MAYVE

By Rick Perez

As I stepped into the unusually warm January day in Brooklyn, I couldn’t help but be a little anxious upon leaving my house. I was meeting up to shoot Nick Micheline, Mike Gusman, Joe Rene, Kyle Murphy, and Matt Emma, five dudes that make up the indie-pop band, Mayve.

I’m always a little nervous before a planned shoot, especially with subjects I’ve never met. From previous experience, no amount of planning can ever get you fully prepared for what would happen in a photo shoot. Most of the time I have to wing it. I hoped for good vibes as I stepped into The Cobra Club in Bushwick, Brooklyn, where I saw the guys seated at the bar . After a quick introduction we agreed to drive to a different location to shoot.

Like clowns in a circus, we piled six into Nick’s 5 seat car, and made our way to the shoot location. We comically kept missing turns as Joe was squished in the back, and I believe that this comical first encounter broke down any nerves any of us had. I instantly felt like I had been friends with these guys for a while, and addition their slick sense of style, their down to earth attitude made it super easy and fun to shoot them. All in all, I got what I hoped for: good vibes.

Check out Rick’s photo shoot and interview with Mayve, where they shared their experiences working with producer Rocky Gallo, the Long Island Music Scene, and what they did for their last birthdays.

INTERVIEW

Who is MAYVE and what is your music all about?

MAYVE: MAYVE is a group of five friends making music about our lives. For us, music is an incredibly personal outlet. Our music is all about creating and conveying these emotions through sound.

MAYVE just released your latest EP, Animals.  What’s this EP about?

MAYVE:  Though Animals is a 2016 release, these songs were written a couple years ago. These songs are a snapshot of a very transitory phase. They take listeners through things in life we went through. It’s relatable, uplifting and sometimes dark, while also touching upon central themes of love and self-reflection. This EP is just the beginning for us.

You recorded Animals with Rocky Gallo, who has previously worked with notable musicians such as John Legend and Andrew bird.  How was that experience?  What did you learn?

MAYVE: Rocky Gallo, we felt, was a great producer for us to work with and learn from. We recorded and mixed Animals in a little over a week. Rocky worked around the clock with us, and was able to capture our vision of these anthem songs and elevate them to the finished product you hear now. We had an array of different instruments to choose from and experiment with in his studio. It was through collaboration and a desire to push our creative boundaries that we created the EP we always wanted to. Rocky truly was a professional and, given the opportunity, we would love to work with him again.

What is the Long Island music scene like?

MAYVE:  The Long Island music scene seems to finally be back on the rise. It definitely took a hit, but there’s a great foundation forming that’s working to build up the arts community again. Especially in the Patchogue area.

Which bands influenced you guys growing up?

MAYVE:  Depeche Mode, INXS, Talking Heads, and Coldplay

Are there any bands now that MAYVE would love to work with?

MAYVE: We are actually about to work with Patrick Fetkowitz from Bronze Radio Return on our upcoming EP and we could not be more excited.  Other than that we’d be open to working with just about anyone.  Some of the more current bands and producers we’re into are The 1975, Max Martin, Brian Eno, Passion Pit, and Foster The People.

For each member, what did you do for your latest birthday?

Nick: Absinthe and Karaoke.

Kyle: Sushi and drinks all night.

Mike: I actually helped a friend film a short movie.

Matt: I ate an excessive amount of wings and drank an appropriate amount of margaritas.

Joe:  Just a regular night out with The Boys.

For each member, if you can be any age for a week what would it be?

Nick: 5, no explanation.

Matt: 99, but the last week of 99, so I can turn 100.

Joe: 23, because I’m gonna be that for a while anyway.

Mike: 5, I’m with Nick on this one.

Kyle: 25 so that I can legally rent a car and nobody can stop me.

What’s next for MAYVE?

MAYVE:  We’re recording our new EP next month. We cannot wait to share this new collection of songs with everyone later this year. Also, we’re going to be playing MOVE Festival in Albany in April and hopefully making a weekend run out of that. From there, we plan to keep a busy schedule of playing shows and writing more songs.

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