Jae-Ha Kim
Chicago Tribune
October 15, 2019
Like other young female musicians such as H.E.R. and Billie Eilish, mxmtoon is making her mark as a singer-songwriter. Her debut album, “the masquerade,” is out and the 19-year-old artist hosts a podcast called “21 Days,” which gives fans insight into her life and her work process. Based out of Oakland, California, mxmtoon says traveling so much for work can be helpful when it comes to creating new songs. She also says she’s looking forward to seeing more of her colleagues on stage. “Despite working in the music industry, I’m surprisingly still pretty new to the concert scene,” she says. “I hear a lot about the Bowery Ballroom (in New York City) and I’ve yet to see a show there. I’d love to go to one. As for who’s playing, I’m not picky. I listen to all types of music and would be open.” Fans can check out her tour dates on mxmtoon.com and follow her on social media. Her username is @mxmtoon.
Q. In your podcast, you talked about going to New York to work on your music. Does being in a new place help shape your music in terms of energy and perspective?
A. I’ve been to New York previously for work, but I’ve gone a lot more within the past year. Last October, I made my first work trip to Brooklyn. That was the first time I’d gone to New York City in 10 years. The three weeks I stayed to work on the album really felt like the first time that I got to understand the city and also form my own experience within it. I think new places are definitely extremely helpful to my creative process. I have a tendency to get stuck quite often when I’m also physically very static. Getting out of your head can often times be aided by also going somewhere completely different.
Q. What is your favorite vacation destination?
A. Monteverde in Costa Rica. I was lucky enough to go with my family in 2014. It’s unlike anywhere else I’ve been in the world. It exists on top of clouds basically and while you’re there it’s really mystifying. My family was doing a planned trip with a ton of tourist stuff, so we ended up zip lining! Highly recommended. Even the members of my family who are afraid of heights ended up having a fantastic time.
Q. What untapped destination should people know about?
A. I think honestly people don’t give Oakland enough credit! Oakland is one of my favorite cities ever, even though I’m definitely biased. People have a tendency to want to see San Francisco over this side of the bay when they come to visit. Oakland has a more chill vibe to it and, in my opinion, is just as lovely as San Francisco!
Q. What’s the most important thing you’ve learned from your travels?
A. Finding ways to keep routine in your schedule while you’re traveling has been the key to keeping me sane! Whether it’s unwinding with a book at the end of the night or putting out your clothes for the next day, doing things that provide a sense of consistency has been a lifesaver for me.
Q. Where are your favorite weekend getaways?
A. The Bay Area is extremely lucky to be so close to all types of places. You could drive an hour to get to the beach, 15 minutes to get to a redwood forest or even walk 10 minutes to get to a lake. My personal favorite place to go on weekends in the Bay would be Sausalito, California. It’s gorgeous and right on the water, but you get to be there when the fog rolls in during the evening and things cool down.
Q. What are your favorite cities?
A. Seattle, Chicago and Brooklyn! I’m definitely a big city person and I like each of these places for the hustle and bustle. Seattle is beautiful and the people are lovely. I have really fond memories of Chicago as well and would love to spend more time there. Brooklyn is one of my favorite places. Outside of Oakland, so many of the people I care about are there!
Q. Where would you like to go that you have never been to before?
A. France. My mom did some time abroad there when she was younger, and I think part of me would love to experience a small part of what her world was like growing up.
Q. When you go away, what are some of your must-have items?
A. Over-ear headphones make airports bearable for me. Being able to listen to a podcast and drown out the sounds going around me keeps me sane when I travel. I also make sure to carry a candle and face masks for when I need to do some self-care on the road!
Q. What is your best and/or worst vacation memory?
A. I have a ton of good vacation memories, but I honestly think my best was mixed with my worst. In 2017, my family took a trip to upstate New York and because of a storm, we ended up staying four days longer than we originally expected. We needed to get to L.A., and the only way we could was by going through Chicago and spending a day there. We schlepped to Chicago, sleep deprived and cranky. We rolled into one of the few hotel rooms left in the entire city that night and were confronted with someone’s stuff littered throughout the room. We called security. Because they had no other rooms left in the entire hotel, we were bumped up to the Presidential Suite. We ordered deep-dish pizza around two in the morning! Even though my family was exhausted, the 25 hours we spent in Chicago have ended up being some of my favorite memories.
© 2019 JAE-HA KIM
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