Today, we sat down with My Pet Rhino to discuss their inspiration to write music, heroes, and much more!
Interview:
What is your inspiration to write your music? Is it your
surroundings?
Inspiration can really come from anywhere, and I try to keep a bit of an open mind when writing and not try to pigeonhole myself into a writing session where I absolutely must write a song about a particular topic. For me, I really need to nail the first line of the lyrics in order for the song to progress – if I can’t think of a compelling first line, I basically don’t have a song. I generally come up with this first line my matching nonsense syllables to a melody I like, then trying to find words and sentences that match those syllables. From here, this line generally gives me an idea of where the story of the song could head, and the rest of the lyrics fall into place in the direction of the story. I tend to gravitate towards fictionalised stories, but I often weave my own life experiences into these too. Most of the time when this happens it tends to be a bit self-deprecating and focus on things that I can’t do or have done poorly in the past. I also try and not write two songs about the same topic to make sure I have plenty of variety in my catalogue.
What type of music did you listen to growing up?
I loved heavy rock and grunge style music as a kid. Bands like Metallica, Nirvana, Foo Fighters, Queens of the Stone Age etc. were staples in my diet, as well as a lot of the Australian rock from the 70’s and 80’s which my parents were into.
Is there someone you looked up to as a hero?
I really loved Kurt Cobain – I loved the idea that someone who was a nobody came from nowhere to write a song with no real meaning in a style no one really cared about and somehow made it the biggest song in the world.
If you weren’t a musician, what would you be doing today?
I am a structural engineer in my day job, so I guess I would more than likely still be doing that.
What advice do you have for our fans out there that want to create
music?
Don’t be scared – just do it! There will never be a time better than now to make the music you love. It will never get cheaper to record, your life will pick up more responsibilities that get in the way of making music, and no one else is going to make music exactly how you like it for you. All the tools you need to overcome any challenge or limitation you may have are available to everyone worldwide on the internet now, so take a punt on yourself, back yourself in, and go make something uniquely yours!
What can you tell us about your latest release ‘Knots’, and why should our readers check it out?
Knots is a song I have had in the works for about 10 years now, and it is intended to be a bold, bright, pulsing anthem for anyone who has ever snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. I love the juxtaposition of the story of a ‘failure’ in the lyrics with the upbeat and driving nature of the music. It is really a good example of the self-deprecating songwriting that often gets incorporated in my tunes. The track is quite unique sounding and employs some quirky song structures and dynamic shifts that makes it a really engaging listening experience, all while maintaining its catchiness and listenability. So if any readers are into songs with bright, fun, unique hooks that really get you tapping your foot and singing along, this may well be the song for you!
Music:
