New Pop artist Roonie, previously known as Michaela Pointon, is making lead-way with her electrifying writing about loneliness and love. She moved to Auckland in 2019 where she is studying, writing new songs and building a name for herself in the music scene. While experiencing this huge year of growth in her music, Roonie also found herself deeply lost in heartbreak. Darryl from Muzic.net.nz spoke to Roonie about her name change, working with Chris Chetland and her future plans:
You've released music under your own name, why the change to a pseudonym?
Roonie felt like the next right step to take in my musical journey. I wanted to step away from my own name as I knew I could create a brand around it. Roonie's music is also a different genre to my previously released music.
How is the music of Roonie different from that of Michaela Pointon?
Both Roonie and Michaela Pointon's music reflect different stages in my life. The records I was listening to while creating the music under my own name were completely different to the musical influences used on my new tracks. My old music was folk singer-songwriter style, compared with my new music which is pop inspired.
There are many genres and subgenres of music - how do you classify your music? and why?
My debut Roonie single My Heart has been released under an Indie-Pop genre. I feel the influences used to create this track such as Maggie Rogers stem from somewhat of an indie-pop genre too. However, I am wanting to venture into an even more direct line of pop in the near future.
How did working with Chris at Kog come about?
Chris is super talented and was definitely the person I wanted to master My Heart and my other singles coming out this year. I emailed him and he got back to me with a yes! It was awesome to work with him.
It can be expensive to obtain such high production values as are evident on your single and video, how did you fund the project(s)?
Thank you so much. I’m very grateful to have such supportive parents and the people I have worked with have been very generous to me. Also, any money I make from gigs I reinvest back into music. I have high standards and see the purpose in spending more to get a quality product.
A single typically comes from an album, dropping one of those soon?
My plan is to release an EP at the end of the year (after more singles), which I am so excited for! Keep your ears/eyes out for more Roonie music coming soon.
It seems getting something to go viral on TikTok can make people overnight stars, how are your plans in that direction?
Yes, it does for sure! I will definitely be jumping on board with the TikTok trend soon.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
I am super excited to continue learning and absorbing as much as I can from the music industry. I feel very determined to do music full time once I leave University, so I hope 5 years' time will consist of many more co-writing sessions, recording sessions, tours, albums, festivals and many more friends from the music industry.
What is your songwriting process?
When writing with my guitar, I always start with the chord progressions first, then voice memo melodic ideas over vowel sounds, then lyrics last. But I voice memo everything! Sometimes the most unintentional ideas are the ones that work best, but are the easiest to forget while writing.
If there's anything else I haven't asked that you'd like to say, please write it here :)
Thank you so much to Muzic.net.nz and to everyone for their support with My Heart.
Photo Credit: Christian Tjandrawinata
New Pop artist Roonie, previously known as Michaela Pointon, is making lead-way with her electrifying writing about loneliness and love. She moved to Auckland in 2019 where she is studying, writing new songs and building a name for herself in the music scene. While experiencing this huge year of growth in her music, Roonie also found herself deeply lost in heartbreak.
Her new single My Heart out out on June 19th 2020 is about self-discovery and learning to grow when you’re lost and alone. This song is electric with colour is strong yet vulnerably honest and self-reflective.