There is No Stopping Lenox Monroe
There is No Stopping Lenox Monroe
Mustard had the pleasure of speaking again with Indiana singer-songwriter Lenox Monroe. Monroe has released a slew of new singles along with much more since our initial conversation.
Mustard had the pleasure of speaking with Lenox Monroe in May. Before diving into our latest conversation check out our previous interview here:
Mustard has observed that being true to yourself is a difficult task. Humans, especially younger humans, have minds that are still developing. During these developmental years humans will undergo phases. They will be influenced by their friends, family, and environment. Humans want to be liked and loved. To achieve that love a human may put on a facade and act like something (or someone) they are not. This is not authentic. At some point it will be recognized that a human is putting on a mask. Masks, thankfully, can be taken off.
Indiana singer-songwriter Lenox Monroe lives mask-free. Thanks to QUEEN’s Freddie Mercury Monroe was inspired to embrace their most authentic self. That authencity can heard through her music and seen throughout her content. Lenox is completely genuine and not afraid to be vulnernable. To honor her best friend (the first person she ever showed her music to) and vocal coach Lenox Monroe began to pursue music seriously. Lenox has released five incredible singles that highlight Monroe’s growth as a human and an artist.
Her latest single, Birthday Party, was written for her best friend who passed away. It was her friend who convinced Lenox Monroe to start sharing her songs on the internet. Without her friend Lenox most likely would not have shared her music on the world wide web. It is Monroe’s fifth single and marks five years since her friend’s passing. Monroe’s music is a reminder that you are not alone in the things you feel and have experienced.
In our second conversation we had the pleasure of discussing musical theatre, Freddie Mecury, ideal weather temperature, collaborting with Maeve De Voe on Poppy, and so much more!
1. Mustard is grateful and appreciative to have you join them again at Music Shelf. How are you doing today?
Hi Mustard! I’m so happy to be back! I’m feeling great today!
2. When we spoke last you mentioned how musical theatre taught you about the human condition. Actors often have to find their objective. What would you say your objective is both personally and creatively?
A big part of my music, and something I learned from many years of acting classes, is that the most authentic way to communicate through any art form is to relate it to your personal experiences. My biggest objective as a person and artist is to relate to others through my personal experiences to remind them that they aren’t alone in the things they feel and experience.
3. Freddie Mercury is your idol. Your dog is even named after him. What are Lenox Monroe's top three quintessential QUEEN songs?
It’s so hard to choose! But if I have to, I would say “The Show Must Go On,” “Cool Cat,” and “Love of My Life.” However, the first time I ever auditioned for a Broadway show, I sang “Don’t Stop Me Now,” so I think I am required to give that one an honorable mention for its sentimental value.
4. Speaking of Freddie Mercury, you recently released a song bearing his name. How did Freddie Mercury's commitment to authenticity help inspire this song?
I have always been so inspired by Freddie Mercury’s ability to be himself no matter what anyone else was saying about him. That’s a lesson I wish I had learned way, way sooner in life. When I was younger, I often shied away from my potential and didn’t express myself as much as I wanted to in fear of the bullies that were making fun of me at the time. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized that the only opinions about you that matter are your own. That’s exactly what my song, “Freddie Mercury” is about - being yourself no matter what anyone else tells you or says about you.
5. Mustard loves the message behind this song. Why is it important that humans remain authentic to themselves?
I think it’s important that humans remain authentic to themselves because, as RuPaul says, “If you can’t love yourself, how in the hell you gonna love somebody else?” Being true to yourself and loving every aspect of who you are (though very difficult), not only helps you to feel fulfilled internally, but also positively affects your relationships with other humans! We accept the love we think we deserve, so if we stay true to ourselves and build up our self worth, the other areas of our lives will flourish too. Life opens up when you do.
6. During our last conversation you shared that you are a very sentimental person. When did you first begin collecting things? How does your collection represent Lenox Monroe? What advice would you give to someone who wants to start collecting?
I have been collecting things for as long as I can remember. My trinket collection that we talked about last time is a bit of a more recent endeavor (lately I’ve been collecting Monchhichis, haha), but I think my longest running collection is my memory box. I have a box that holds letters from friends and family, photos and polaroids, all of the friendship bracelets I traded for at the Eras Tour, movie and concert tickets, etc. Basically anything that holds sentimental value or has memories attached to it. If someone wants to start collecting, I would highly recommend they start a box like this.
7. Your ideal temperature is 64 degrees. Is this the ideal weather to wear a Lenox Monroe branded sweatshirt? Could you share more about your creative process when it comes to merch?
I LOVE designing merch! I have a huge affinity for visual art. I’ve always loved to draw, paint, and make collages, so designing merch is also a big creative outlet for me. All of the designs are hand drawn/created by me. Usually when I come up with a merch design, it’s because I’ve seen or heard something that inspires me. For example, my poster designs are heavily inspired by the I Spy books. I loved those books as a kid - and it’s also a really fun way to incorporate items I like or hidden messages into my artwork. I taught voice lessons at a local music program a couple of weeks ago and brought the kids some posters - one of my favorite things about it was seeing them talk about and point out all of the different things they could find!
8. Mustard is a big fan of your art style that can be found on your album art and Instagram. Who are some artists that have inspired you? How would you describe your style?
Thank you, Mustard! I would say my art style is an amalgamation of many different things. Vincent van Gogh, Yayoi Kusama, Salvador Dali, Pablo Picasso, and Andy Warhol are a few famous artists whose works I really enjoy. I love going to art museums. I spent a lot of time during my teenage years at the Indianapolis Museum of Art - which has one of my favorite art installations, “Funky Bones.” Although, I do think a lot of my personal art style is influenced by fashion/fashion designers. My mom used to buy me these “Fashion Angels” fashion designing sketchbooks and I would spend HOURS messing around drawing and creating outfits, using as many colors and patterns as I possibly could. I particularly love Betsey Johnson. She definitely influences the way I dress, too!
9. When we spoke last you had recently released your single Love Has Teeth. Would you say that love still has teeth? Does love sometimes get cavities or need a root canal?
Oh, yes. Love definitely still has teeth and gets cavities. If it does get a cavity, I do think it’s best to get that root canal and remove it!
10. You had the pleasure of performing a part of "Life. Style. Live!" for WISH-TV. Could you share more about this experience? If you could have an anchor say anything in a teleprompter, what would it be?
Performing on “Life. Style. Live!” was a very rewarding experience for me. I performed both my song “FREDDIE MERCURY” and “birthday party.” The part of that experience that touched me the most was after I sang “birthday party,” one of the anchors, with tears in her eyes, told me that my song reminded me of her brother that had passed away. I wrote “birthday party” for this exact reason. This song is a warm hug of understanding to anyone else, who, like me, has experienced immense grief. On a much happier and funnier note, I think live-on-air newscaster fail videos are really funny, especially the ones where they misspeak. I would probably just write up an outlandish “breaking news” story that they had to read the entirety of on air.
11. In addition to that you recently taught at Girls Rock Bloomington. What was it like to inspire and educate human children?
Inspiring and educating human children is so much fun and brings me lots of joy. It is so important for me to be an active voice of encouragement and love for kids, especially those in music. I strive to be the person I needed when I was their age. Though I was fortunate enough to have a lot of great mentors, I had my fair share of run-ins with music educators who were less-than supportive of me. My biggest emphasis whenever I teach is that there is no “wrong way” to make art. It warms my heart so much that I get to be a role model and mentor to kids!
12. One of your students Stella said you rocked. Does Lenox Monroe have a favorite rock or mineral?
Yes! I particularly love amethyst, moonstone, and labradorite! I have a lot of crystals and rocks in my room and wear rings that have these stones in them.
13. Mustard would like to congratulate you on your latest release "birthday party" which you wrote in honor of your best friend. How does it feel to have this song out in the world? Could you share more about your newest release?
Thank you! Having this song out in the world means a lot to me. I wrote this song for my best friend who passed away in 2018. A little over a year later, I lost my longtime vocal coach unexpectedly as well. These two losses fundamentally changed me and are some of the hardest things I have ever had to go through. My best friend was the first person I ever sent my original music to. She and I both had such a love for music. I remember having sleepovers with her and thinking that she had the coolest room ever, because one entire wall was covered with concert posters, and on another there were guitars hanging. We liked a lot of the same artists and went to see Billie Eilish together. When I first started writing music, I was really afraid to show anyone because of the bullying I faced at school. I didn’t want to get made fun of. My best friend was the one exception to that. She implored me to keep writing, to start sharing it with the world, and to never stop. Without her support, I would have never started pursuing this. When she passed away, I dove into songwriting as a way to cope. My vocal coach, who I also had an internship with and saw every other day, really helped me to heal through music. He was so supportive of me and saw things in me that I couldn’t see in myself. When he passed, my world crumbled again. The 2 people who believed in me most were gone. But now, they are my purpose. Without them, I wouldn’t be who I am today. Everything I do, I do for them. I am so glad they both pushed me to pursue this and I hope I’m making them proud.
14. This release also features a live acoustic version. Can you recall the show the live version was recorded at? When did you decide to make this a double release?
I recorded the live acoustic version in a concert hall with my incredible pianist, Joshua Catanzaro. Josh, my dad (he was helping to film things), and I were the only people there. I wanted to record a live acoustic version of this song because it is so meaningful to me. I wanted a recording of it that really encapsulated the raw emotion and vulnerability of this song. I think this version does exactly that.
15. Mustard wonders: how does Lenox Monroe like to celebrate their birthday?
Funny enough, I usually don’t do all that much for my birthday. I don’t think I’ve had an actual birthday party in almost 10 years. I really just like to go out and have dinner with my family and spend the day doing things that make me happy.
16. You recently collaborated with Maeve De Voe on "Poppy." How did this collaboration come about? What was it like to work with Maeve De Voe on this song?
Maeve and I met through Instagram and really hit it off! I think we’re kind of the same person in a different font. Both of us are super colorful, sparkly people! Maeve reached out to me about recording vocals for “Poppy” in June of this year. I’m so happy with how the song turned out. It’s so much fun! Working with Maeve was wonderful. She is so kind and talented!
17. Mustard has observed that Maeve De Voe is the world's first princess pop star. If you two were to form a duo what would you be called and why?
Ooh! How about the Diamond Divas? I like that one, haha!
18. Mustard wonders what Lenox Monroe has planned for the remainder of 2024?
I’m heading back to Nashville in a little over a week to record new music. I am SO excited. I love Nashville so much. Other than that, I will be playing shows, working on creating more fun content for my social media (@lenoxmonroe), continuing to learn guitar, and writing tons more songs!
19. Can readers still find your music on all streaming platforms?
Yes! My music is out everywhere, on all streaming platforms. You can find my entire catalog under my name, Lenox Monroe!
Talking in the aisle
Have you listened to Lenox Monroe before?
Who is your Freddie Mercury?
What is your ideal weather temperature?
Music Shelf with Mustard is a publication that interviews independent musicians from all across the globe. It is read in 32 states and 19 countries. Check out previous interviews here.
Music Shelf with Mustard originally began in early 2021. Inspired by independent musicians on social media application TikTok Mustard knew they had to do something to help share their music. Shortly after Music Shelf with Mustard was born. Its goal is to highlight independent artists from all across the globe. Mustard appreciates you taking the time out to read this interview.
