The Miami Art Blog by Heike Dempster

First up, tell us a bit about yourself

I'm a singer/songwriter/producer born in Ethiopia, raised mostly in New York City but also around the world; the Caribbean, Africa, Europe because my parents were international civil servants. I'm still relatively new to the music industry in the sense that people are still just finding out about me but I have been singing, writing and performing for many years, hoping to break through and one day sell out stadiums. I believe in my dreams, and I go hard for them.

Can you share some highlights of your career so far please?

My first single was a song I wrote and produced and put out myself on my own label called "Love This Lifetime". It got a pretty good response from youtube, which led to DJ's in the UK and in the Caribbean playing it. It charted in the UK, which led to remixing it with Bounty Killer, a legend in the Dancehall. That remix and the video for it got played in a lot of places. It wasn't a huge commercial hit all over the world but it traveled far and wide; it charted in the UK twice more and got added to MTV UK and MTV Base. These are awesome results considering I was the sole person who ran the record label. It was pretty much just me, my laptop and tiny shoe string budget the whole time.

You are promoting your new single as “The Queen of Hearts.” What’s the idea behind the project?

There are several reasons why I decided to do it this way: For one, the album, which sort of wrote itself is called The Queen of Hearts. Initially the first song I wrote for it. which came out of nowhere for me, was called "Queen of Hearts". I was really broken-hearted at the time and it was really empowering to think of myself as The Queen of Hearts. Also, there have been other musical artists squatting on my trademark, and I wanted to make it really obvious to people who were confused by the brand dilution, that we were different. But the final reason, and the one that really speaks to me, is that this album made me realize that there is no greater power than being the Queen of your own Heart. That was a personal lesson. And I wanted everything related to this album, to have that message on it because that is what I have to say in the world.

The “Who is the Queen of Hearts” project is quite secretive. Why did you choose to keep your name a secret?

I just feel that the business of promoting music has become about how far people can shove a brand down your throat. And as a consequence of focusing on sales and marketing, the music people are putting out, does not even necessarily feel that good going down. I wanted people to focus only on my music and like me for that, not for how much money I can spend on smoke and mirrors. Also I just finished an album called The Queen of Hearts (Valentine's Day, 2013) so I figured it would be just be more fun to introduce myself as the question, since most people are just hearing about me for the first time. Hopefully they like "Technicolor" enough to find out my real name.

You wrote a “Queen of Hearts” Manifesto. Please elaborate.

The music business right now is really interesting. On one hand we all have access to the same tools, which are cheaper than ever before: recording, shooting video, ways to share... but breaking though the noise of the multitudes still requires a lot of money, and the odds of becoming known as a musician these days can be slimmer than ever given the sheer number of people recording music now is greater than ever before. At the same time fans, have this awesome power now too. If they really get behind something, it can have a fair shot to get out there and stay out there. They can create reactions that are viral. That is a beautiful thing. Independent artists really need fans to champion them so they can finance their projects and continue to make music. Quality music takes money to make. Just because you can download a song for free, does not mean no one spent money to make it. Unless it came from a major, chances are someone really struggled to make something of quality for you to enjoy. Since file sharing changed the way we consume and experience music, fewer people are able to make a living on recorded music than ever before, so a lot of great music does not get funded. Meanwhile there is still this persistent complaint that there is a lack of quality in pop music. Fan support has the power to change that. The Manifesto was a little bold but I do think people need it posted up on their radar that they have the power to support artists that make the music they want to hear, whether that artist is on a label or not. It's easy for fans forget that, which is fair, we are all busy, but fans do have the power and it's awesome when they use it. I really am just speaking in support of all indie musicians. Yes, I want people to support me, but ultimately it's an important conversation for people to be having for the sake of good music in general. I'm a fan, too.

Your new single “Technicolor” features a new sound. Which direction is your music taking?

I like to think that popular music is a conversation that is happening all over the world, by many different people all at the same time and I just want to participate. I focus on writing the best songs I can write and producing them in a way that allows me to connect with as many people as I possibly can. I nearly got stuck in a genre box with the Bounty Killer record; everyone assumed I was a one trick pony that was only interested in Reggae/Dancehall. I love that music but it's only one facet of what I do. My performances and production might traffic in a lot of culture because my life experience has me moving in and out of many world cultures, but ultimately I write, sing and produce pop songs. The songs dictate the production style and that has a lot to do with what is happening in music when I put the recording out. I want have a relevant voice in the pop conversation and to make music that is universal so I can invite as many people to the party as I possibly can.

“Technicolor” also has a new video. What is the concept behind the video?

It's funny, I did not have a lot of money to make the video, so we got footage from a variety of sources. I went out with a camera and walked around shooting people that inspired me, then we edited it up to capture a feeling that was universal and felt good. I didn't want the video to be about romantic love, because romantic love is only one type of love. It's beautiful but agape is more interesting and I wanted the video to spark that in people. I literally want people to feel more alive after experiencing my sonic and visual work and hopefully take that out into their lives and relationships. I also did not want to be in the video. I'm sure I'll have tons of chances to make performance videos in the future, but the stars of this song and video are all kinds interesting human beings just being awesome and engaged in living a full life and I was more interested in watching them.

Who did you work with on the video?

I directed the video. I got my degree in Film, but I never really did anything with it. I dusted it off, because I was working with such a small budget initially, but now I'm realizing that making the visuals myself is just another way I can tell my stories as a musician. I collaborated with a few really talented Editors to help me pull it all together: Aurora Halal, Wilmer Arellano and Greg Reitman all jumped in at different points.

What inspired the song? What’s the story?

The song "Technicolor" was written as I was coming out of a really tough period in my personal life. The stress of being an independent artist was starting to take it's toll, I had gone through a heartbreak. I was feeling very lost but there was still this inspiration in me to keep moving forward, especially when I thought of all the people that have touched my life. I was not in love with anybody in particular, I was feeling in love with life itself and that feeling is truly what keeps me putting one foot in front of the other. That song made me feel more inspired to go out and keep chasing my dreams.

You are an independent artiste. What are the positives and negatives of working independently?

The positive is the creative freedom. Literally, I am never having conversations with anyone about whether or not anything I am doing musically is a good idea or not. I write the song, I hit the studio, and no one is really ever really weighing in on the final product until it's done. There is no committee. Once it is done, I send it to my Manager for feedback and to be honest he rarely suggests changes. What you hear on record comes directly from my heart, right to your ears, without a ton of opinions filtering the process and I think you can hear that on the recordings somehow. The negatives are that I am nickel and diming it the whole time and robbing Peter to pay Paul. There are times when it would be generous to call my budget a shoe string budget and I work hard to get the money together and make time to finish projects, while I balance an actual job. And the unpredictability of never knowing if anyone is every going to enjoy your work can also be really stressful, there are also quality of life issues when you make your life about your art. The only logical reason to be doing music in this fashion is because you love it, because the process itself is not very glamorous or easy.

You are based in New York. What are some of your favorite hang out spots?

I'm a big fan of Red Rooster and the nightclub downstairs, Ginny's. I also hang out at Spur Tree and Miss Lily's.

What else are you planning?

The Album, The Queen of Hearts is done, we're just at the mixing phase right now. I have an IndieGogo campaign where fans can get involved in making sure that we get that done right. It's on the website:

www.whoisthequeenofhearts.com.

Any and all support is welcome, even if it's spreading the word.

I've been rehearsing my new band for the last 6 months, and getting the live show together so we can really have something spectacular for people when we start touring in 2013. I'm working on booking those dates now, so people should sign up for the mailing list, follow me @myqueenofhearts or go to the website

www.whoisthequeenofhearts.com to find out more. And demand me in your city, I'll go anywhere you are. We have a great live show lined up.

Your new website www.whoisthequeenofhearts.com is interactive. How important is communication with your fans and how can people get involved?

To me, fan interaction is everything. My fans are my bosses, I make music for them. I need them to keep making music and I make no secret of that. I ask them to get involved, to tweet me, to share my music. But with The Queen of Hearts campaign, I am taking it a step further and asking them questions about their lives, because I genuinely find them interesting and I want to converse with them in a deeper more meaningful way. My fans inspire me to keep chasing my dream, so I want to keep nurturing those relationships and deepening that connection.