It's Women's History Month, so we're showing some serious love from home to our favorite female artists. Pass the time at your casa, and share it with your cat, your plant and your friends on FaceTime.
office— Are you in the car?
I am. I'm taking my boyfriend's little sister shopping.
I scrolled down your instagram feed last night. A picture of David Bowie greeted me at the very bottom, posted in 2017 or so; what about him?
Bowie is a whole kind of entity, his clothes; his moves; THAT movie, The Man Who Fell to Earth. I just love it. I mean, I’m Bowie obsessed, aren’t we all?
Both on and off stage?
Totally. Just the other night I found a new video that I’ve never come across before of him rehearsing for his Thin White Duke Tour and it’s as good, if not even better, as when he’s performing it. I spend a lot of time watching similar videos, I call it “The Youtube Game".
The what?
The Youtube Game. It’s similar to Apple Music, you click on the video then you bounce onto whatever recommendation comes next, you keep on clicking til you find something you haven't seen, something new, or whatever you’re happy with.
In other words, we don’t mind the algorithm stalking us.
I actually love it.
Are all your platform’s explorer pages as accurate?
I think so, yes. I mean it’s crazy how fast they change and adapt. If I like one photo of the Kardashians, suddenly Kim is all over the place. But mine’s pretty catered to me, pretty Beatles and Kate Moss, the classics. I generally love instagram.
It's been such a long time since I heard anybody express that lately. I more so feel like people have been complaining about drowning in the nothingness.
I totally get that, but then again it's a good sphere for inspiration. You just gotta watch out. I love a rabbit hole, though. Nonetheless it has obviously really revolutionized the way that artists are in charge of their image, you have more access to curating your own persona which I think is cool. Back in the days it used to be different, depending on what label or agency you signed with, and then you would have to go with whoever they said you should be.
Do you feel like you have control over your own image both when it comes to acting, modeling, music?
I do. I’m sure it depends on what team you're in or what people you surround yourself with. I met Thurston Moore [from Sonic Youth] and his wife [Eva Moore, previously Prinz] at the Cannes Film Festival a few years ago. At that point, I wasn’t looking for anybody in particular, I was set on producing my songs on my own, but then we started hanging out more, going to gigs together in London, and eventually I showed them my music.
I’m guessing they liked it?
They did, they wanted to put it out on their label, which is more than I could have even imagined while I’m starting out; I mean I admire Thurston so much.
Sometimes admiration shy people away, have you always been open with sharing your work to whomever comes along?
That’s definitely something I’ve gotten more confident with. Naturally, I’ve been around music — written songs here and there — since I was a teenager, but until recently I used to keep that for myself. I think my dad plays a role in that on both parts, while being who inspires me it also made me feel like I did not want to go down a similar path, or that I’m not going to be enough. Because of that I hid as a guitar player when I started out, but I realized rather quickly that I didn’t want to be in the background. I mean the mysterious guitarist is always so cool in the darkness behind the singer, but I’m too eager to be in the back.
I see that rebellious kid refusing to break into music because it’s her father's thing.
Definitely, I set my mind on becoming a ballerina initially.
I love a ballerina.
Me too, I did ballet for years. I first picked up the guitar when I was around 14, and felt that I had the knack for this. So I eventually surrendered to music… now I’m 24 and wished I had started out earlier.
14 sounds pretty early to me.
People start when they’re like 5!
Well, then you're not old enough to write your own lyrics. We could hold that against them. Your entry point was the lyrics, saying you wrote as a teenager?
Yes, but in relation to music, lyrics have probably always been the most daunting thing for me. I would constantly make tracks on my computer and then feel like I didn’t know what to say, what words to use, what to talk about; do people even care or is this just stupid?
But once I started finding my own style that pressure easen up. However, it’s still challenging, there are so many things but then nothing at the same time; none of it makes sense.
How did you find your own style? I feel like that’s easier said than done.
It’s not something you can just order, I think it has to do with experience. I’m not talking about experience in the industry but in life in general, you know, as a 14 year old obviously I had no clue of what I wanted to say. Thus words felt scary for I couldn't really pin them to anything, or anchor them somewhere. But as life gets harder, and you get older, you naturally find fragments to write about.
My dad being a rock purist, we only listened to stuff like The Beatles, which I love, but as I got older and I started diving into music history and references of my own — The Breeders, Pavement, Sonic Youth — I found a new narrative which I previously didn’t even know existed. That definitely opened my eyes to more ways of writing.
There’s a line from your new EP, “I’ll help you find your golden gun, because you are a sinner.” When approaching writing from your own experience, do you write for yourself or do you write to be understood?
I write for myself, to get through what I’m going through. It’s all very personal, but by being just so I think that’s what makes it universal as well. Some people like to write quite literally, I don’t. I prefer to skip around, to have something that doesn't necessarily make sense to me make sense to someone else, or vice versa. Those were words that sounded nice together, I’m glad they resonated with you. That’s what's cool about music. It doesn't have to say anything, it just has to feel. Similar to how painting affects us.
Coming back to Bowie on that note, or The Beatles, Pavement — several of your references really — they all had such a stark effect and affection on their audiences, in your very own opinion, could that be something that's gone missing in the broader music scene today?
There was definitely something in the water back then. Rock and roll was new, punk was new, The Beatles were the first to ever experience that crazy fandom fantasy. It was also new to write your own music back then, you know that Elvis didn’t write his own songs for example? So when The Beatles got together and wrote they really tapped into a deeper level of the phenomena. At the same time though, I think what we experience in music today is that everybody steals from everybody to some extent, but what we tend to forget is that likewise did the artists back then. It's a never ending borrowing from each other. Coming back to your question, I think what is lost is the general rock star of the good old days. The artist today could never be the same, it has to do with social media, the exposure, but also the fact that they spent so much more time on doing what they were doing back then.
I felt like they had more time than we did. Or at least less “stuff” to fill up their time with.
The longest record that anybody has ever taken their time to produce is The Beatles’ “Sgt. Pepper's”.
I like how this conversation is slowly turning into a history lesson, you’re nerdy with your details.
I could talk about this all day.
But what about your boyfriend's little sister, then?
[Grins]
Is this information you’ve dug out from the deep ends of a library or your vintage magazines; where does it come from?
I spent the last decade trying to learn everything about The Beatles, so I’ve accumulated facts over the years, but I’m still learning.
The algorithm is our bittersweet tutor….
Coming back to “stealing” — who have you stolen from in regards to your upcoming EP?
I was listening to an endless amount of, again, Pavement, Sonic Youth and Breeders. Most likely, that shit rubbed off on me. The EP itself was recorded on my computer, in a closet in Paris, at my Godfather’s house.
From a Godfather's closet to a tour. I heard you started out in LA, on Valentine's day no less.
I did, it was an awesome kick-off.
I’ll come see you once you come to the East Coast. NYC on February 27th?
Indeed.
Best of luck until then. Happy late Valentine's day!
Happy Valentine's!
Now that it’s been well over a year since the release of their first mixtape, New Jersey, and nine months since their latest EP, I’m on a Saucer, MGNA Crrrta is gearing up for their next chapter, and I had the chance to sit down with them during some of the scarce downtime they have in between shows on their North American tour, which wraps up in March. I caught Farheen and Ginger three days before their February 10th performance at HERE for NY, a charity music festival supporting local New York City organizations Big Reuse and The Urban Justice Center, and asked them about their origins, inspirations, future plans, and everything else in between.
Wesley Breed— I read that you two met through a Minecraft server when you were only eleven years old. What is it that drew you to each other, and how has your friendship been able to evolve over the last decade?
Farheen Khan— When we first met on the Minecraft server, we were beefing, but then we were like, ‘everyone else is just super weird’, and I guess we saw the same side of things. It was very socially oriented, that Minecraft server — we just stayed in touch.
Ginger Scott— What pulled us together was definitely the beef with other people, because lowkey the people on the server that we met on were crazy. I honestly didn’t really trust Farheen at first because she was kind of friends with the older squad on the server, and I was, like, the new generation vibe, so I was sus of her for that reason. We actually ended up creating a divergent server together.
When did you come to the realization that you wanted to perform together, and how did you land on the stage name MGNA Crrrta?
GS— I don’t know, I feel like we were just walking, and then Farheen was like, ‘let’s do a hyperpop song’. We were lowkey just bored. I started producing again, because I was into it when I was younger, and we started making music together. I feel like it’s evolved into performance art.
FK— I knew that we were looking for a name, and I was reading something and saw the Magna Carta in there, like the historical document, and I was like, ‘that’s kinda nice’. I didn’t like all the vowels in it, so I took them out and thought the r’s were cool, so I was like, ‘let’s put three r’s in there’.
Did both of you have a childhood or young-adulthood that was strongly impacted by music? Who were you listening to growing up, and how have they inspired your work?
FK— When I was growing up, I feel like I was really obsessive about music that was coming in and out. For example, when we met, I really liked 5 Seconds of Summer, and by the time I was in highschool it evolved into indie music, like Arctic Monkeys type shit. And then, Crystal Castles — thank God they came into the mix. When I was, like, eight, Kesha really struck me, Demi Lovato, Selena Gomez…
GS— Music was definitely huge for me. I loved playing piano, and then I played saxophone at school; I lowkey switched to bassoon, because I didn’t like how the saxophone squeaked, like, it sent shivers down my spine. I loved Nicki Minaj, I was a huge Barb, I loved Beyoncé, obviously… I feel like I listen to all the ‘then’ pop girls now; Britney is definitely a huge person for me. Farheen was the one that got me into Crystal Castles and weird shit like that (and ruined my life in a sense).
MGNA Crrrta has a very unique sound and accompanying visual aesthetic. Do you think it’s reflective of your personalities as individuals, or have you used MGNA Crrrta as a vessel to create something entirely new?
FK— I would say both. I wouldn’t say that everything we are is reflected into the MGNA Crrrta brand because we’re pretty multifaceted people, but it’s also just an accumulation of everything we thought was cool that we saw growing up.
GS— I feel like the core of it is just doing cool shit and vibing. Like, definitely emphasis on vibing.
If you could briefly describe MGNA Crrrta’s music to a first time listener, how would you do so?
GS— Very fast paced… definitely bold. I feel like bold is a good thing. Production is huge for us — we were producers first, and recently, in music, there’s been a turn away from production in a way that kinda sucks. We want some crazy shit.
FK— EDM pop, electro pop… it’s just combining a lot of things together.
Your North American tour continues this week and concludes in March. Of all the cities you’ve performed in, which feels the most MGNA Crrrta to you?
FK— LA.
GS— That was quick. I feel like New York, lowkey. I mean, LA was such a fun show, but I’m biased. I love New York. New York just goes crazier than LA. The kids in LA are always gonna be a vibe, but they will never outdance New York.
FK— I just think that LA is moreso, like, visually what MGNA Crrrta is. MGNA Crrrta doesn’t really exist in the winter.
If you had won a Grammy at the 66th awards on February 4th, who would you have thanked, and where would you have put it?
FK— We would probably just put it in Ginger’s apartment, next to the speaker on her desk. On the wall behind where the Grammy would be there’s posters of Nicki, Kesha, Britney, pictures of us…
GS— We would definitely post up hella on Instagram with it. Didn’t Kanye West post himself peeing on his? It has to be a little bit weird and perverted, the way you post your Grammy.
FK— I think we would thank all of our friends that have worked with us, because they’ve helped us out a lot, our team, our squad… oh, we would thank our moms and our dads.
What era is defining MGNA Crrrta right now?
GS— 2013 dubstep, Britney’s Femme Fatale album, Kesha, but specifically the beginning of the Warrior album and select tracks from the I Am the Dance Commander + I Command You to Dance remix album. It’s very niche, but it’s so fire. Production goals.
FK— 2010s euphoric EDM, too, and we love Miley’s Bangerz era. GS: 2023 Tate McRae. I honestly like her a lot. Nicki Minaj’s “Va Va Voom”… 2013 and 2014 were pretty good.
I see that you’re a part of HERE’s New York City lineup on February 10th. Is there any performer that you’re particularly excited to be sharing the stage with that night?
GS— Underscores! We just did a song that I co-produced with her. Love her, love her vibe, her production’s crazy; it was so fun working with her.
FK— I’ve been listening to Vegyn for a while, so it will be cool to see him. It’s a great lineup – I’m honestly excited for everyone.
HERE is a charity organization that directly supports local initiatives through their events, and following the success of HERE for LA, HERE for NY has been met with a lot of hype. How did MGNA Crrrta form a relationship with HERE, and how do you align with their charitable causes?
FK— I feel like HERE does a really good job supporting and promoting the nonprofits that they’re benefitting, Big Reuse and The Urban Justice Center. A lot of festivals just have their organizations at a tiny little booth, but HERE makes sure people know what the event is about.
Following your performance at HERE, what’s next for you two? Is MGNA Crrrta planning any new releases or playing any more shows in the short term?
GS— We have a new single coming out very soon… honestly super soon. I feel like whenever I submit singles to distribution I forget about them and then they suddenly come out and I’m like, Oh fuck. That’s kinda the fun of it. We have a bunch of singles coming out after that one; right now we're spitfiring a lot of stuff that we’ve been working on over the past six months, which has been super exciting. We’ve definitely been evolving our sound a lot, integrating our new inspirations with our old, and escalating everything. We’re gonna be releasing a project super soon, too.
Do you have any post or pre performance traditions?
FK— We do our makeup and hair together. We just talk like we’re hanging out, and we always hug before and after we go on. We like to eat together right when we come home, too. It’s like the big meal after playing a soccer game.
Do either of you have a song or video from your library that you are particularly fond of?
GS— “Ohyaaa” just came out, but I fucking love that song. I listen to it a lot — I feel like it’s just ingrained into my brain. “iWanna” is on our first EP, and it’s our least played song but I think it’s our best song ever, so that’s crazy to me. There are so many layers to it that I feel like people don’t understand.
FK— My favorite song of ours is definitely “Ur City Back 2 Life”. That song is just crazy. I love the “I.C.F.U.H.” video, too — it was ahead of its time. I still watch it and am like, ‘that’s amazing’, even though it’s my own video. I also really like the “Um4Hum4H4ye” video because it’s just a vibe. Shoutout Cal Glickman.
Is there an individual or group of people that has been especially supportive of your journey as artists?
GS— I just learned this recently, but lesbians like us a lot. I was told that there were a lot of lesbians at the LA show.
FK— I feel like a lot of fashion boys like us, too. They’ve been there since day one, and they’re just so supportive. People always talk about how fashion boys aren’t loyal, but they’re loyal to us.
What is the most rewarding experience you’ve had so far as MGNA Crrrta?
FK— This tour, and being able to see the country and travel.
GS— It’s such a surreal experience going to a city that you’ve never been to before and being a tourist but then meeting people that know you and your music.
At this point, in 2024, is MGNA Crrrta what you thought it would be when you first came together?
FK— We didn’t think anything would happen when we released our first song; it was completely for fun.
GS— Even though we were very particular with our vision, we didn’t take it that seriously at the same time. We were kinda just like, ‘yeah, we’ll do this for fun’, and then the bit got really real. We’ve always been completely independent; we just started with management recently, so it’s been amazing to watch the escalation, and it’s exciting to have more opportunities come our way. Now, we think about possibilities we definitely weren’t even considering a couple months ago.
MGNA Crrrta continues their North American tour this week alongside artists Ninajirachi and Cowgirl Clue, and you can purchase tickets here.
The Great Offering: Venus Underwater breaks the barriers between theater, music, and immersive storytelling. With a fusion of pop/dance, R&B, indie rock, and rap, it tells the story of a Black trans woman engaged in a heartfelt dialogue with her daughter, who grapples with doubts on her wedding day. Set against the backdrop of a wedding on Planet Venus, this conversation delves into humanity's journey from Earth. Each track serves as a sonic companion to this exchange, offering insights into the interconnectedness of love, Afro-spiritual practice, and spiritual harmony.
In a double-feature video showcasing the lead singles "Call My Name" and "Moody" by Demi Vee, directed by Miss Kam, audiences are submerged into the depths of the ocean and splashed with the vast expanse of the cosmos. The storytelling guarantees an adventure so make sure you take notice.
Watch the music video below.
