MEKA NISM
Interview conducted on Nov. 8, 2021
By Dan Locke
Meka Nism lead you with her MUSIC, PERFORMANCES & COACHING on an exciting and expanding Soul Journey to bring insight, inspiration and wholeness to your life through genuine Higher Self connection and the authentic expression of your inner Rockstar self.
What is your upbringing?
Musical Theater, Dance, Lots of Art, Tarot cards since around 13 years old, Tea parties, and many, many boxes of Costumes and Vintage hats. I have a creative family.
How did you discover music?
Bought a record player at a yard sale and inherited my parent’s albums in Middle School. Janis Joplin was everything to me. Also loved The Fifth Dimension. Funny that they recorded an amazing version of Age of Aquarius from Hair. It’s like they were in the awareness of Cosmic Awakening. Started strumming my mom’s classical guitar and maybe strummed a bit too hard.
How did you start to write music?
Wrote songs since childhood, but got more serious at the end of High School. Started an open mic called Beatnik Night and was determined to live a creative life.
You started as a guitar player for the Orlando punk band “Dirty Barby”. How did you get your first guitar, and do you still have it?
Well, my first guitar was my Mom’s classical guitar, which yes, we still have, then I got a Fender Strat and promptly covered it with fake blood and real blood from trying to smash it on stage like The Clash. It was pretty warped and an artist took it from me a couple of years ago to make some strange art project out of it.
What is your guitar of choice now? Year, make and model?
Well, I am honestly looking for a couple of new guitars, so I’ll have to let you know what I discover.
How was it to play at CBGBs?
Legendary. So very Punk Rock. Those bathrooms, though. Historical.
Describe your music.
This is a challenging question. Raw, passionate and eclectic, maybe. I draw from so many artists, time periods, dreams and cultures. At my core, I am a performance artist looking for spiritual authenticity. That’s why Epic, Alternative Metal has my heart and has been my main sound. With Goth Industrial, Thrash, and even Death metal accents. There is also the love of Japanese Pop/Rock like my “Origami Girls” project, alternative punk caberet, folk rock like my “Mad to Love” album, and experimental theater like the Creature Cabaret & CFL Witches Ball that I perform with. I think music should be a transformative experience, so I thrive in diverse collaborations and LOUD expression from the depths of our collective soul.
What was your first performance like?
I remember playing my first solo acoustic set downtown in a real club and reinterpreting amazing female artists like Tori Amos, Jewel and Janis Joplin, along with a few expressive originals. That’s the set that got me hired by Dirty Barby and some theater jobs as a teenager.
Royalties never appear like magic. Royalties are only sent to you through work undertaken by a PRO to ensure that their members are getting paid. If you’re not yet signed up to a Performing Right Organization like ASCAP, BMI or SESAC, you may not be receiving all the royalties you deserve.
Do you belong to any songwriters’ organizations like the International singer-songwriter association, SESAC, BMI or ASCAP ?
Yes, BMI 🙂
What makes a good songwriter?
Honesty with poetry for lyrics. Wild passion with control for melody. The expansion of consciousness with the ability to edit.
What was the title of your first original song? Did you record it?
I think it was “Circus Clown is Crying” I really don’t think I have a recording of it. might have to do a throw back to Meka Nism & her Rusty Tears and get Zel to bust out his baritone sax again.
What is the process of writing your music?
There’s no method to my madness. Give me something to make noise with and some great friends. Something will happen. I really should release all the music I recorded with Yukari Ikeda, Hide Ultrabide and others in Japan. There was lots of capturing true moments of raw expression.
You played SXSW. How do you think SXSW will do next year with live music opening up again?
It’s always wonderful, even as we get more creative to keep people healthy. They already have so many outdoor stages. They can make it work.
How was singing the National Anthem at Earthday Birthday 25?
What a true honor and privilege. It was the greatest joy to bring the Rock spirit to our American story with the Highest Respect. Will definitely always mean a lot to me.
You have opened up for bands like Offspring, Limp Bizkit, Body Count, Otep, Hellyeah, Inflames, Jonathan Davis and Death Angel. Has any of the bands given you any words of wisdom about the music business?
I do remember talking deeply with the singer of Trapt about vocal technique. At first, he was honestly a bit confused by my operatic approach to rock music, but then he told me to keep just being me, that there was beauty in my uniqueness of sound and presence and to keep going. Also, with Avatar, they said it took 10 years to get noticed as a new, emerging band, lol. So, looking at this list of bands and all the successful artists that I know personally, the secret is to never stop creating. If you are an artist, be an artist for life. Whether you make it big or not, you will have lived your greatest life.
Why did you pick Germany to record the EP “The War Inside”?
Producer/Engineer Lasse Lammert is top notch. His ability to get layered guitar tones is unmatched. He’s on the leading edge of amp profiles:
It was also very special to go to a place covered in Medieval castles to record an album about facing the darkness we all fight internally. “The War Inside” had a textured tapestry of sound due to the adventure of its’ creation.
Tell me about the making of the video “Trailblazer”?
Jim Dougherty is an amazing director to start off with. This was so fun to make with many talented people behind the scenes. This video featured many cameos of brilliant local artists and personalities like Supa Dave of WJRR, Sumner Mormeneo, Daytime Dracula, etc. Most especially Lady Cimorene of Phantasmagoria. She was our spark of fire as her gothic ballerina self with dancing flames and she also helped us all transcend this time period and take on a more Victorian appearance with costumes from Phantasmagoria. The message of the Trailblazer music video was that all the tales of drama and tragedy, as well as all the hopes and dreams of the people living 100+ years ago are all gone now. So “This is the One Day you have to live, Chance you have to Give” since you are Alive and Breathing NOW, you might as well live your life to the fullest and not focus on the drama, but see what good you can create all around you.
Tell me about your new single “The Day Fell”?
Totally got the opportunity to record it at the amazing Apex Arts Studios in North Hollywood, CA. Shana Ballard and her studio family are brilliant and talented. I played this song for her and she had me record it as raw as possible. Fragile, the way it was written. Shana connected to the story and intuition of the song that I wrote on my friends’ (Sue & Hans) piano in the middle of the year, July 2020 right around my birthday. Everything was different. It seemed that the world (Worldly and personally had fallen apart.) I was temporarily homeless during quarantine, all shows canceled, work lost, disconnected, unsure what was going to happen next. So, I started playing and this is what came out. All of it, including the optimism of the new age of Aquarius, the Fifth Dimension. The world is changing, we are Ascending into a higher frequency of existence. The chaos will lead to Awakening and Peace. May we let go of the old programming, the limited ways of thinking, the hate, the fear, the self deprecation. So we can become the greatest version of ourselves. I’m definitely looking forward to a brilliant future for us all.
How was it to work with Michelle on the violin?
Michelle Jones of Violectric is an amazing talent and beautiful person. We actually had a zoom session in different cities to capture the essence together. I sang her my strange ideas of the tension of the strings and she soared with it on violin and viola. Most excitingly, she added sweeps of falling throughout the song, they give me chills and really bring the feeling of the song to life. I love her and what she brought to this song. I can’t wait to create more with her.
What are you’re feeling about streaming music?
It’s awesome. People can share music across the world and transcend all previous language and location boundaries. Yes, there are some links to work out for getting creator’s paid probably, but it’s being addressed.
The symbol # is known as the number sign, hash, pound sign and a sharp sign in music. The symbol has historically been used for a wide range of purposes Since 2007, widespread usage of the symbol to introduce metadata tags on social media platforms has led to such tags being known as “hashtags”, and from that, the symbol itself is sometimes called a hashtag.
Are people forgetting that the # is a part of music?
Cool question. Keep music in schools and we will not have to forget.
How has your music changed since the single “Bring the Sun Back”?
That was the first song that I wrote after returning to the states from my time living in Japan, so some of the song is in Japanese. I felt so lost between cultures, so out of place wherever I turned. But music was my constant, and creating art with the different people that I get to meet in this life is my greatest joy. So much has changed, “zembu”, like everything. I’m grateful for the journey. Everything lost makes space for new treasures and experiences. I was looking for some Light in my life and I definitely found it. I found it within, and in everyone. I found it in my flaws, in my courage and the blessings all around me. I hope that I can bring more light to the world through music. Let’s see what happens next.
Digital vs. vinyl?
Both. All. Give me music in this moment and forever.
What song from the past is in your mind right now? Moreover, what is the meaning that song means to you?
Kate Bush has the song called “Rocket’s Tail” that features The Trio Bulgarka in this vocal soundscape and the shred of the rock guitar style of David Gilmour. Kate soars with her insane vibrato and quirky storytelling. This song brings together different genres and cultures to make something not only incredibly beautiful but rare, surprising, and moving. I love the twist in a good book or movie, but to achieve that in a 4 minute song is truly an accomplishment.
If “Video Killed the Radio Star” do you think that the Covid-19 virus has killed live music? Do you feel the Covid-19 virus going to affect the music business in the future?
Not at all, people love live music. Challenging times right now for sure, but it will work itself out. It’s definitely going to be different. More outdoor stages, more virtual, more creativity. Yes, heavy impact and a painful process being out of work for so many, but like any crisis, I do feel that it is leading to a Neo Renaissance. Fresh perfectives, coming through trauma and tragedy. Oh, the Art will be Amazing!!!
Do you think that Covid-19 has been a plus to an artist career?
Well, it’s been a chance to change. To meditate and reinvent. Many of us are still struggling to work, play shows, tour, survive, etc. Luckily, organizations like Musicares are helping where they can, but looking forward to artists being able to create a livelihood for themselves and their families again.
What have you been doing with your self-quarantine?
Writing music, experimenting with a podcast called Ascended Heart Navigators, studying energy work like Theta Healing with Michelle Orwick and starting a Philosophy Phd program in Mystical Research online.
How has your training in Shaman/Spiritual, life coaching helped you during the lockdown?
Meditation and gratitude are life savers for sure. It’s a privilege to help support others with their spiritual healing and do tarot card readings as TeaandTarotEmporium.com
Honestly, I healed a severe back injury that has had me suffering for 3 1/2 plus years through meditation and energy work with Michelle Orwick during this hiatus. Mind over matter is real. We have so much more power than we usually let ourselves understand. I recommend mediation to everyone.
Have you discovered or rediscovered any new hobbies?
I did paint, do yoga, bake a lot of gluten free cookies and get back to studying Japanese a bit.
How was it to tour Japan?
Magnificent. Everything I experienced was intensely beautiful. So much discipline and attention to detail in every aspect of life. I play over 150+ shows as J-pop/American Rock duo Origami Girls with Yukari Ikeda, solo acoustic death metal as Ms. Meka Nism, and experimental opera with Japanese Butoh dancing and Japanese/German/American avant garde theater collaborations. This means that I saw hundreds, if not thousands of other performers. Some of whom were dedicating and sacrificing all other parts of life to live their art. There is so much ritual and intention woven into daily activities. Once your see this depth of the art of life, you will always see things differently. Looking forward to going back whenever possible and building a bridge between music communities.
Is pay-to-play still a thing? Now pay to play also means things like the playlist on the internet and opening slots for a major band on tour.
Yes, for sure. Most bands I know are working hard to afford to keep the band alive. So build your value in new ways, do what you can to develop your brand in the ways that are freely available.
The show Star Trek introduced people to the holodeck: an immersive, realistic 3D holographic projection of a complete environment that you could interact with.
Today holograms are already being used in a variety of ways, such as medical systems, education, art, security and defense
Performers like Tupac, Michael Jackson, Roy Orbison, Frank Zappa, Elvis Presley, Amy Winehouse, Buddy Holly, Ronnie James Dio, Marylin Monroe, and Whitney Houston have done it already. The band ABBA just announced that they will be doing a comeback together after nearly 40 years as holograms on their next tour. With ABBA it was with the help of George Lucas.
If the cost was down to the point you could do it also, would you be willing to do Holographic concerts in our living room?
That sounds awesome!
In the past, if a musician stops doing music they find a new career. For example, David Lee Roth from Van Halen became a licensed EMT in NY for 6 years, San Spitz (guitarist for Anthrax) became a master watchmaker, Dee Snider (Twister Sister) voice-over work for SpongeBob SquarePants.. If you can’t do music what would you like to be doing?
Any Art, Performance and Mystical Research.
What is your happy place?
Here. In my heart. I’m happy wherever I am, especially watching Cross_Prime stream on Twitch. Cross_Prime is the name of his channel. He is amazing.
Red Hot Chili Peppers are about to sell their entire song catalog for $140 Million. In the past year, a lot of musicians such as Stevie Nicks ($100 Million) , Taylor Swift, Journey, Def Leppard, K.T. Tunstall, and Shakira have sold their catalog rights within the last year. Bob Dylan sold his entire catalog for a reported $300 million. Neil Young sold 50 percent of his worldwide copyright and income interest in his 1,180 song catalog to Hipnosis Songs Fund limited. Once you get to the age of about 70. Publishing is far more lucrative than the mechanical royalties paid to artists based on sales, airplay and streams. A good example of this is Michael Jackson brought the rights to the Beatles catalog in 1985. And in the late 80’s the Beatles Revolution appeared in a Nike commercial.
The lump sums being offered by publishing firms are more tax-friendly concerning estate planning.
Someone who was totally against selling his rights was David Crosby. He did not want to sell his publishing rights. And it was not an easy thing for him to do. But by making a deal with Irving Azoff’s Iconic Artists Group, it took a big weight off of his shoulders. He could pay off his house and cover other bills. And now he doesn’t have to work for a living. It should be noted that David is battling tendinitis in his hands which hurts his ability to play guitar.
Do you think you would be willing to sell your back catalog if someone like Universal is willing to buy everything, such as all the rights to all your songs?
Wow, that’s Thought-provoking. Definitely a case by case decision to make for each artist.
There are many platforms out there that allow artists to get their music heard. Artist Republik, DistroKid, Tunecore & plenty others offer distribution services. These services enable independent artists to put their music on some of the most popular streaming services globally, from Spotify to Apple Music & everything in between. If you’ve been in any part of the music industry in recent years, you probably know someone that has distributed a song.
(I use the new distribution company Vydia now)
Spotify reports that in 2021 there are about 8 million artists on the platform. Of those 8 million artists, about 57,000 are raking in a whopping 90% of the total revenue from streams. That means that .71% of the artists on Spotify are making good money. In 2020, there was a total of around $5 billion paid out to artists on the Spotify platform alone.
Therefore it’s reasonable to assume that, by the end of 2021, SPOT will be home to over 90 million tracks. And that in the early part of next year, it will surpass a catalog of 100 million for the first time.
What do you think that could mean to the independent artists?
Well, that’s one of the ways that I witness the Recording Academy serving the community; to advocate with Music Creator’s Rights and stay informed about the issues effecting us most. They are helping stay aware of these changes in our industry. It is an honor to be involved in their District Advocacy campaigns as one way to support.
Over half a billion active users around the world share their favorite music on TikTok either with something like dance challenges and lip-sync videos or creating a funny skit or candid camera moment.
TikTok has become a great platform for music promotion, sharing songs, and finding new listeners. In which it has become a place for music artists to earn revenue when people use their music. Which in many cases the daily promotion on TikTok has led to huge boosts on other platforms like Spotify, Facebook and YouTube.
TikTok does this with the algorithmically generates a feed of content for each user, which you see as the displaying of #. The more a user engages with content, the smarter TikTok gets at guessing what kind of videos the viewer wants to watch.
Because a song can go viral because of this.
Sony Music and Warner Music Group-, The ByteDance-owned video app revealed that it has struck an “expanded” global licensing agreement with Universal Music Group. Now that TikTok is now fully licensed by all three major record companies, will you start using TikTok more? Probably. It seems like It has become a strong platform to connect with people. Other friends have definitely used Meka Nism songs in their posts, So it seems like the logical next step.
Breaking news: TikTok is launching TikTok Radio, a full-time SiriusXM music channel going live this summer. The station will be available in vehicles and as a streaming channel on the SiriusXM App, desktop, and all connected devices.
Some of the on TikTok include Cassyette, YukoEXE, Ashinikko, Palaye Royale, Josh Dun (Twenty One Pilots), Yungblud, Morrissey, Ozzy Osbourne, Joan Jett, Gene Simmons, and Mick Jagger.
The station will be part of a new TikTok collaboration with SiriusXM and its subsidiary, Pandora, to jointly promote emerging talent. Do you think this platform could become a force in the future of streaming music?
Sounds likely. May they pay royalties to artist fairly.
How did you become a GrammyU Mentor?
By being a member of the Recording Academy and currently serving on the board as a Governor on the board of the Florida Chapter, I was aware of the opportunity to volunteer for this awesome program.
Anything you would like to say in closing.
Gratitude to all the support. I love that I get to make music, and love that I can share it with you. Take the opportunities life gives you to create wonderful things and live your Highest possible timeline. Mad Love to All, Meka Nism *^*^*^*
