Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Mechanical Woman. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Mechanical , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

The second I was capable of processing a career path, whenever that young time was, is when I knew I was going to do this forever.

I distinctly remember being Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. I was in eighth grade (I was required to be in the play at the school I attended). I was cast as Dorothy, and I kid you not, through that role, I fell so in love with voice and storytelling that it became all-consuming. It was the first time I experienced intentional singing. like a wave of purpose that I had to follow. Pretty soon, found the visual art becoming more of an auditory experience – like a sung painting.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?

I was born and raised in Chicago. Starting out as a visual artist really shaped the way I play with sound. “Sand Castles” is a good example of this. I make music as I do paint. I use sound to paint the picture – to tell the story. Most importantly, there are no rules with my work. Sure, I did learn the rules to break them. But I found that, especially when producing a track, limiting yourself to a perfect structure or pop-song layout made no sense to me. If something comes to you – do it. That’s how I roll. You can always change it later.

I don’t like to compare myself to other artists, but what makes my work stand out for itself is that it is a world all its own, filled with storytelling. I have a lot to say and express – that comes first. Then the bells and whistles. My first two instruments were the piano and the drums. Those are my spines; they are always there to guide me. It’s also important to learn, to practice, to study your craft. I still take vocal lessons once a week, I still practice the drums, and I still play on my piano. I never lose myself to modern technology, no matter how much it offers me. I will continue to honor the organic layering of vocals and the organics of the human voice. That will always be.

I also produce most of my songs myself. That is to say, I feel my music couldn’t be any more authentic. I wrote it, played it, taught myself to produce, taught myself to play the guitar, and put it all together. I didn’t have any support – didn’t have a cool friend in music, absolutely no connections. When you want something that badly, you make it happen. A sound wave all my own.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I was eight or nine years old. It was at the time that computers and AOL email came about… the one with the dial tone. Though I can’t recall why, I remember sitting at my mother’s computer. I had just told her that I wanted to be in entertainment. So she had the idea that we search the internet and see if maybe something comes up. Back then, people weren’t relying on the web for their answers, but there just so happened to be a handful of new listings for casting calls- girls around my age. She then turned to my nine year old face and held out her pinky. She said to me, “The girls they want are like this”. She then proceeded to hold up her thumb, points to me and says, “You’re like this”. I will never forget it. My own mother made very clear to me at a young age that I was a thumb amongst a sea of pinky girls. So this is my first story of resilience. If a nine year old girl can push through being that devalued by her own mother, she could do anything. I know its a story of youth, but its a significant one.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Turning lemons into lemonade. Honestly, I’ve had quite a life, and I’m really just getting started. Lots of hills I’ve had to climb. A lot of absurd stories. But the truth is, that absurdity- the memories we carry shape who we are. How resilient we become. Being creative, whether in my visual art or music, is how I share those stories. The more you do it, the more time you spend doing it, the deeper it gets. The paintings I make now are so complex. My work is uniquely its own. My manager said the other day, “There’s really no one else like you.” The truth is, that’s because of who I am – what I’ve been through and how I’ve come through it, which is through my work. I quite literally work through it all. Like, releasing the weight of a thousand caged butterflies, finally letting them go. It really is a process of turning lemons into lemonade, sharing my perspective in hopes of touching others. That’s the most rewarding.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/mechanicalwoman
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/mechanicalwomanofficial
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MechanicalWomanofficial/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@mechanicalwomanofficial
• Other: tiktok.com/@mechanicalwomanofficialhttps://open.spotify.com/artist/4qkm6qdclydj2AQBm1Z1ja?si=fUpg3QMEROiznBR6l_J8Rw

Image Credits

Stephanie Augello – photography

Paul Motisi- graphic design- album artwork