The Red Bulletin April 2020

Mavi Phoenix
Changing
the tune
The Austrian musician and songwriter
tells us how his new album is a profound
declaration of identity and self
Words LOU BOYD Photography ELIZAVETA PORODINA
Pop artist, rapper, songwriter and
multi-instrumentalist Mavi Phoenix,
born Marlene Nader, has always
chosen the path less travelled.
Right from his debut EP, My Fault,
released in 2014 when Phoenix
was just 18, his music has defied
categorisation, moving between
pop, dance, punk and hip hop.
Phoenix’s new album, Boys Toys,
which follows his coming out as
transgender last July, is a declaration
of identity. The work explores the
themes of masculinity, femininity
and self, and adds a powerful new
voice to the conversation around
gender dysphoria.
Here, the 24-year-old from Linz,
Austria, discusses his hopes of
connecting with others through the
album and sharing his experiences…
the red bulletin: When did you
first discover your talent for music?
mavi phoenix: It started when my
dad gave me a MacBook and I found
the program GarageBand. I never
intended to pursue a musical career
– I was 11 and just making beats and
stuff. But I just kind of stuck with it.
Your early releases had a fresh,
DIY feel. Do you still have the
same level of creative control?
Yeah, I think so. Being hands-on is
important to me. I have producer
credits on almost every song – I can’t
imagine not being so involved.
How would you describe your
sound to those who have never
heard your music?
It’s difficult with this album,
because I tried some new genres.
For example, Choose Your Fighter is
almost punk. I’d probably say indie,
alternative, pop, rap? That sounds
about right.
Music videos are a huge part
of your work – has the visual
representation of your music
always been important to you?
Music videos are really important.
They have such power. If you know
what visuals you want, people
recognise your vision for the track.
I’m not there yet, though; my
videos are good, but I think there’s
potential to do so much more.
Boys Toys is a very personal work,
especially when talking about
your transition and gender
identity. Did you go into the
writing process knowing you
wanted to talk about it?
Yeah. For the first time in my career
I really have something to say;
something I haven’t heard other
artists talk about so much. I felt
like now was the right time to make
an album; to take my experience
and talk about it. Last year was the
first time I talked about being
transgender. I had older songs I was
so excited about, but they’re not
on the album, because it felt wrong
to put songs out that had been with
me for almost two years. I’m such
a different person now.
Were you more nervous releasing
this album, knowing it says so
much about your life?
Yeah, I’m way more nervous than
I’ve been before. When I’m doing a
photoshoot, there’s always a feeling
that people are looking at me and
thinking, “Are you really a man?”
I haven’t had hormone therapy or
surgery, so I’m nervous to put myself
out there in the weirdest phase of
my life. It’s a real transition – I’m in
this in-between place – and people
get to be a part of that. This might
be my last album with this voice,
because hormone therapy changes
it. It’s a weird time.
This record will provide comfort
to fans going through a similar
experience. Was that a conscious
reason to make it?
In a way, it’s a very selfish way of
creating a body of work – thinking
about myself and how I processed
these feelings. I’ve played a few
shows now, though, and people
really connect with the new songs.
It’s not just about being transgender,
it’s a question of “Who am I?”
The lyrics on Boys Toys are very
powerful. Was it easier to find
your own voice on this album?
Yes, I think it had a lot to do with
coming out as trans. So much has
happened. All of a sudden, it was
like, “Oh my God, I have so much
to talk about.”
You’ve spoken in the past about
how the music industry treats
women differently. Have you
noticed any change now that
you’re not presenting yourself
as a female artist?
I’ve only just started promoting
this album, but a few years ago
people would always talk about my
Auto-Tune, [whereas] now nobody
mentions it at all. I’ve found that
interesting. I think I’ll notice a lot
of differences, which is shitty.
What are your hopes going
forward? Any big goals?
My number one goal for 2020 is
that I really want the album to
connect with people, and my bigger
goal after that is to tour the world.
Also, one day, maybe a Grammy?
We’ll see…
Mavi Phoenix’s new album,
Boys Toys, is out on April 3;
Instagram: @maviphoenix
26 THE RED BULLETIN