Full Name:
Laura Marie O'Reilly aka Miz Metro
Age:
21
Currently Residing:
Purchase College (in Purchase NY), Manhattan and the Bronx ( I bounce around a lot )
Currently Listening to:
Nina Simone
Current Release:
Manhattan Makebelieve (due out by the Summer of '08)
To be versatile in one's craft is probably a huge challenge for most. One can choose the route in which they know best and excel on that path or one might choose to detour into the forest and see what's in there and come out with a totally new perspective. Miz Metro is definitely going through the forest in her singing career.
This very cute and verbal lady with a very sterling voice, is not afraid to belt one out in the styling of jazz, hip-hop, blues and pop. Her music is as diverse as her ethnicity and I was very impressed to hear performances. She may be compared to a few Brit females but I think her sound is all her own. You can hear that she is influenced by the oldie but goodie divas and her voice lends itself best to the soulful crescendo of this day and age. I very much look forward to hearing this songstress reach success with her upcoming album "Manhattan Makebelieve" due out in the Summer of 2008.
You have an incredible voice Miz Metro what's your vocal background and when was this discovered?Why thank you! I started singing in the gospel choir at the Catholic school, Our Lady of Good Council. It was in the 3rd grade that I started singing in church and I remember music class being a very spiritual experience for me. I sang "I have peace like a river, in my soul in my soul" like I meant it, the only time I actually felt like I was talking to God was when I was singing. I think that singing was the only thing I really connected to in Catholic school. It wasn't until high school that I started to seriously sing. I attended LaGuardia H.S of the Performing Arts for acting and it was there that I discovered my passion for singing and songwriting.
I auditioned for the school wide talent show "Rising Stars" in the fall of my Junior year with an original song called "Sandman Lovin", which consisted of me ripping out a poem from my journal and making up a melody on the spot at the audition. To my surprise I got in, which was quite a feat because it was one of a few shows in my school, with 3,000 kids, where any major could audition. More than that, only 10 acts were chosen.
When I went to the first rehearsal, everyone had to perform their act for everyone else who got in
the show. I couldn't remember the whole song (because I made it up at the audition). Needless to say, the producers were ready to kick me out of the show. I had to beg them to give me a chance to finish the song, they ended up pairing me up with a killer jazz band and after all the panic, I did deliver. For my first time ever singing solo in front of an audience, I got to perform five nights in a row for an audience of 2,000 people a night. Something just came over me, I can't explain it, except that it felt like I was in church again. The rest is history- I went on to become very involved with the New Music program at LaGuardia, and was cutting drama classes to sneak into Jazz Improv classes. I became obsessed with Jazz and studied Billy Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis, Theolonis Monk, Duke Ellington, Roy Haynes, Count Basie, Dexter Gordon and Bessie Smith. I had no idea how to read music or play an instrument, but I felt this primal need to communicate with the horns at jam sessions. Scatting just felt like a conversation to me, communication.You have an interesting ethnic background...care to elaborate? How does this influence your music?
I'm a mutt I guess, truly American, a gypsy at heart. My last name is O'Reilly which is very ethnic in a very "Oh you're Irish" way. I'm only like 30% Irish, I'm 20% Czech (which is where I have a little gypsy blood from the country Bohemia before it was taken over by the Czech Republic), I'm like 10% French Canadian, Italian, English and something I'm probably forgetting. I'd say because I'm so many different ethnicity, I don't align with a single one, which makes me very diverse and that is reflected in my music.
What do you feel makes you stand out as an artist?
My songwriting, lyrics, and the way I use my voice in wacky ways. I love to perform. This is who I am, it's not some act- I am very theatrical, I've grown up in the theatre and on film sets. Dressing up is just part of it. To me it's completely natural to be private in public, to just put myself out there for others to watch- I dunno maybe a screw is loose, or just missing- I love people, connecting to people.
How do you feel about the female Brit invasion - Lily Allen, Amy Winehouse, Lady Sovereign, etc.?I love it! It motivates me. It makes me want to kick some ass. Lady Sovereign actually intentionally or unintentionally named me Miz Metro. I interviewed her at the 2006 Winter Music Conference in Miami while I was wearing my door knocker full-sized Metro Card earrings.
I like Lily Allen's music a lot. I think this all just happened to her and she didn't expect to become famous over the Internet over night. I get compared to her a lot. At least one person comes up to me after every show I do and says that I remind them of Lily Allen, that I'm like the NY Lily. I don't think that's a bad thing.
Yes, I'm similar, but I'm very different. We have similar styles fashion-wise, lyrically and we both grew up in the entertainment business. I'd say that my voice and music is a little bit harder in edge than hers. I'm more bluesy- but we've both got that jazzy thing going on. I really want her to do well though because I feel that she's opening peoples' ears up to a sound that is paving the way for artists like myself, who want to do something a bit different but still pop. I would love to be a guest on Lily Allen's show that she's going to have on BBC. I like the fact that she's so proactive in getting other artists exposure.
Amy Winehouse, in my opinion, is one of the most exciting artists to come around in a long time. I love her voice. I love her songwriting and love her album "Frank". She's so fucking talented and I hope she gets better. She's really living what she sings, but there is a fine line. I guess she just wants to live forever, I don't think she will be forgotten. But she needs to find love for herself and that doesn't necessarily come out of going to rehab, that's a relationship you build with yourself over time.
You seem to be associated with the New York scene, but what's your presence like in other cities?
I obviously have a lot to say about the Brit girls, I love
London. I performed out there last April- and I absolutely loved it. I got a pretty amazing response. Girls were walking around wearing the metro card earrings I threw into the audience and people were asking for my autograph and taking pictures with me - it was surreal. I'm planning on studying in France for the month of June and will hopefully do a few shows in London and France. I also performed at the Winter Music Conference in Miami at the Townhouse Hotel in '07, which was great. I've done some shows in NJ and Connecticut. I haven't done a real big tour yet, so I haven't built up the following in other states that I hope to build in the near future. New York is really where it's at for me. I'm going to LA in two weeks to finish up my album and will be doing a show while I'm out there. I'm also going to be going to Austin, Texas for SXSW in March. I have fans from all over the country via Myspace, some of which have offered to help me plan a tour. It's all in the works!! I'm very interested in building a following in Europe and that is one of my major goals for 2008.
Right now my new favorite artist from the UK is Florence Weltch from Florence and the Machine. Her voice is raw and pure, she is definitely connected to her truth, and her lyrics and style are wacky and wonderfully real. She's really just being herself, and is getting an incredible reaction because of it- I hope to play a show with her next time I'm in London.
Who would you most want to perform with, if anyone?
Etta James. She's the reason I wanted to be a singer. My dad gave me a cassette tape of Etta James' Rocks the House when I was 15. I listened to it hundreds of times, and it was the soul pop- grit and grime of her voice that made me want to try and write my own songs.
What are you turned on by at this moment? Photography, multi-media, design. I'm a new media major, with an emphasis on music composition. I design all my own fliers for shows and do all my own graphics, etc. I've recently been using my multi-media skills for blogging. I started a blog with my intensely talented boyfriend Crosby called "Yo! Go Blog Yourself!" and have Miz Metro Mondayz on the Bloom Blog. I've seen the music business go in a very multi-media direction and thought it would be wise if I had some of those skills up my sleeve. I consider myself a multi-media musical artist, a product of the slash generation (singer/songwriter/actress/designer/producer/director).
The more you can do, the better chance you have at survival. Of course, it is important to focus and aspire to be great at one thing, for me that's my music. Miz Metro is a multi-media pop umbrella that all my other talents funnel into. I miss acting and it's a huge part of who I am- I think it comes out when I'm performing on stage. I guess Miz Metro is a character of sorts in a way. I'm in the process of writing a multi media musical film called "Miz Metro and the Yellow Brick Road" which is a spin off of The Wizard of Oz.
What are some things you do to develop your craft?
Listen to music from all genres, remember to listen in general, and let myself be inspired and let feeling flow freely through me. I like to play around with my voice and explore. I try to give myself room to do that when I'm working on my voice with a teacher. I would say that my craft is remembering to breath, trust, and listen. I let myself mess up and sound ugly, that's how I continue to grow. I also love to jam, to explore, and to take risks. Everything I've learned from being on my own in New York City to being back at school has influenced my craft. Life experience and having something to sing about- singing is storytelling and that is art for me.
Do you enjoy playing in front of a live band more than recorded tracks?
YES! I love playing with a live band. I'm in this awesome funk soul band called Mugwump. It's a 10 piece band with 4 horns- I love it!! I grew up playing basketball, I'm used to being on a team. I love being on stage with other people- I thrive off interaction. It's a dialogue. I think performing with prerecorded tracks has been good for me though because I really had to tell the story. I had to give my all because it's just me and the mic. It's also given me a bit of a hip hop edge because I've had to carry the audience like an MC. All of these things have had an influence on my development. If it were up to me I'd travel with a big band, hopefully I'll have a budget for that sometime soon!
Favorite place to play?
Cargo in London and Washington Sq. Park in Manhattan.
What would you most want to be known for in your life?
For having a sense of humor, being happy, loving my family and friends, and being a person who did what they said they were going to do.
When you look at history in the world, what is the most memorable event to you?
The Internet. It changed the world as we know it forever and is one of our only hopes left to preserve democracy. It's an incredible tool that can be used to connect and free the world or to control it. I feel very passionately about the Internet staying free to the public. I believe there should be free wireless everywhere. There has been such an intense amount of creativity and connectivity that the Internet has acted as a platform for, it has completely reshaped our society and the world.
For even more info on Miz Metro, visit her MySpace page or you can visit her Website.
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