MC EVERHEART

Some of the femcee's influences and favorite artists include Lauryn Hill, Banks, Lana Del Ray, Talking Heads, Sia, Eminem, Beyonce, Dr. Dre, Christina Aguilera, Jurassic 5, The Notorious B.I.G., David Bowie, Nirvana, The Who, Matisyahu, Gwen Stefani, ZZ Ward, Kanye West, Whitney Houston, Grace Potter, and Stephen Sondheim.

 

MCE’s journey began with a deep relationship with music.  ”I feel like I’ve literally had a soundtrack to my life,” she laughs. “Both my parents were music junkies so there never really was peace and quiet…I can’t remember a car ride with my father that didn’t include ridiculously loud classic rock. I was jamming to Deep Purple from a car seat, no joke…and my mother grew up in the South Bronx in the 60’s…she was into Motown…The Jackson 5…She had an amazing voice though, too…that’s where my raw talent comes from I think…we were harmonizing and belting out Whitney together in the kitchen by the time I was 6…”

 

Her mother is also responsible for her earliest mixtapes.  ”[Laughing] Technology was not what it is today.  We would sit up every night after dinner and she would pull out the tape recorder and we would just talk about our day, our dreams, and then I’d end the night with a song or a rhyme…I think my first recording was ‘Over the Rainbow’ when I was about 2 and a half…as I got older she’d have me study all the great singers we had on cassette tape and handwrite all the lyrics, then insert the precise breath marks…rewinding over and over, listening to every nuance…it was so tedious back then, that must be why I’m such a perfectionist now…”

 

MCE found her own lyrics in journaling and writing when she was young.  “It was therapy for me…It’s so fulfilling and crazy seeing concepts I wrote in a notebook from 10 years ago make their way onto my MacBook on a track for a song now…also realizing a lot of the stuff I wrote about is still relevant to me today, and hopefully to a lot of people…Love, family, pain, society, politics…”

 

MCE knew early on she loved the spotlight and took advantage of any chance to perform, using her sense of humor as a guiding force when entertaining people. “That might explain the direction I chose to go in with my music. There is usually a tongue-in-cheek undercurrent.”  This also allowed for a wide range of interests and capabilities. During her high school years, she would rap in her friends’ basements at a party on the weekend and then sing classical music in the All-State Chorus on Monday.  She also participated in Community and Regional theatre.   

 

Sometimes her versatility made it hard to fit in. She studied Theatre, Dance, and Television/ Film on a scholarship to DeSales University. “I tried that route…I wanted a career in the arts, no matter what. I thought that was the way to go. The problem was I wanted to do it all, so I got a little lost and confused…” After leaving, she started auditioning in New York City for Broadway and other casting calls, and realized how cold the industry can be.  “I got really tired of hearing ‘No you’re too tall for this role’, ‘You’re too chubby to be a pop star’…When you have to ask people permission to be you, it wears on your soul and you start second guessing your purpose and your talent.  Also, even when the theatre world said ‘Yes’ to me, I still felt like a square peg in a round hole.  I didn’t want to sing showtunes exclusively.   I needed to get some things off my chest my way, about how I see life, experience love... but I also have a vision to reach people…and what better way than to write, record, produce, and release original music from my heart, independently…that’s why I’m so passionate about the projects I’m doing now…I'm a classically trained Soprano with a strong background in musical theatre...so...[laughs]...I just really love all types of art and music.  It comes from within...sometimes my style is gritty and sometimes it's pretty..."

 

She tips her hat to advances in technology for her musical growth and development. “I’m fascinated with all levels of music production, not just being a performer.  I mean, I started rapping partly because I didn’t know how to create music…it came from a very functional place. I knew how to sing, but when you don’t play an instrument, you can feel limited and stifled. Now there are so many avenues for a person like me and it’s been wild. It’s saved me and comforted me when I thought I’d never live my dream. It’s been more challenging in a way though because I don’t play music. I’ve had to teach myself so much. I have to be responsible for so much of my songs’ construction…but it’s liberating and challenging.”

 

MCE is a successful hairstylist and makeup artist and gets behind the scenes with other artists to create their signature looks, as well.  She considers herself an artist and will do whatever it takes to share her vision with people. Her ultimate dream?  "...To make as many people smile each day as possible...and to inspire people, if I can, to never give up on themselves, and to stand up for themselves."

 

If she wasn’t in the music scene, MCE says her other dream job would be in sketch comedy.  “I’d love to be on SNL…anyone who knows me knows I’m a clown and they’ve probably never actually heard my real speaking voice because I’m always talking in an accent…that’s also what I love about the true great rappers…anyone can rhyme words together…but charisma, clever delivery and metaphors that are relevant, funny, or powerful…it keeps people thinking…laughing…that’s what stands out to me as a smart lyricist…that’s where the art form comes in…”