Mahuna’s softly wandering alternative folk album ‘Forever Is Mine’ is due out at the end of this month and is filled with mesmerising shimmers and creative musical compositions. We had to ask some questions about Mahuna, the album, and the future.
Hi! Could you introduce yourself, your genre, and your musical influences?
“Hi, I’m Mahuna, a singer-songwriter in the folk-pop genre. A wide variety of music has passed through the ears over the years but a few artists stand out, great songwriters with a certain melodic-poetic twist including Roy Orbison, Buddy Holly, Carole King, Leonard Cohen, Nick Drake through to Nick Cave and Elvis Costello.”
What inspired you to start making music and what inspires you to keep going?
“Growing up during the Troubles in Belfast, music always stood out as a beacon of light to me. When the chance came to choose a direction in life it felt natural that it became my calling. Tolstoy’s advice for artists was ‘If you can give up, give up’. I guess I’m just not one of the ones that can give up!”
How have you found living and creating in different pockets of the world? What is one of your favourite, and one of your least favourite, elements of both Belfast and Berlin?
“It suits me very well. I find I can write anywhere. Writing about a previous place while sitting in a new place, you can divine how deeply experiences, situations and sense of place have engrained themselves in your imagination.
I always loved Black Mountain, its looming presence pondering the city below. My parents are both buried on the mountain so that adds to its significance for me. Though emerging from troubled terrain gives you a certain focus as an artist, the challenge to create something that makes harmonic sense of the chaos, Belfast is littered with very dark memories. Berlin, in contrast, has an incredible air of freedom, psychological a well as physical, that you can tap into as an artist. It’s the least constrictive environment I’ve ever lived and worked in. On the dark side, its winters can get a tad grey and gloomy.”
Where do you, in general, get inspiration for your music and song-writing?
“From the places I’ve been and the people that have made an impact on my life, and what I feel when I look back. When I have the music for a song in the air, images and memories tend to make their presence felt, offering me visual cues. Once I know what the song is about it’s just a matter of time till I capture it. Whether it takes half an hour or ten years, I’ll give it the time it needs.”
Who would you like to work with in the near future and where would you like to perform in the next three years?
“I see the future as a fresh palette, so I’ll have to see where the road leads me and who I encounter. I did support John Spillane recently though which was an enjoyable experience. The Olympia Theatre in Dublin is a marvellous place that it would be a pleasure to play one day.”
Which musical achievements so far are you most proud of?
“The new album Forever Is Mine is without doubt my greatest achievement to date. All 10 songs were performed, recorded and mixed live in the studio during 2 days last May. There were no overdubs or editing so what you hear is exactly what was performed in the studio. The vinyl version was also cut straight from analogue tape, which is something I have been wanting to do for a long time.”
What do you hope to achieve by releasing music with followers old and new?
“When I first heard Leonard Cohen sing ‘I greet you from the other side of sorrow and despair’, I was intrigued by the mystical location he was referring to and wondered how to get there. In a way one of the main aims of my journey has been learning how to get there. It feels like the right time now to pause, turn around and wave a greeting back.”
What are your plans for this year and what are some of your dreams?
“The upcoming album, scheduled for release on May 30th, will be keeping me busy the next while. There are also plans in the pipeline to tour Ireland and the UK, something I hope will transpire later in the year. As well as that I will be continuing to work steadily on the next batch of songs.
Aside from that gig in the Olympia Theatre, I dream of becoming a simpler version of myself, easier to find and easier to lose.”
Aside from music, what are some of your hobbies and interests, we’d love to know more about you as a person!
“I love long lonely walks, hiking over and around hills and mountains. Visiting flea markets at weekends always leaves me in a nice dreamy space. I am also getting more and more into reading poetry, favourites at the moment being Elizabeth Bishop, Rainer Maria Rilke, Patrick Kavanagh and Seamus Heaney.”
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