Alternative-Artist MNERVA Talks Name, Upcoming EP New Single “Quarter Life Crisis”

The Alternative Musician who is becoming a name to know!

With over 100 thousand streams on his music, this alternative performer is definitely coming up on the scene. His music is truly unique, and we cannot be more excited for his upcoming EP.

We had the absolute honor of talking with MNERVA

Q: When did you realize you wanted to start a career in music?

M: “I’ve dreamed of being an artist ever since I was a little kid, but I completely lacked the confidence to pursue the career path until I was almost finished with college. Instead, I cut my teeth in music by playing drums for a bunch of different pop and rock artists across Nashville but quickly discovered that I wanted to be so much more than just a drummer. Near the end of 2017 is when I finally stumbled until my artist persona and musical identity and I haven’t looked back ever since.”

Q: Tell us about your new single “Quarter Life Crisis”.

M: “Quarter Life Crisis” is my anthem to anyone who is feeling overwhelmed by life’s many uncertainties. I turn 25 in October and now, more than ever, I am struggling with the self-doubt that comes with being in your twenty-somethings. I feel like the period of emerging adulthood in the early to mid-twenties is frequently glossed over in media so I wrote “Quarter Life Crisis” for my peers who are struggling to voice their angst when up against societies’ unrealistic expectations. I don’t expect to have everything figured out for a while, but every time I play “Quarter Life Crisis” live, I breathe a sigh of relief knowing I’m not the only one who’s having a difficult time through this strange time period.”

Q: How would you describe your voice and tone?

M: “For my whole life, I assumed that I was a low baritone and I wrote music that wasn’t suited for my voice what so ever. It wasn’t until I started studying with the legendary Singing Success vocal studio that I discovered that I have a high rock tenor. Finally finding my voice has opened up so many possibilities for me when recording and my MNERVA material moving forward is going to feature a lot more singing. As a rapper, I learned very quickly that my quick energetic delivery is my greatest strength and to embrace the fact that I talk too much in my daily life. Because drums are my main instrument, rapping just made sense to me and I never get tired of working to become a better MC.”

Q: How did you come up with your name “MNERVA”?

M: “I was working at a guitar shop back in 2017 as an HR Intern and I had no idea where my life was headed in the slightest. On my last day, I was listening to a Spotify playlist and the song ‘Minerva’ by Deftones came on. In that moment I heard the song in a completely new way and wondered what would happen if someone took the song’s shoe gaze guitars and atmospheric synths and then combined them with trap drums. From there, I then looked up Minerva and discovered that she was the Roman goddess of wisdom. I decided to adopt the name in order to challenge the conventional wisdom of combining rock and hip hop and then dropped the i for SEO purposes. To this day, I still stick to the sonic template I created in 2017 for MNERVA’s sound.”

Q: Are you excited for your fans to see your upcoming EP “Talk Too Much”.

M: “Talk Too Much” has been a culmination of five years of my creativity. It is the most ambitious musical project I’ve ever undertaken and I can’t wait for people to finally hear it. The EP is going to be five songs with an overture and the final song, “The Interview” acts as a perfect finale for the journey. The project is me at my most honest and dives into everything from my fear of the future, to my failed relationships, to where I see myself in five years. More than anything, I hope that people will listen to the whole project front to back and be able to relate to what I’m saying. Although it gives me so much personal fulfillment, at the end of the day releasing music is a service and if even one listener can relate to what I’m saying then I’ve done my job as an artist. “

Q: What has been your reaction to receiving over 100K streams on your music?

M: “I am constantly in awe of people’s reactions to my music. When my first single, ‘Geek,’ broke 50,000 it completely exceeded my expectations and I am ridiculously humbled that so many listeners have found my songs in the vast sea of music being released every day. Honestly though, I think that I’m just getting started and I look forward to when 100,000 turns into 1,000,000.”

Q: What are your biggest goals for your music career?

M: “In my perfect world I want to use my music as a vehicle to go on tour, travel the world, and connect with people who feel like outcasts. Every time I get a DM from someone saying that my song spoke to them or helped them through a tough time, I’m reminded that why I love what I do and I want to be that voice for my listeners who don’t know how to express what they’re feeling. I’ve struggled with my mental health for years and this journey has taught me that it’s okay to not have everything figured out yet. I want to do my part to help teach that important lesson and by making music that excites me.”

Q: Where can we follow your amazing journey?

M: “You can follow me on Instagram and Tik Tok @mnerva_official and on Youtube and Facebook by looking up MNERVA. I am currently in the process of releasing 4 interconnected music videos on Youtube to promote “Talk Too Much” and the next video for the title track, “Talk Too Much” will be coming out in a few weeks. My next single, “I’m Not You” comes out September 10th and my debut EP will be released on October 15th!”