INTERVIEW: Midnight Mschief — Music Musings & Such

INTERVIEW:

Midnight Mschief

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I have been speaking with Midnight Mschief…

about their beginnings and how they found one another. The guys tell me about their new single, Ride, and filming its video. I ask how music arrived in their lives and what they have planned going forward – they each pick a song to end the interview with.

I was interested to know what they all hope to achieve before the end of the year and whether they had favourite memories from their careers so far; which rising artists we need to get behind and follow – they provide advice for artists coming through.

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Hi, guys. How are you? How has your week been?

Firas Viirgo: Amazing as always! Moved into a new place and setting up my room and studio…its all in one room. Haha.

Reem: It's been busy. Been working on some new music for you guys.

For those new to your music; can you introduce yourselves, please?

Firas Viirgo: What’s good; it’s yo boy Jermaine from the 305…just messing. My name is Firas. I go by ‘Viirgo’ as my producer name. I’m a Haitian-Omani dude who films most of our band’s music videos and watches a lot of foreign movies.

WNDRSS: My name is Fatma Mirza. I go by WNDRSS or, as my friends call me, ‘Tutu’.

Reem: My name is Reem from Midnight Mschief. I'm the color red on our logo.

Ride is your latest single. Can you reveal the story behind the song?

WNDRSS: Ride was the first song written by the two singers in the group - Reem and I. The song is a light-hearted Hip-Hop track about meeting someone who makes you careless about your surrounding; it’s about that feeling you get when you meet someone and find them interesting.

Reem: It's one of our personal songs. My bandmate and I wrote it together while video chatting as she was in a whole different continent. We wrote it in one all-nighter.

Firas Viirgo: What’s funny about Ride is, when WNDRSS and Reem wrote it, it was kind of based on a true story from a person I personally know that the band members haven’t met. She was in love with him, he got the signs but didn’t want to move forward ‘cause he valued their friendship a lot…and just like that...boom…you’re in the friend-zone.

The video looks like it was interesting to film. Where did you shoot that?

Firas Viirgo: Kris directed the first half in New York and, when she travelled to Dubai to see her family, I directed the second half of it with her.

Reem: It was shot by a photographer and a model whom are acquaintances of Viirgo in the U.S.

Is there going to be more material coming from the band in the future?

WNDRSS: Definitely. We are currently working on an album - we want to provide music that is undeniably great and has its own unique sound.

Firas Viirgo: Most definitely! We are working on our first album called Remember Everyone’s Damaged. The story behind the album reflects on the first color off our logo (R.E.D.). It will showcase how society have this ‘mask’ on; to prove that everything going about in their life is fine no matter how successful or happy they are. We are all fragile. We are human.

How did Midnight Mschief form? When did you all get together?

WNDRSS: We met in March while we were in different countries – U.A.E., Oman and the U.K. We found that we have a common love and passion for music and have been making music since.

Reem: I was first introduced to Firas through his cousin. She took a video of me singing in a parking lot and she took my number and told me about her having a producer cousin who's been looking for a female singer. Soon after Firas contacted and, as soon as we started working, he told me about him wanting to form a girl’s band and mentioned Tutu and sent me some of her work. I agreed on the spot as they are both talented artists. We've been working since starting with us being in three different countries then, finally, united a few months later.

Firas Viirgo: I met WNDRSS online and we’ve been speaking back and forth a couple times; just short talk. I was creating an online band at the time through a Reddit forum and asked her to join. She agreed…but the band didn’t last a week. Haha. Although, she was the only member then who kept sending my vocal demos consistently. She told me: “Firas, fu*k ‘em; let’s go make our own small band”. She’s straightforward so I liked that and followed her since.

When did music arrive in your lives? Which artists are you inspired by?

Firas Viirgo: Man…for as long as I could remember. I could tell you that the two artists that inspired me to start producing at nineteen was Maya Jane Coles and Detroit producer/singer JMSN

Reem: I was introduced to music at a very young age as I come from a musical family/background. My mother used to sing in college and my father is a poet - getting it from my grandfather who is a national singer and poet. I was first introduced to the piano and then went on to singing and songwriting. One of my favourite artists is Jordan Rakei! His music is beautiful, inspiring and very soulful.

What do you hope to achieve by the end of 2018?

WNDRSS: A full album release and listening party - and at least two music videos.

Reem: We'd have dropped our new album hopefully by then. We'd have a few gigs locally and internationally also with the hope of expanding our fan base.

Firas Viirgo: Having a successful album listening party and starting a solid foundation by establishing our band’s brand in the Middle East and gain recognition from dope sources. Whether it be an known artist or a popular Spotify playlist

Have you each got a favourite memory from your time in music so far – the one that sticks in the mind?

WNDRSS: I started writing Rap music from a very young age. When I was twelve, I spoke to my music teacher at school and asked him if I could do a live performance at the assembly and he said ‘yes’. I was very excited and a friend of mine who also enjoyed writing rhymes joined me on stage. Although the management at school was shocked (and not in a good way), the whole school cheered once we were done. I don’t remember what I had written for that anymore, but I know it was great.

Firas Viirgo: My favourite memory has to be being grateful that I have met two very driven and committed artists in my band.

Reem: Well, it's a very recent one as I performed in an open mic, mostly improvised with some amazing local musicians. It was spontaneous and beautiful. It was an amazing experience.

Which one album means the most to each of you would you say (and why)?

Firas Viirgo: Priscilla by JMSN

That got me into producing and the level of production in that album was and is insane. This was 2013…

If you could support any musician alive today, and choose your own rider, what would that entail?

Firas Viirgo: RICK JAMES, BIIITCH! Haha. I think I’d literally die in the first week of touring with him. But, on a real note, it would either be Russ or BROCKHAMPTON. I would have a bunch of medications available (for minor sh*t like a flu or cough) ‘cause I get mad-sick when I travel to another country for some reason.

Might we see some tour dates coming up? Where might we be able to catch you play?

Firas Viirgo: We are gonna throw a private listening party on Nov 11. It’s hard touring around the Middle East as there are hella load of rules and regulations. But, we will find a loophole.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Firas Viirgo: Be consistent and have a plan. Don’t try to freestyle your way ‘cause you’ll end up in a limbo…you don’t want to end up like DiCaprio in Inception.

IN THIS PHOTO: Adam Nabeel

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Firas Viirgo: Any of the Omani artists making noise in the city. We got Adam Nabeel, Wassup Nile and Emaan Zadjali. Oh; you should definitely check out Saffron. She’s based in Dubai and we’re doing a collab. album.

Reem: I’m much more of an old music type of person unfortunately: I don't keep up with new music that much but there are some amazing upcoming raw local musicians here in Muscat.

IMAGE CREDIT: Emaan Zadjali

Do you get much time to chill away from music? How do you unwind?

WNDRSS: Going on nature trips is my favourite way to unwind. Sometimes, the music gets too loud and I need some silence to refresh. It also helps whenever I have a writer’s block

Firas Viirgo: I’m always surrounded my music whether I like it or not. If I’m not producing, I’m listening to some other artist’s production or watching a film (and the soundtrack being so amazing that I have to dig deep into it).

Reem: To me, I don't feel the need to chill away from music as it is my escape I tend to turn to music to unwind; it's relaxing and accompanying.

Finally, and for being good sports; you can each choose a song and I’ll play it here (not any of your music - I will do that).

WNDRSS: Arin Ray (ft. DRAM) - Communication