“Wave, to me, is about expressing yourself and showing a different, emotional side of yourself that most people wouldn’t usually see.”
-mvrina
In this issue of “Breaking Waves,” we connected with North Carolina-based wave artist, mvrina, to chat about her music, what it’s like to be a working artist, birthday traditions, and more. mvrina is someone we’ve been keeping our eye on for a while now, and we’re so excited to have gotten a chance to chat with her!
To refresh your memory, mvrina is one of the artists featured in this list of some of the best music that’s been coming from the wave scene lately. In particular, the music that she makes has a certain gentleness to it that we just can’t get enough of. It’s perfect for the times where you need to take a deep breath and be a little more mindful–a little more in the moment, but in a healing sort of way.
So, go ahead and get settled– embrace the ethereal plane, and let yourself get lost in your loftiest daydream while you listen through mvrina’s gorgeous discography–
And then get to know the artist behind the music a bit better by reading our interview with her, below.
Listen to mvrina on Spotify:
AM: Hi mvrina! Thank you for making the time to have a chat with us! Would you please take a moment to introduce yourself to our MendoWerks readers?
mvrina: Hi, thanks for having me! I’m mvrina, a wave music producer based out of North Carolina. I’ve been producing and releasing music consistently for about 2 years now. I started teaching myself the very basics of music production during the pandemic in my little Brooklyn, NY apartment. My music is mainly a mix of dreamy and dark vibes primarily in the wave, future garage, atmospheric type genres!
AM: What would you say makes a mvrina song special? 
mvrina: I’d say the atmospheres and emotion of each of my songs make them the most special. I try to start each track with a really noticeable atmosphere and then I build around that. I like to mix some dark sounds with dreamier sounds, which can create really interesting emotion in a track and takes the listener on a journey. The dreamier and more ethereal a song sounds, the better.
AM: What drew you towards wave music specifically?
mvrina: Honestly, it was as simple as a reese bass. I remember listening to some tracks from Klimeks and the bass stood out to me. I always told myself, “I wanna make music like that,” but at that point I didn’t know what the genre was. Just something about the way the bass becomes a part of the melody got me.
AM: Representation is important to us here at MendoWerks, and there’s not a ton of women making wave yet. I was wondering if there were any other female producers you’d like to give a quick shoutout to?
mvrina: Oh yes! There’s so many, but my first female friend in the wave world was neith. She is an amazing producer with such a cool and unique style. It’s been great to see her growth recently and I’m so excited to see what’s to come for her. Also, R7U! She is so sweet and supportive in the wave scene and has progressed at such an incredible rate. Definitely 2 producers that deserve attention!
AM: So- you just had a birthday–happy birthday!–and you celebrated this year with a new song! Very cool. What does a typical mvrina birthday celebration look like? Got any traditions?
mvrina: Thank you! Yes, I just released one of the only remixes I’ve ever made! I grew up on Long Island with a summer birthday, so most of my birthdays were spent at the beach or in the pool. I’ve kinda grown out of enjoying the beach though, so this year I spent it in the mountains–one of my favorite places to be–with my favorite person, and good food and drinks.
AM: Sounds wonderful! Although, your birthday isn’t the only thing worth celebrating–you had mentioned in passing that you just started a new job, too– Congratulations! If you’re comfortable sharing the details, what does this new job look like?
mvrina: Yes, thanks! I’m working in Finance for a big hotel in the city. I mainly focus on auditing the income of the hotel and making sure revenue is being placed in the correct accounts. I’m a very detail-oriented person so it’s fun for me to sit and figure out the little discrepancies.
AM: How do you balance your “day job” with your artistic pursuits? Got any tips for your fellow working artists on making time for everything?
mvrina: If I’m being honest. it isn’t always easy. I don’t have a very demanding job, but after working on a computer all day, it can be hard to want to sit at a desk again when I get home. Having a routine with music, though, is most important. If I at least open up Logic for 30 minutes or so a day and start or expand on an idea, I feel like that’s progress. At the same time, I give myself rest days and time away from music just to live my life and that sometimes brings back the best ideas when I get back to my computer.
AM: And last but not least… the “Breaking Waves” question: what does “wave” mean to you?
mvrina: Wave, to me, is about expressing yourself and showing a different, emotional side of yourself that most people wouldn’t usually see, I think that’s what makes it such a unique genre.
Connect with mvrina:
Instagram | Twitter | Spotify | SoundCloud
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Looking for more wave music? Check out all issues of “Breaking Waves,” our efforts to document all things wave music, here.
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