Maria Neckam’s debut EP as Milán charts new course into electronica.
by Pierce Courchaine
Evolving as a musician can be a dangerous, sometimes career-killing move. Sidesteps away from a sound become outliers in discographies: musicians step out, are poorly received, and step back into to what’s comfortable. Think Neil Young’s Trans or anything Miles Davis released in the ‘80s. In rare instances, a deviation from the norm can be revolutionary–like Madonna’s Erotica–and pave the way for bands and artists for years to come.
Maria Neckam has made a career out of such musical evolution. Classically trained in Europe, Neckam is currently based in New York and continues to tinker with her sound. As Maria Neckam, she released three jazz-pop albums. With the band Mia Thought And Something Happened (that’s one band, not two), she explored trip-hop.
Neckam’s latest project is under the moniker Milán. The self-titled EP, which drops Nov. 11, shows yet another side of Neckam’s ability. The four diverse tracks draw not just from her own background, but also hip-hop and synth pop. Milán sounds a bit like Regina Spektor with an electronica undercurrent.
We reached Neckam through email to talk about Milán, the EP and what’s to come.
Pierce Courchaine: You were part of a trip-hop band and spent the bulk of your career as a jazz singer performing under your own name, Maria Neckam, before releasing this EP under Milán. Why did you decide to start anew?
Maria Neckam: I can see why it might look like that, but I’m not really starting anew. Milán is, in many ways, a continuation of what I did with Mia Thought And Something Happened, my trip-hop band, and my work with other producers in both Europe and the US. Also, as human beings, we constantly change, and, hopefully, we grow. And that has to be reflected in an artist’s work. Milán’s emergence was a natural consequence of all the steps I had taken before, the life I had lived and the music I had made up until that point. In a sense, I feel that my true self is coming out, because this music is closest to my heart.
PC: Is this a recent decision or something you’ve wanted to do for a while?
MN: It had been on my mind for a while. When the circumstances were right, things developed naturally.
PC: Why did you choose the name Milán?
MN: There is something about the sound of these syllables that made sense and resonated with me. I wanted an “M” because of my first name, and when I was little I used to call myself “Mia.” I thought about it for a long time and was debating different names, but in the end I decided based on the sound and the way it made me feel. Sorry, I don’t have a very logical answer! But that actually makes sense, because the one thing I know for sure with my music is that it’s not logical. It’s all about the heart. You could say it’s gut-music.
the one thing I know for sure with my music is that it’s not logical. It’s all about the heart. You could say it’s gut-music.
PC: Vocally, there is a lot of variety in the songs. Specifically on “25” and “DK6” you mix a lot of styles together, including jazz. What are some of the other influences of the EP outside of your own career?
MN: I’ve loved Björk, Moloko, Zero7, Sigur Rós, Thom Yorke for a while, and more recently have been inspired by Robyn, Hanne Hukkelberg, Little Dragon, Múm, Cocorosie, artists that use electronics but still have a pop feel and a warmth in their music as well.
PC: What is your writing process like, lyrically?
MN: Usually I just start writing, without even thinking about what I’m saying or why. It’s a stream of consciousness at first, and then I go back and edit. However, sometimes I have a certain topic I want to address; then the process is more systematic.
I always try to say something meaningful, that could inspire my listeners, but at the same time to stay authentic and not analyze too much.
PC: You sing in English. Why is that? Do you ever sing in German?
MN: English is a great language to sing in! It flows really well. And I live in America, it’s my everyday language.
I am not opposed to singing in German. I do it sometimes, but it’s much harder to write lyrics in German. The language has a rougher sound, so it takes a lot of skill and sensitivity to make it sound good for singing.
PC: You have collaborated with a lot of musicians over the course of your career. Even this EP, despite being four tracks, includes a lot of behind-the-screens collaboration. What do you enjoy about collaborating? What are the drawbacks?
MN: I think the most challenging part about collaborating with people in New York is time and coordinating everybody’s crazy schedules. Once you get in a room with each other, it’s amazing. Of course it can take some time to understand each other, to find a common language, but when you do, you go to places that you could have never gone to on your own. It’s one of the most rewarding experiences when you are able to create something that merges different people’s lives into one new “thing,” a living, magical entity. It’s so empowering and energizing.
PC: You’re an extraordinarily educated musician. After attending the Conservatory of Amsterdam, you went on to get a Master’s from the Manhattan School of Music. How do you think your approach to music is different than, say, someone who skipped college and went right into playing in bands?
MN: Maybe it’s like being an “old musical soul.” You might say the same thing as somebody else, but there is all that experience, the hard work and knowledge and also the mistakes and regrets that came before it, embedded in that one thing you’re saying. It has depth. At the same time, you could also achieve that as a self-taught musician. The question really is, how much do you care, and how much did you go through to get to this point?
PC: Do you plan on releasing a full album soon?
MN: Next up is another EP, produced by electronic duo Pax Humana, two of my closest friends, which I’m super excited about. Then a full album, yes.
PC: Are you still performing as a jazz singer? If not, will you return to jazz singing?
MN: I was never a “jazz singer” per se. I was moving and working in a circle of jazz-inspired musicians, learning from the jazz tradition and incorporating certain forms and techniques in my own music. I have always been “between categories”, so who knows where life will take me? What I care about is making music that inspires—myself and others—and I will continue to do that.
[hr style=”striped”]
Pierce Courchaine is a contributor for The Riveter and compiles our weekly playlist The Crate Digger. You can follow him on Twitter at @PJCourchaine.
Top photo by Shervin Lainez, courtesy Crash Avenue.
