Kat Harlton
Mississauga, ON singer-songwriter Mauve, recently released her latest single ‘Starting Over’. A mid-tempo hopeful, dreamy song full of melancholy, it’s for anyone who has ever tried their hardest but didn’t know if they still had fight them. ‘Starting Over’ was produced by Bogdan Bobrov and vocal producer Jovan Jovanov. The song was written and composed by Mauve.
Influenced by the deep and emotional vocals of Amy Winehouse and Sia, Mauve gives credit to her proximity to Toronto for providing many outlets and opportunities to explore different styles of music through its vibrancy and the diversity of its people.
Mauve won the InterContinental Music Award for “Best of North America-Pop” for her song ‘Come Around’. In addition, Mauve was nominated for “Best New Artist” at the Niagara Music Awards. Some of her live appearances include a performance at YOUTH DAY Global at Yonge-Dundas Square, a headline performance at the 2020 Toronto Music Expo, and she was also a featured panelist at the 2020 Canadian Music Expo.
We had the opportunity to chat with Mauve about the inspiration behind her single, her creative process, and career highlights.
Kat: Can you talk about the inspiration behind ‘’Starting Over’’?
Mauve: This song was written out of that frustration of having so much hope for the start of something new, and then realizing that it won’t actually come to be. Most of my songs that I’ve released have come from a place of celebration and falling in love, but this is one of my first songs that explores that pain that can come from losing love. I was sitting at my piano, deep into the emotions that I was going through, and just started to mess around with the notes and chords on the keyboard. I just started to gradually pour out how I was feeling and pieced together the words for the song. It was kind of cathartic to write this song and express the hurt that was being experienced.
Kat: What do you hope fans take from this track?
Mauve: I hope this song allows people going through that kind of heartache to release those emotions and know that they aren’t the only ones who have gone through this lonely feeling. It’s okay to stay in those sad feelings for a little while, because then you are able to process it and grow stronger. I hope that this song allows for a wider audience to see me as an authentic singer who is not afraid to wear my heart on my sleeve. No matter what you may be going through, the best method to me is to feel it fully and to not try to pretend to be somebody else.
Kat: What do you find is the most challenging part of your creative process?
Mauve: I can’t really force myself to create a song without being driven by something, so whenever a spark of inspiration comes by, I make sure to work on it to shape it into something real! Sometimes if a catchy melody or idea pops into my head at the most random moment, I record a bit of it on my phone so that I can go back to it later without losing it. It’s all about being able to capture the emotions when they’re fresh in your mind and not being afraid to express them through the song.
Kat: What has been a career highlight for you so far? What have you learned along the way?
Mauve: I have accumulated over 2 million plays across all of my songs. It makes me very proud to see how far and wide my music has been able to reach, by committing myself to working on my music career every single day.
Another highlight is performing at a popular venue in Toronto called Sneaky Dee’s. It holds such a cultural significance to the city, so it was an honour to perform there. The ability to connect with a crowd and have them drawn to you through your music and performance, in such an open and honest environment, is something that is so fulfilling about music.
I have learned that you grow so much through experiences, and there is no better teacher than experience. I definitely feel I should get involved in everything, because you never know what valuable lesson or partnership you will be able to get out of it.
For more on Mauve, visit: https://mauve-music.com