This post was submitted by adam

Colin Munroe doesn’t want you think to less of him, but first you need to know who he is. A singer/songwriter from Canada, Colin Munroe developed his passion for music at a young age and has been writing and composing songs since. In 2008, his take on Kanye West’s “Flashing Lights” caught everyone’s attention. That, plus his original sound – a combination of indie pop, hip hop, alternative, rock and soul – made his mixtape, Colin Munroe is the Unsung Hero, widely popular. Last week, in anticipation of the release of his debut album Don’t Think Less of Me, TNG Chicago Editor Adam interviewed this up-and-coming artist while he was in Chicago on the Attention Deficit Tour with D.C. native, Wale. Below the interview is a playlist of a few songs from the mixtape, including Adam’s personal favorite, “Piano Lessons.”

TNG Adam : Is “Piano Lessons” a real story? What type of influence did your upbringing have on your music?

Colin Munroe: It’s basically exactly what happened. It was one of those situations where I learned to play piano on my own and my parents thought “Oh it would be a good thing for you take piano lessons. That’s the way you really need to learn to play the piano.” And as I started taking the lessons and learning all this theory and shit, I realized it was sapping all the creativity. So I just said I can’t do this anymore. And the minute I quit, I started playing more and more, writing more and it just became natural.

TNG: Were they trying to make you stick to the more classical pieces?

CM: I think it’s just what parents do. They mean well but they don’t understand how to guide, they try to control. There’s a big difference between guiding and controlling. And they got that one wrong. A lot of parents do.

TNG: What do they say now that you’ve actually established yourself as an artist?

CM: My relationship with my parents is a lot better now. It used to be pretty shit, but it goes a long way when your folks can see a video on television and can go, “Oh, that’s my son.”

TNG: “I Want Those Flashing Lights” became a huge hit on Youtube and on mixtapes within days of it hitting the net. What about it do you think made it resonate with fans?

CM: Well, first I think it was based on a great song that started in a good place, so I can’t take much credit for that. Beyond that, I think it’s a story that a lot of people can resonate with. It’s not a story that most people are talking about these days, which is how great they are, how hot they are and how much money that have. It’s the story of, “Look, I don’t really have anything, and I’m just trying to do this.” And there’s more people like that then there are more people with money.

TNG: Very true. You’re part of a new generation of artists that can’t be easily classified as one genre or another. Is that something you set out to do?

CM: I think it’s natural. With the advent of digital music, and the way that it’s being consumed now, it’s that it’s less on a genre basis. Radio is less important than it used to be. Kids are not just hip-hop kids, just punk kids, just pop kids, just whatever kids. Everyone is mixing and matching on their playlists. Even if they won’t admit it, everyone has a guilty pleasure from another musical world altogether. We’re the first generations that’s grown up with that. It’s natural that you’re gonna see this generation of artists that are fusing things together in a completely organic way. Not in a gimmicky way – like an Aerosmith/Run DMC thing – in a way that feels completely natural.

TNG: Speaking of guilty pleasures, what are some of your guilty pleasures that you are hesitant to admit you listen to?

CM: Umm, guilty pleasures? Let’s see how much I want to embarrass myself. I don’t know if some people consider it a guilty pleasure, but John Mayer. In the right moment, if I want to get in touch with my feelings, I’ll put some John Mayer on.

TNG: John Mayer also works to get laid, no matter the sexual orientation.

CM: (laughs) Very true.

TNG: I read that the Beatles, Chicago, U2 and Stevie Wonder are some of your influences. Are there any current artists you listen to or whose music you admire?

CM: It’s funny because I consider myself a musical scavenger. What that means to me is that I usually avoid feeding on the fresh meat. I kinda go for the meat that’s kinda been forgot for a while. So when I hear about something that’s hot, I back away from it. So I go and discover the stuff I wasn’t paying attention to five years ago. To me what’s new right now, are all the old Radiohead records. I’m getting to discover them way after everyone else has discovered them and I get to mix their spice with what I’m doing in a completely different way than everyone else did because they absorbed it way back then. So that’s how I try to approach it.

TNG: Are there any other artists you hope to work with in the future?

CM: Oh hell yea. There’s a whole bag full. I still haven’t worked with [Kid] Cudi, I could do something fun with him. Janelle [Monae], we’ve talked but haven’t done anything yet. I have an idea of what I would do with her. Musically. [Chuckle] Anyone I have a chemistry with, I’ll work with.

TNG: Have you been to Chicago before? Or is this your first time?

CM: It’s my first time actually.

TNG: Did you guys get to go around or just came in on the bus?

CM: Drove in and we’re probably gonna drive out, but I definitely would come back. But I think the reason it took so long was because of traffic. Getting in the city was insane.

TNG: Did you at least get to take the scenic route of Lakeshore drive?

CM: No, No. This hasn’t been the most well-rounded Chicago experience, but its been enough to where I’m gonna be back.

TNG: Whats your favorite part of being on tour?

CM: Umm, I love adventures so to me, the best part is you never know what’s going to happen next. Sometimes it’s difficult because you like some regularity in your life, but never knowing who’s gonna pop up at what show, what person you might see that you don’t expect to see in that city, what problem you’re gonna have that night, even the problems at some of these venues, if you look at them the right way, it’s an adventure. You’re like a cowboy. That’s the best part about being in the music industry. You get your gun and you ride your horse.

TNG: Do you think you have tons of gay fans or a gay following?

CM: It’s funny, because my only real connection to the gay community is in Toronto. I think it has the second largest gay population outside of San Francisco, so it’s pretty big. The parade is pretty big, but I remember hearing about when U2 first came out and came to America and the gay community was their biggest following. And they were totally surprised, but they were like, that’s cool. And for me it’s the same thing. And right now, for me, I’m identifying with the underdog. And it makes totally sense to me.

TNG: How is your debut album coming along?

CM: It’s pretty much finished. It’s just a case of getting the right plans in place. Get that piece called the major label to do what it’s supposed to do.

TNG: Why did you decide to name your first album Don’t Think Any Less of Me?

CM: I guess its an extension of the unsung hero, underdog thing. The whole album is really just a chronicle of leaving home. There was this mindset of, “I gotta get out of this house. I have to do what I’m supposed to do with my life. Don’t think less of me.”

TNG: How did you meet up with Dallas Austin (record producer of Pink, Madonna, and Gwen Stefani)?

CM: That was through a mutual friend (Falayn Knight) in New York who manages different writers and producers. My manager read about her in a magazine, Vibe or Source I think, and sent her a CD in the mail randomly. We didn’t hear from her for six months, and then two days before Christmas we get a phone call. She was in her car driving to Virginia, driving to her mom’s house, and she popped the CD in. She’s just apologizing about how she was just getting to it now, and she was coming to Toronto right after the holidays, so we could sit down and talk. And ever since then she’s been like my angel, opening as many doors as she can with no strings attached, no expectations.

TNG: Why do you classify yourself as “The Unsung Hero”? People have already begun to talk about you already.

CM: Maybe that’s how it goes. I think everyone owns that identity for a certain amount of time. Then they pass that mantle onto somebody else. But for me, I’ve worn it for a long time. I was never the biggest kid or the best looking kid or the most popular kid, but that’s not all it takes. Sometimes you turn those weaknesses into strengths and wear it like a badge and see what it does.

TNG: Where do you see yourself in five, ten years?

CM: Hopefully doing this, but on bigger and better levels.

MySpace Playlist at MixPod.com

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