| Band name | Fanni Mayer |
| Location | Budapest, Hungary |
| Similar Artists | P!nk, Sade, Dido, Lorde and Lana Del Rey |
| First release | Horizon (March 2018) |
| Links | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube |
| The Music Addict’s Verdict | Talented pop singer/songwriter. Her songs are soft and sensual, but with an underlying strength running through them. |
What’s your songwriting process like?
Fanni: Mostly I start alone with the idea. I write sketches or whole lyrics. Other times I’ve got the melody too. Then I sit down with my guitarist or pianist friend and we work together to unfold the feeling. Then I go to the studio with a producer and we work together until I feel like it’s the closest to the feeling possible. I’m a highly emotionally driven person when it comes to songwriting. Those 4 songs (songs of my upcoming debut EP) were written that way but I’m always open to new ways, new methods.
What are your influences?
I’m always fascinated by feminine energy and power. My biggest heroes in music are mostly all women like Whitney Houston, Nina Simone, Pink, Fiona Apple, Tracy Chapman, Missy Elliott etc.
And I’m heavily inspired by Leonard Cohen’s poetry and the way he delivered. It’s so pure and simple yet complex. My mom is an actress and I spent a lot of time as a kid in the theatre watching plays and pretending I’m an all grown up lady in my mom’s high heels in the dressing room. I love everything from this period of my life and I was inspired by plays like Padlás (famous Hungarian musical) and The Jungle Book musical etc. Also the teamwork at theaters was mind blowing for me.
As an artist I love to collaborate with other artists, I love good teamwork. My father is also an actor and singer, so I listened to his performances as a kid. He’s a wonderfully gifted artist. As a songwriter I guess this big ‘AHA’ moment was when I first heard Christina Aguilera’s ‘Stripped’ album. It was a turning point for me as I look back even though I didn’t know at that time. I remember how I was mesmerized by the honesty, vulnerability and bravery of the lyrics of those songs about family issues, sexuality, feminism, domestic violence, pussy power, equality. Same with Pink’s ‘M!ssundaztood’ album. ‘Family Portrait’ is my forever anthem.
How would you describe your music?
It’s soft yet gritty. Sensual and powerful. Yin and yang.
What’s your latest release?
My latest release is an indie pop ballad called ‘Stranger Things’. This song is about that strange phenomenon of how people we once loved become strangers, the desire to seek love no matter what. A “futuristic dream in a modern ghost town” where cold lust meets daylight and alienation takes over. A song about how a damaged father figure makes us tend to follow wrong patterns over and over. This ballad tracks the death of illusions, broken relationships and turning the tables on it all!
He's also a regular contributor at the excellent news site Montreal Rampage
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- Book review: Rainbow in the Dark: The Autobiography – Ronnie James Dio - September 24, 2021