Talking with Mothica about being from the same city, moving cross country, and her new single "NOW"
Being from GHG’s hometown, Mothica has the grit, wit, and ambiance a universally captivating star. We’ve watched her success from the beginning, and will continue to support Mothica’s music day in and day out - a GHG favorite. If you’ve ever struggled with depression, anxiety, or trauma, Mothica’s the musician with lyrics to help you feel powerful again.
Mothica! Totally weird to be talking to you from a different perspective, but incredible nonetheless. Being from the same town, I've eagerly watched you grow from No One to NOW with immense grace and solidarity. Your vulnerability as a musician is one of the many reasons you're one of GHG's ultimate artists to watch. Let's say a reader is learning about you for the first time right this second, what's the first thing you'd tell them about yourself / your music?
First of all, thank you so much. It’s awesome to see you thriving in our hometown. We need more people like you! I’m so bad at describing my music to people who haven’t heard it, but basically I’d want to tell them that I write music so I can turn what I’ve been through into a learning experience. It’s like writing a diary entry and setting it on fire every time I release something.
Could you tell us a little bit about your public struggle with depression and how it's shaped who you are today?
I’ve always felt uncomfortable in my skin. I think everyone feels that way to a degree, but even as a kid, it felt like I was never truly satisfied with my friends or toys or surroundings. I tried out a million hobbies, and never liked anything as much as I liked drugs and alcohol, because they temporarily masked what I realized later was clinical depression. When you’re wasted, you can’t overthink about yourself. I can be overly sensitive, so the smallest interaction can inspire a song or angry poem and I think that’s contributed to my interest in the arts.
You moved to NYC alone at quite a young age. What was your motive behind your initial move? Do you feel moving to a bigger city helped grow your music career?
I nearly stayed in Oklahoma for college but even the director of the art program at The University Of Oklahoma suggested I move somewhere else if I had the opportunity. I loved the idea of being somewhere as chaotic as I felt. New York is magical. I explored new sides of myself and met artists and creatives from all over the world. I didn’t even plan on pursuing music until I moved away, so I’m glad I took that chance.
Do you think you would be where you are now if you stayed in Oklahoma City?
I initially went to college for visual art so I would probably would be painting and selling vintage clothes. I wanted to host house shows or run a small venue. My second choice was moving to Austin, Texas so I might’ve ended up there eventually, but I couldn’t see myself living in Oklahoma again.
What was a moment in your life where you looked in the mirror and felt truly proud of yourself? What sparked this feeling?
In the middle of writing Blue Hour, I was traveling a lot and all of a sudden, I developed severe anxiety on airplanes. I’ve flown so many times, but now it felt different. I was making music I felt artistically fulfilled by and the idea that I would be powerless in an airplane crash became very real. I don’t think I ever cared about living before that. That’s when I knew that my life was shifting.
We'd love to know about your day to day writing, producing, and booking. You do majority on your own, right?
I’m in different recording studios most days of the week, writing for myself, for commercials and for other artists. I find a lot of collaborators through instagram, and constantly check the Spotify song credits to find new songwriters and producer to work with. For shows, I don’t have a booking agent but will get offers from venues that have seen me play or I will reach out about a show via email.
What was the first vision of NOW?
I had no song title ideas when I walked into the studio, which is rare, but I wanted to sample an old grandfather clock. I’m not sure that sound even made it into the song. The producer, Mike Irish, suggested I just freestyle in the booth and I sang bits and pieces of lyrics from my notes, so it felt like a collage of emotions about where my head was at.
What advice do you have for young women in the music industry?
This is a great question. I’ll start with three suggestions.
1. DON’T WAIT FOR SOMEONE ELSE TO DO IT. When I started out, I was so blindly determined to do everything myself. I didn’t need a manager to introduce me to people. If I wanted to talk to someone, I’d find a way to reach them.
2. MAKE GOALS AND LISTS. Get swept away in the fantasy of your dreams. Make very specific goals, and constantly be writing about them. One of my goals is to have a song featured in a movie trailer so I started reaching out to film composers.
3. STEAL LIKE AN ARTIST. If you’ve haven’t read that book, please do. For musicians, I also recommend Big Magic and The Song Machine. Take notes on these books like you’re in class. Look at what your favorite artists are doing. Look at the way they promote themselves on instagram. Study popular music videos and think of ways you can achieve something that feels unique, personal, and fits your budget. Being talented unfortunately isn’t enough for the music industry, you also need to refine your message and WHY people should listen to the way you see the world.
