Interview: Adonis Maycry
You can check out Adonis Maycry’s social media on Instagram and on TikTok . And listen to Adonis Maycry’s music on Spotify. Read on for the interview!
bb: You hail from West Virginia and have integrated that into your online identity from what I can tell; this sounds kind of like a job interview question but can you share what you’d call an advantage and a disadvantage to starting your music career in that part of the country?
AM: I’d say my relationship with my home state is very love-hate (as is the case for many people I know). There are unfortunately many disadvantages within West Virginia, but I’d say among the most prolific is the lack of urban spaces and the general negative attitude towards queer individuals. Both of these disadvantages contribute to the difficulty of booking shows within the state to help build that grass-roots support for the Adonis Project. It doesn’t make this impossible, but I feel it definitely contributes to a barrier in getting a foot in the door.
As for an advantage, there are very tight-knit communities of queer and alternative people across the state – we kind of have to band together whenever conservatism predominates here. The support we do get within the state has been fantastic. I consider us so lucky to be such a small and new project with people really standing behind the project both online and offline.
bb: It’s probably a bit of a cliche to put it this way but your general vibe and aesthetic feels both fresh and familiar to me at the same time. And the same could be said about your music: the first time I heard “Flesh and the Devil” I felt like I could have been listening to it in some smoky parlor or club decades ago, but in a way that still seemed raw and contemporary and in step with the present. I personally think that’s a good thing. Would you call yourself a student of the style of the music you’re putting out, or is it more of an organic blend and natural output of your passions coalescing? And if it’s both, which do you think has the edge?
AM: I’m not sure I could truly call myself much of a student. When writing, I often lead with my imagination and my passions, while Alex and Belladonna (my bandmates) help me realize these visions. I have a love for the jazz, swing, and big band music of the 1930s and 40s. I had the thought to combine elements of those styles with my other favorite genre, alternative rock, because why not have my two favorite things combined into one? If you strip our songs back, remove the distortion, and trade the guitars for a horns section it would pass for a jazz or big band piece.
bb: I’ve seen people compliment your voice/vocals in comments online. To me, it does seem to be one of, if not the greatest, tool in your musical arsenal. Do you feel the same way?
AM: I am always very flattered by these compliments! Maybe I’m too humble, but I haven’t really considered my voice anything special until I started receiving these comments. I think it does provide something unique and unifying to my music, especially when some of my songs have such different sounds from each other. If not my vocals, I would say my greatest tool is my writing. Not just my lyricism necessarily (although I have written quite a few lines I’m rather proud of), but how I have created this entire world with songwriting as the primary medium to tell its story. I suppose not everyone is doing that.
bb: Based on what I know, I’d describe you as a “true” indie artist in that you’re in a non-industry city with no industry ties or third party financial backing to get them/otherwise circumnavigate professional obstacles, to say nothing of the day-to-day challenges everyone faces…I think it’s likely safe to say you couldn’t be further from a “nepo baby.” While more industry-friendly places like Nashville and NYC aren’t terribly far away from where you are now geographically, they can be extremely cost prohibitive for people who don’t already have a support system there, making distance a bit of a moot point. Assuming my assessment of your situation was correct, what have been some of the biggest challenges for you in terms of getting your music seen and heard from the position you’re in, and what can people who like your music do, as fans, possible collaborators, or even someone who might be able to open a door, do to connect or team with, and/or otherwise help your efforts?
AM: Your assessment is absolutely correct. I think the biggest challenge is exposure, exposure, exposure. I have been able to get by promoting myself online and with a few performance opportunities, but I definitely need to perform more live shows. Booking as a very small, unknown artist is a tricky game, especially when trying to book outside your own town. A lot of venues are wary of booking artists when they’re unsure if the act will sell tickets, but you can’t really report on average ticket sales whenever the venues won’t really book you.
I think the best thing people who enjoy my music could do would be to spread the word! If you want me to play in your city, make it a demand! Reach out to venues (small ones or DIY venues) and tell them you want to see us perform. Give me a heads up and I will send the venue an email as well. It will be like a double-pronged approach to booking.
bb: I read in a previous interview that you suffer from arthritis? That must make music all the more challenging to create in a landscape that can already be unforgiving. This is kind of outside-the-box, but do you think your energies shifted more toward developing your voice, either consciously or subconsciously, because you were limited in terms of playing instruments?
AM: I feel there was a definite shift in my focus towards using my voice as my arthritis became worse and worse. I played guitar pretty consistently until I was 13 or 14, but then the pain with playing was too much and I finally accepted I would never be able to play live or practice intensely for the long-term. That was incredibly upsetting to me at the time — I had enjoyed singing, but I felt guitar was such a core part of the music I loved, and I wanted to play it for myself. I played a few other instruments, like the drums, which weren’t as hard on my hands but weren’t accessible to me outside of lesson spaces. So, my voice became the expression of my music.
bb: I’d call your style uniquely yours in that you frequently combine vests with fishnets, stripes, and sometimes will even don a sailor outfit. I love that. I’m reminded of Avril Lavigne and her story about how she came across her debut look… Do you see yourself ever straying too far from the fashion oeuvre you’re in now while you’re performing and putting things out for your music? I’d imagine this will always partially be with you as long as you’re putting stuff out.
AM: I think I’ll be in this fashion era, or something similar, for a while! Adonis is very much a character/persona that I put on, so having specific clothes and makeup looks reserved for that helps me get into that headspace.
Additionally, I do think it will stick with me as it’s what you said, “uniquely yours.” I went to university to study history, and I enjoy the history of fashion and what it can tell us about different eras. One of the decades that is typically overlooked, at least in popular culture, is 1930s fashion. Adonis and the world I’ve built around him exists in this almost alternate form of the 1930s, which is why I’ve incorporated elements of that decade’s fashion with some of my own alternative taste. The style of pants I wear and the cut of waistcoats I prefer are very similar to that era of men’s fashion.
bb: Garfield the cat, or Heathcliff the cat? And do you know what “Lasagna Cat” is without looking it up?
AM: Garfield 100%! I used to be pretty obsessed with Garfield as a kid actually. Between 2nd and 3rd grade, the only books I would check out of the school library were the omnibuses of the Garfield comics. As for “Lasagna Cat”, I have not thought about that in YEARS. I only vaguely remember it, but such a blast from the past.
bb: Speaking of cats, you have one named Salem and he frequently steals the show on your lives? Any chance that he’ll share the stage with you one day?
AM: Salem is the light of my life, so I’m glad others appreciate him! Unfortunately, I don’t think he will share the live stage with me at any point, but I wouldn’t mind incorporating him into a photoshoot or artwork. I do dearly love him, so I have a tendency of incorporating him (or a version of him) in the stories I create. He has been my faithful companion, so why not let my characters experience the same?
bb: Let’s manifest: which non-cat would you like to share the stage with in the future?
AM: Geez, I feel this answer will be so painfully obvious for anyone that’s ever spoken to me, but My Chemical Romance. I have listened to their music for a decade now, and Gerard Way is the closest thing I’ve ever had to a “hero”. If I ever had the opportunity to open for MCR or even play the same festival as them, I think I would absolutely die from happiness.
bb: Any shows on TV or movies you’ve seen recently that you’ve liked?
AM: I feel that I have returned to my emo pre-teen self as I started rewatching Supernatural recently. I haven’t seen the first seasons since 2016, and I am so hooked. Season one is probably my favorite. It was shot on film I believe, which I have a preference for in movies and TV. I favor season one because I also prefer the beginning of stories as opposed to the ending.
bb: I think “The Flesh and The Devil” is begging for a music video. Are the gears turning in that direction?
AM: This question is very well timed. A few days ago, it’s October 16th as I am writing, I had a meeting with a film making friend to discuss some concepts. A to-do list has been made, and my friends and I are working on it. We’d like for the music video to be very high quality, so it will take some time until filming, then editing, then releasing it.
bb: When was your earliest performance?
AM: My very first performance ever was a dance recital when I was five years old. I recall being one of, if not the only, kid in my group that wasn’t wracked with stage fright. I fell in love with performing that night. It felt so natural and freeing to be on the stage. It’s like a constant pursuit of dancing on air.
bb: How would you describe your parents’ support of your music?
AM: My mom has been very supportive from the get-go, while my dad was a little wary at first. He’s more of a realist, and worries about me actually being able to support myself financially. Now, however, he is such a huge supporter! My dad loves chatting with old friends or coworkers, telling them, “Hey, check out this group – we’re going to see them in concert sometime.” He then plays one of my songs for them, waiting for their reactions, and once they tell him the music sounds great, he springs it on them that it’s his kid’s song! I think it’s very sweet of him – he does this literally every chance he gets, and as far as he’s told me there’s always been positive reactions. Since my dad is such a realist, I take these actions as a massive compliment, because he would not have this attitude unless he thought what I was doing was truly great.
bb: Do you have an interaction on social media that stands out in a positive way for you?
AM: I do! I actually have a screenshot of it saved in my phone. One of my listeners posted an excited screenshot on their account when I followed them back. Someone on their page commented “idek who he is”. My listener commented, “My fav artist <3.” Reading that made my entire week. Getting to see that I am someone’s (who I have no prior connection to) favorite artist is something I’ve only ever dreamed of.
bb: Are you artistic in other capacities or are you pretty heavily rooted in the music portion of the art pie chart? I’ve seen you put some non-musical stuff out there on social media.
AM: I bring art into every part of my life (whether it’s all good or not though is another conversation). In most of the office type jobs I’ve worked, I volunteer myself for graphic design work so I can stay creative. I love drawing and watercolors – since I was around 7 years old, I’ve enjoyed comic books and dreamed of writing or drawing them. Although, I believe I would rather write more than make the art for them.
I love writing in any capacity, hence why I write lyrics first before any instrumental parts are written for my songs. I’ve written a few short stories, but poetry has been one of my favorite mediums for writing. In high school, I entered and won a few poetry contests. I was also the editor-in-chief for my school’s literary magazine.
One of my other great loves in life is dancing. As mentioned earlier, I started dance classes when I was five years old. Now, I am always dancing. At empty clubs, I will always be the first on the floor. One of my good friends is majoring in dance at university, so she is my usual dancing partner for square dancing or swing dance classes now.
bb: What drives you to work toward music every day?
AM: Perhaps it’s a bit cliche, but music saved my life. I enjoy many bands and many different genres, but the group that’s had the most profound impact on me has been My Chemical Romance. I started listening to them when I was 11 years old. This age was also when I first started struggling with Major Depressive Disorder and some anxiety disorders. I was also really bullied in middle and high school, so overall my teenage years were pretty rough. If it wasn’t for My Chem’s music, I’m not sure I would’ve made it to young adulthood.
From my own experience, I know music can transform someone’s life. My Chem created something that touched the deepest parts of me. I create music for myself, and for my own expression of my fears, disappointments, and hopes. I put my music out there almost as a way of “paying it forward” for what My Chem helped me overcome. If even one person can listen to my music and recognize something in it that inspires or helps them hang on like MCR did for me, then I consider that a success.
bb: You started a zine, I saw? Want to share some details?
AM: I’d love to! I am starting a zine, The Rag Times, that anyone can contribute to (although, of course, it is primarily targeted towards the people who follow me and enjoy my music). My goal is to publish it online and physically on roughly a quarterly basis – each quarter will have a different theme or topic for submissions. The topic for the first issue is reproductive rights and abortion access. I decided on this subject for our inaugural issue for a couple reasons: 1) being from a state with restricted abortion access, I feel it’s important to educate individuals so they know that they still have options, as well as to reduce stigma. 2) Zines were a huge part of the riot grrl movement, which is how I first learned of them, so I wanted to pay homage by focusing on a topic commonly found in them.
bb: What’s going on with the music you have in development?
AM: Oh, I am so excited to release it. I think every song we finish is somehow even better than the last. All the songs I’ve written have been working towards a concept album: The Opera of the Night. There are 12 tracks on the album – over half of which are complete. The rest are written, but require demos and studio time to lay down the vocal tracks. The most recent song we’ve demo’d is called “Electric Hotel”, which covers the topic of addiction and takes some inspiration from the book Valley of the Dolls.
bb: Thanks for doing this.
AM: Thanks for putting this together!
Adonis Maycry’s social media: on Instagram. On TikTok . Music: on Spotify.