Mecario Discusses His New EP "Lions And Colours" And The Future
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We sat down to talk with Chris Crossdale, the man behind Mecario, to discuss his musical inspirations, fear, hope, joy, and the release of his new EP "Lions And Colours".
First things first; where did you get such an interesting name, ‘Mecario’?
*Laughs
Funny story. I used to call myself Inspire because I sing to inspire. But I started thinking, man, that name is kind of whack. So, believe it or not, I would sit on Google every day and look up rare baby names, and one day I found Mecario. It is of Italian-Spanish origin and means “one that is blessed’. As soon as I came across it I was like, “that’s it!” And the rest is history.
Being this is your first release, what were some of the inspirations that led you to writing these songs?
Honestly, the battle between fear and love. I believe it is imperative for us to be completely and whole-heartedly inspired by love and not fear. With Lions and Colours, I wanted to show the paradox of life and the peace that hope brings, even in times of sadness. My faith and my worldview shape how I perceive life. The perspective I use in how I interpret experiences and how I share how those experiences have affected me is all filtered through the belief that life should be motivated by love and not paralyzed by fear. No matter what, I know the pain in my life does not define me.
Did you have a favorite song to write/record for Lions and Colours EP?
Endless streams was definitely the most fun song to record – it is a reggae tune! Also, Remnant was really cool to do. It is a song people would not expect from me, it is my attempt at a folk tune. That song means a lot to me. It is a beautiful song about friends I haven’t seen in years and miss, so it also has a tinge of sadness to it. Naturally my songs are more autobiographical, songwriting is my diary; it is my outlet. With that in mind, my songs often tend to mix the beauty and sadness of life.
River Running was the first single off Lions and Colours EP, what led you to choose that song?
River Running is a great representation of the rest of the EP. I have been writing songs since I was about nine or ten, and to me, that was the beginning of River Running. I knew that was the song I wanted people to hear from me first; the one to lead the way for the rest of my work. The song is about a guy fearing to commit to a girl that he loves, but the surprise is it is neither a love song nor a breakup song. It is simply a story about the struggles of relationships. It is Inspired by my ex. In the relationship, I kept holding back and was afraid to commit. The song shows you how fear can paralyze you. I had a blast recording the tune, the production changed a lot throughout the recording process, which kept us on our toes and excited about where and how the song would end up.
Was there one song on Lions and Colours EP that was the toughest for you to either write/record?
Untethered is the most personal song on the EP and was the hardest to record. The song is about my testimony. To sing a song about something so personal, emotional, and raw was tough. But this was a song I needed to write, make, and share. Again, it was one of those moments where I needed to expose the darkness and bring it to life. Really, the song is about learning to love in the darkness and not letting fear and pain control and paralyze you.
What was the recording process for Lions and Colours EP like?
The songwriting process for it includes about the last two years, and the recording process took about three months, from June – September. Though, it could have been done in about a month. But the time taken was necessary, I think. I struggled with not feeling ready to put these songs in a more permanent format, but the whole process was one of overcoming obstacles.
What does being an artist mean to you?
Being an artist is about taking the experiences of life and paint them in such a way that causes the listener to think about things in a different light. Songs have always been about the expression of a certain time period. Songs are so classic, they evoke the feelings of that time. Songs help you see life in a whole different lens. For instance, you can read a history book to understand what it was like during any given time, or you can listen to a song say, from the sixties, that evokes the feelings and frustrations of what it was like during the times of intense racial segregation. Both are useful, just different, and I personally prefer the song format.
*Laughs
Any special acknowledgments to anyone for the release of Lions and Colours EP?
My two producers, Peter Wells from the band Parker Road, and Ryan Bird known as Carvello! They helped take the thoughts from my head and make them into tangible songs. Also, I had some great friends do background vocals and various instrumentation - Joelle, whose killer vocals and keys playing are on River Running, Jake, Juan, and Rebecca. Also, I would like to thank Stuart Young for his incredible friendship, insight, and encouragement. Everybody check out his music!
Any future steps for Mecario? Also, where can people find your music?
Yes! Promote the music and do some shows! I want to meet more people and network and get my songs out there. I also want to get back in the studio and write for other people. I wrote all the songs myself for this EP and I truly have a love for writing. For my first release I really wanted full authority over it, but in the future I would like to collaborate with other artists. Lions and Colours EP is available on ITunes, Google play, and Amazon music! If you do not have the funds to buy, you can stream it. It is everywhere worldwide!
One last question for you. What do you want people to take away from your music?
I want people to see the immense happiness and joy in the little things. I want to show the beauty of how both the good and the bad make life important and worth living well.
