my job. I don't wanna have to worry about anything else. And I'm so grateful also to the fans that have helped support me and buy my merch, and come to the shows, or even just comment on my posts. Every little thing really counts and it's just so special. Cause yeah, it costs a lot also to do these things, especially as an independent artist. So that's all I could really ask is just to be able to just do this all the time.

As we wrap up this interview, it's clear that MINOE is a name we'll be hearing more of in the days, months, and years to come. Her music touches the hearts of listeners, and her artistry knows no bounds. We eagerly anticipate what the future holds for MINOE, and as her star continues to rise, we will be right there, experiencing the magic of "Bleeding Heart's Disco" and beyond.

Stay tuned, and stay inspired, because the world of music is richer with artists like MINOE leading the way, shaping the future of pop with their boundless creativity and unapologetic authenticity.