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Questions
WITH BEC JONES
A
confident woman struts down the footpath, her red hair ablaze and bouncing on her shoulders. “You’d think that I would see the warning signs,” she sings, her voice both husky and soulful. It’s reminiscent of the jazz era that bought us Aretha Franklin, but with all the energy of an electric rock outfit. Her name is Mimi Velevska, and she has recently released her debut single ‘Damn’. The jazz-trained vocalist graduated from the VCA in 2009 with a Bachelor of Music Performance, and since then has been rediscovering herself as a musician. From an interest in RnB and relaxed, soulful tunes, Mimi delved into the world of rock where she discovered that it “really married the idea of singing soulfully and passionately whilst having a loud energetic stage show”. Much of this influenced the way Mimi went about recording her first EP, due to launch later this year. Aptly titled Bona Fide Electric, the collection of songs reflects Mimi’s passion for distinct vocals and a killer bass line. “I really am immersed by... those bona fide electric performers that sweat it out on stage, not [thinking] about hitting every note perfectly, or a
co-ordinated dance routine. Just a raw energy that makes you think ‘I wish I could do that’,” she says. It’s something that has been many years in the making. “I recently found my first ever piano, which was like a 48-centimetre Yamaha keyboard, and the keys are the size of my pinky,” Mimi reminisces. “It’s nice to go back where it started.” When Mimi was a young girl she would walk past the VCA every Sunday, hoping that one day she would be studying there. “It was just always in my mind from a young age that there was nowhere else that I wanted to study,” she confesses. “I didn’t even apply for any other music universities— definitely a lack of ‘backup plan’ there!” However, a backup plan was not required. In fact, if it was not for time spent in the rehearsal room at the college, her first single ‘Damn’ might not have developed into the catchy tune it is today. “‘Damn’ was written in my third year at the VCA,” Mimi explains, “It was the tune we played in an ensemble class. I never thought it’d be a tune I would release!” Her inspirations for the song come far and wide; from Dr. Dre’s ‘Guilty Conscious’, to a house song called ‘Cream’. “It’s reflective of my years spent
clubbing on Saturday nights. Which is funny, that I’d be studying jazz during the week and clubbing to house and hip hop on the weekends,” Mimi jokes. She is now working on a second film clip for her single ‘I’m Yours’. “It’s a song I’m really proud of,” Mimi gleams, and one where her warm mezzo-alto vocals truly shine. “I want lots of body paint and psychedelic influences in [the clip],” Mimi says, excited about the idea of experimenting with colour. “I’ve done photo shoots with body paint about three times now. I absolutely love the idea of the body as a canvas.” Whether it’s a photo shoot or live show, it’s all about expression for Mimi. “I coloured my hair because I loved the idea, and I really felt comfortable being the best version of myself.” This experimentation has given Mimi a much desired freedom
to develop into a strong vocalist. Yet, she is more than just a voice. “It made more sense to me to become an amazing live performer, than just a singer,” Mimi admits. “I’m excited about the whole performance. The things I’d say in between songs, the stage performance, the dancing, the energy... I respect that performance element.” With Mimi already writing her second EP before the launch of her first, you get the sense that this soulful lady has no plans to stop. “It’s shaping into a new direction for my music,” she says. And we can’t wait to see where it takes her. You can see Mimi’s live set @ The Prague, August 9th. Visit www.mimivelevska.com for details. If you, or someone you know, is a young artist who’d like to be interviewed, e-mail us at farrago2012@gmail.com and you could be the focus of Bec’s next column.
~ RUPERT WEAVER
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FARRAGO — EDITION FIVE 2012