Mishkin Fitzgerald decided to give her fans a peek into what her upcoming album ‘Graces Cradle’ which is expected to be released on the 28th of January 2023.
In conjunction with The Chemical Perils, Mishkin Fitzgerald dishes out Legs broken off the album.
I usually start with a melodic idea that goes round and round my head until it’s forced out into a vocal line, from there I add some chords, a structure, some nice arrangement and then take it to my band.
This is how Mishkin described her creative process during a recent interview with Mister Styx of Musicarenagh, the interview contains other personal stories about the fast rising singer .
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What is your stage name?
Mishkin Fitzgerald
Is there a story behind your stage name?
Mishkin was a name from a Russian story about a prince who was kind but naive, if you want to read the full story it’s called “The Idiot” by Dostoevsky. Fitzgerald was my first husband’s name, it’s memorable, strong and Irish, a bit like him. I kept the name but not the husband.
Where do you find inspiration?
Books, films and strange genres of eclectic music that peak my interest. I also find walking in the woods to be where my best ideas come from.
What was the role of music in the early years of your life?
Music was around me all the time as a child, my father was a hippy in the 60s and a huge fan of Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, Queen and obscure world and classical music so I was always immersed in his record collection. My mother made sure we attended church service every Sunday, sometimes twice – the music was my favourite thing about it, we sang hymns, I played the organ, the piano, the guitar… even the church bells.
Are you from a musical or artistic family?
My grandma was the only other playing musician of the family – she played us Chopin, Albeniz and Erik Satie when we were children, I found it mesmerising. I now have inherited her piano, it’s 122 years old and still going strong. She is 98… and still going strong!
Who inspired you to be a part of the music industry?
I don’t think I was ever inspired to be part of the industry… more just I was obsessed with music and I wanted it to be the main thing in my life. The industry is therefore unavoidable, although I don’t particularly enjoy the business side of things.
How did you learn to sing/write/to play?
Mostly through singing in church, I then picked up guitar around the age of 11 and taught myself basic chords… the piano came later but I never had lessons until I was 20 so I guess I was self-taught till then. I wrote my first song when I was 9, it’s always been something that came very naturally.
What was the first concert that you ever went to and who did you see perform?
This is pretty embarrassing but it was a pop group called Eternal when I was about 10! I loved the gospel voices and they were a Christian group so my parents allowed me to go see them, haha
How could you describe your music?
I can’t. I’m in multiple projects playing different styles, I can’t stick to one genre. I tend to just go with whatever the song needs. For this group however it’s a heavy mix of Folk, Klezmer, Punk and Country.
Describe your creative process.
I usually start with a melodic idea that goes round and round my head until it’s forced out into a vocal line, from there I add some chords, a structure, some nice arrangement and then take it to my band. From there it becomes a full formed song and usually the lyrics are last to be written. I hate written lyrics, it takes me forever.
What is your main inspiration?
Anything from life experience could give me inspiration. I tend to reflect what’s going on in my current situation, it’s like therapy for me, I have to get it out.
What musician do you admire most and why?
Martin Grech. He’s truly original. His song arrangements are incredible, lyrics are deeply esoteric and everything he writes is so genuine. My favourite track is Guiltless.
Has your style evolved since the beginning of your career?
Yes, of course. Isn’t that true of every musician? I’ve been around a while now so I’m growing with my music.
Who do you see as your main competitor?
There’s no competition in music. It’s completely subjective. If that’s how I viewed it then I’d have a very sad and disappointing career!
What are your interests outside of music?
I’m sorry I don’t understand the question. Haha only joking, I’m really into foraging wild foods, herbology and witchcraft. I also like making (and eating) cakes.
If it wasn’t a music career, what would you be doing?
I don’t know, perhaps something in the therapy sector, I’ve always liked the idea of helping people with mental illnesses.
What is the biggest problem you have encountered in the journey of music?
The problem with the industry is that it’s completely controlled by just a few very rich companies – Spotify, Apple, YouTube and the major music labels – none of these platforms are there to enable independent musicians, they simply use their music and gain from it.
The biggest problem is that it’s become virtually impossible for musicians to actually earn a living from what they do. Even successful musicians are having so much trouble making ends meet – we’re working so hard for such little benefit and after a while it becomes very depressing. My mental health has really suffered because of this.
If you could change one thing in the music industry, what would it be?
I would fix the streaming issue for all musicians – a fair pay for each stream. Most people aren’t even aware that musicians are paid around 0.001 cent per stream and the companies are making billions.
It’s appalling, and really there should be laws protecting musicians from this kind of exploitation. If this was to change my entire life would change. I could afford to live and wouldn’t have to constantly seek other work or donations from fans to keep going.
Why did you choose this as the title of this project?
It’s a line from the final song on the record. A lot of the songs have a religious theme, and the cover too. I felt this summed up the feel of the album.
What are your plans for the coming months?
My album comes out officially on all platforms in early 2023 so I’m focusing on that for now. I’ve got a lot of spinning plates though so really the plan is just to keep writing, recording, gigging and involving myself in as much creativity as possible. I feel very lucky to be on a label this time – one that fully supports my music and my health, Not Saints are an amazing bunch of people.
Do you have any artistic collaboration plans
Definitely! I’ve already talked to Little TeaLeif and The Qwarks about doing some music in 2023, and I’m also working with Georgia Train on a new record so loads going on… I can barely keep up!
What message would you like to give to your fans?
Thank you for being here. Without my fans I wouldn’t really have any reason to carry on making music. As long as they are there and want me to keep going, I will. Also, if you are a fan and you’re not involved yet then being part of my Patreon page www.patreo…rdeatsbaby or heading over to my band camp www.mishki…ndcamp.com is the best way to support me. Thank you again
