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Makin’ Meusic

 

  • Iowa artist Mars Meusal. Contributed photos

  • "Xmas", by Mars "Meusic" Meusal.

By Kate Hayden, khayden@charlescitypress.com

As artist Mars Meusal talked on the phone with a reporter back home in northeast Iowa, his car’s air conditioning hummed in the background.

“Is it snowing out there?” he asked.

It was. Los Angeles weather must be nice for Iowa natives.

California winter wonders aside, Meusal is staying in the holiday spirit with his remastered album “Xmas”, under the artist name Mars Meusic. Meusal recorded the ten-song track in ten days, relying on a limited instrument catalogue: violin, guitar, a drum machine and a guest appearance on “Mr. Grinch” by Iowa saxophonist Kish.

It’s a debut album for Meusal, but he has some original music lined up for release shortly after, he said: the single “Space Chick” comes out on New Year’s Eve, and an original album will be ready to drop in February.

Meusal’s not interested in fitting into an existing genre; he’s coined his preferred label, “strum & bass”, to reflect what his style is about.

“It’s songwriting that’s been around, but just in a new configuration. R&B would be the most similar genre,” Meusal said. “I feel like that’s…unspecific, you have things from BB King to modern pop that could be R&B.”

“It’s cool to let music speak for itself, and having a new genre speaks,” he added.

Meusal got his musical start in Charles City, at eight years old, on violin.

“I was really into violin for some reason,” he recalled. “Some years later I got a guitar, got into that, and from there really got into songwriting.”

With the influence of extended family writing music for themselves, “I was just really lucky to be around it,” he said.

Meusal moved down to Cedar Falls after high school and regularly played with friends and acquaintances at the former Hub Live Music Club on Main Street. He was a regular collaborator with Seth Luloff, of the Holy White Hounds, and recorded instrumentals on their album under producer Brandon Darner –– former member of Iowa band Slipknot, and producer of Imagine Dragons’ album “It’s Time”.

“Most people are confused, music from Iowa, what does it sound like?…I think there’s some kids that are about to put Iowa on the map,” Meusal said. “I’m talking with a few labels right now, showing them stuff I’ve produced. Everyone’s very excited.”

Meusal has been in LA for six months now, laying violin tracks for other artists’ records and getting in the studio as often as he can. Most of his own music is self-produced, with a few collaborations from other producers since he’s relocated.

“I knew I had to move (to LA) for about the last two years, I’ve been really considering it. I just road tripped out with one friend, jumped in and I’ve been making it work,” he said. “At this point I’m trying to push independently and seeing what kind of hype I can build…You can reach a lot of people without a lot of money (online).”

Meusal has been posting covers regularly on his MarsMeusic YouTube channel for about two years, using the hashtag #MeusicMonday to get attention surrounding pop music covers. He’s also getting excited to debut his original work online for his budding audience.

“I pretty much am in the studio as much as is humanly possible,” Meusal said. “I feel like I’m recording songs for some albums out. You kind of write as you experience and go through life, so I think your music is a reflection of that…I think this is the first album of many to come.”

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