Mavi Phoenix
Changing the tune The Austrian musician and songwriter tells us how his new album is a profound declaration of identity and self Words LOU BOYD Photography ELIZAVETA PORODINA
Pop artist, rapper, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Mavi Phoenix, born Marlene Nader, has always chosen the path less travelled. Right from his debut EP, My Fault, released in 2014 when Phoenix was just 18, his music has defied categorisation, moving between pop, dance, punk and hip hop. Phoenix’s new album, Boys Toys, which follows his coming out as transgender last July, is a declaration of identity. The work explores the themes of masculinity, femininity and self, and adds a powerful new voice to the conversation around gender dysphoria. Here, the 24-year-old from Linz, Austria, discusses his hopes of connecting with others through the album and sharing his experiences… the red bulletin: When did you first discover your talent for music? mavi phoenix: It started when my dad gave me a MacBook and I found the program GarageBand. I never intended to pursue a musical career – I was 11 and just making beats and stuff. But I just kind of stuck with it. Your early releases had a fresh, DIY feel. Do you still have the same level of creative control? Yeah, I think so. Being hands-on is important to me. I have producer credits on almost every song – I can’t imagine not being so involved. How would you describe your sound to those who have never heard your music? It’s difficult with this album, because I tried some new genres.
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For example, Choose Your Fighter is almost punk. I’d probably say indie, alternative, pop, rap? That sounds about right. Music videos are a huge part of your work – has the visual representation of your music always been important to you? Music videos are really important. They have such power. If you know what visuals you want, people recognise your vision for the track. I’m not there yet, though; my videos are good, but I think there’s potential to do so much more. Boys Toys is a very personal work, especially when talking about your transition and gender identity. Did you go into the writing process knowing you wanted to talk about it? Yeah. For the first time in my career I really have something to say; something I haven’t heard other artists talk about so much. I felt like now was the right time to make an album; to take my experience and talk about it. Last year was the first time I talked about being transgender. I had older songs I was so excited about, but they’re not on the album, because it felt wrong to put songs out that had been with me for almost two years. I’m such a different person now. Were you more nervous releasing this album, knowing it says so much about your life? Yeah, I’m way more nervous than I’ve been before. When I’m doing a photoshoot, there’s always a feeling that people are looking at me and thinking, “Are you really a man?”
I haven’t had hormone therapy or surgery, so I’m nervous to put myself out there in the weirdest phase of my life. It’s a real transition – I’m in this in-between place – and people get to be a part of that. This might be my last album with this voice, because hormone therapy changes it. It’s a weird time. This record will provide comfort to fans going through a similar experience. Was that a conscious reason to make it? In a way, it’s a very selfish way of creating a body of work – thinking about myself and how I processed these feelings. I’ve played a few shows now, though, and people really connect with the new songs. It’s not just about being transgender, it’s a question of “Who am I?” The lyrics on Boys Toys are very powerful. Was it easier to find your own voice on this album? Yes, I think it had a lot to do with coming out as trans. So much has happened. All of a sudden, it was like, “Oh my God, I have so much to talk about.” You’ve spoken in the past about how the music industry treats women differently. Have you noticed any change now that you’re not presenting yourself as a female artist? I’ve only just started promoting this album, but a few years ago people would always talk about my Auto-Tune, [whereas] now nobody mentions it at all. I’ve found that interesting. I think I’ll notice a lot of differences, which is shitty. What are your hopes going forward? Any big goals? My number one goal for 2020 is that I really want the album to connect with people, and my bigger goal after that is to tour the world. Also, one day, maybe a Grammy? We’ll see… Mavi Phoenix’s new album, Boys Toys, is out on April 3; Instagram: @maviphoenix
THE RED BULLETIN
