Singer and songwriter MARE is experiencing what some would consider a perfect storm. Around the time her much anticipated first full solo album Becoming was being released, she would be asked to be the music director for Eve’s Tiny Desk Concert, arguably one of the best and most talked about concerts of the year. I spoke with MARE about her journey as a reluctant 3 year old taking piano lessons to being the artist she’s always seen herself becoming.
So in the time that you’re gearing up to finally release your first full solo album, Becoming, you get called to be the music director for Eve’s Tiny Desk. MARE, it now has over 1.5 million views! Please talk to me about the timeline.
So, I’ve been working on my album for almost 2 years now. I had just been planning for the release, and putting together the rollout, occasional performances with Ms. Lauryn Hill and with the Bacon Brothers… So of course, those dates I had in mind, but I didn’t really have anything else happening other than the rollout of the album. I was supposed to release some of the singles last year but it got pushed back to this year. And I was a little frustrated with that, you know, because sometimes when you just have things in mind, you’re ready to go. I understand now that there’s other things that have to be involved, so that was the reason for the pushback.
Then I got a call in April from the Tiny Desk producer directly, asking if I was available to be the MD (musical director) for Eve’s Tiny Desk. The reason why he called me directly was because he remembered me 2 years ago from Tierra Whack’s Tiny Desk which was also labeled and deemed by NPR as their favorite tiny desk of 2023.
There are so many musicians and music directors that have passed through in a matter of 2 years, you know? So, to be directly thought of and directly called, you know, that was just… I couldn’t believe that he just thought of me, and thought that I would be the one capable putting all of that together for her. All of this literally was just God’s timing because we went and we filmed Tiny Desk, I think it was the end of May? And then it came out literally the same week that my album dropped.
Had you ever performed with Eve before?
No. So, what happened was, when he referred me, he referred me to her team, her manager, who literally just took his word for it. He said. hey, I have this musician, she’s a musical director, she can put the band together, she can do the whole thing. Put us in an email, and it was literally just that. I mean, they just asked me, okay, what are the logistics? How do we get this rolling? When can you guys rehearse? Didn’t know anything about me, except that we were from Philly.
Which maybe might have been a plus.
Yeah, and that I was referred from the actual producer, you know? So I got the band together. We rehearsed 5 days in Philly. We had not yet met Eve yet. We rehearsed with her the day before we filmed Tiny Desk in DC and she was overjoyed. I mean, her reaction to everything was just, “It’s everything I wanted it to be and sound like“. And I think that resonated online. I’m really just grateful for that opportunity.
I love that so much, because one of the things that I’ve repeated that other people have said, is that you’re gonna be hard-pressed to find a really good band that does not have at least one Philadelphia musician. The band you put together not only had all Philadelphia musicians but some of them are family. Another artist, Brandon Pain, who is your cousin and your sister Mimi were the background vocalists.
Also, on percussion was my husband, Sheldon Robinson. There are so many musicians in my family. Music is important to us, like, we’re around the dinner table during Thanksgiving, Christmas, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, singing and playing the piano. My aunt was a gospel artist and my aunt sang with her. So, music is just something that makes up the DNA of our family. It’s been a family affair.
What are you learning right now about diversifying as a creative and as an artist? Is it something that you’re finding to be necessary in this business?
I’ve always just wanted to be an artist. Like, I have a lot of love and hate with playing piano, because I started when I was 3 years old. When I was 3 years old, I was sitting at the piano that my mom had in her house, and the commercial came on, and the story was told to me that I literally just started playing the commercial. Like, I was taking my fingers and banging them on the keys, finding the notes and the key to the song that was playing on the commercial. So my mom was like, okay, we gotta… we gotta put her in school. My parents nurtured the gift in me and they cultivated it by putting me in music school. From there, I was classically trained. I always loved performing, but playing piano? I frowned upon it for a long time. Like, it was actually almost like a task for me. I was stubborn, like, I want to be an artist, I want to sing.
It was actually my husband who kind of just made it clear for me, like “You have a lot of gifts that a lot of people don’t have. The fact that you can play, the fact that you can read music and put all of this together and do a production on your own are things you kind of need to take account because that’s what’s gonna help you stand out.”
When I got called to do the Tierra Whack gig, and I realized the strength of, first of all, being a Black woman that is a musical director. and also, as my husband mentioned, just having the skill set of being able to direct, read music, play it. So, I really honestly tapped into that this year.That was my reminder of, look, you are the artist, you are the musical director… all of these things are working together to the brand of what you’re trying to be and what you’re trying to do. Becoming who you are. I was kind of trying to shy away from it and do my own thing, and now I’m realizing it’s all kind of just working together.
That is phenomenal. Now that you’re here and attention is being put on you as a music director, how are you balancing being an artist with a brand new album?
I feel like there’s this balance that I have navigated while all of this has been going on because when the album dropped after the Tiny Desk, I was like, how can I pivot and bring this back to what I have going on? I think it effectively worked, because everyone that was interested in the arrangement aspect of the performance, I was able to bring them to my music and say this is what’s going on over here on the album. It’s a lot of classical and piano and vocal-oriented things, and harmonies. Someone that I don’t know on Threads said, “Oh, I’m gonna go listen to the album, because you, you did a phenomenal job with the Tiny Desk”. Then I said, “Thank you so much”, and I sent them the link. They messaged me back and said, “You know I’m on my seventh listen with this album. It’s just phenomenal: the production, your writing, it just makes sense how you were able to do Tiny Desk.” So, to answer your question, I do think that I’ve been able to balance the two, and nothing feels more superior than the other at the moment. They all feel like they’re on the same playing field.
You have a very introspective point of view when you write. Tell me about the inspiration for the collection of songs on Becoming.
Everything else prior to this album was just experimental. I started putting out music like “Peace” and other songs, just trying to figure out who Mare is and who Mare wants to be portrayed as to the listeners, I didn’t really figure out who that was until about 2 years ago when I had a conversation with Michael Bacon, who is the bandleader of The Bacon Brothers with his brother, Kevin Bacon.
He said “I was listening to your songs and I just think you have this amazing gift of playing keys and you sing. I think it’s just this. I would just really love to hear a piano and vocal song from you, because I think that that is what’s gonna separate you.” Again, we’re talking about figuring out who I am and how I can stand out amongst just millions of other people and artists that are all trying to do R&B. Something about what he said really stuck to me because that’s the most comfortable place for me, playing and singing. So why not create music surrounding that, you know? That’s where “Nothing “came from, and then that’s where “Home” came from, and all the other songs on the album that have just piano and vocals.
So, really just pleasing and paying homage to my upbringing. Celebrating my classical journey, my gospel background, and vocal excellence. These are all of the things that I combined together to make my album.
“I still don’t know the full picture. That’s what I’m most excited about, is just being on this journey of seeing all these things unfold as to what it’s becoming.”
Your musical career has been very diverse, to go from working with iconic hip-hop legendary artists like Eve and Ms. Lauryn Hill to The Bacon Brothers. I’m interested in how you became part of The Bacon Brothers band.
Man! If you would have told me this about 10 years ago, about all the things I’d be doing now, I would have not believed you. I met Michael Bacon, two years ago, when he was looking for a singer for his song, “People in the World”. He was looking for background singers, actually. He just wanted oohs and aahs. That’s all he wanted. I was referred by a violinist.from the tri-state area, Brian Fitzy, who occasionally plays in the band. I came into the session with him, and Joe Niccolo, who is the founder of, Ruff House Records.
We’re singing the parts, and then he asked me, “Well, could you just sing this line?” I sing it, and then he’s like, “Wait a minute, your voice is incredible!” And then he just has this idea for me to just sing the song. It no longer became, just come in and do background vocals. He actually had me sing the first and the second verse. And then said, “Okay, so, I would love to just have you featured on the song”. I said okay, and then, maybe, like, a week or two weeks later, his manager reached out to me and said “My dad told me that you play keys, and we need a keyboard player for a couple of the dates that they’re about to do. Are you available?” I was like, yeah, absolutely! Who doesn’t want to do Footloose with Kevin Bacon, you know?
A lot of people didn’t even really know that he sang and was in a band with his brother and they’re from South Philly, born and raised.So you see all this alignment happening, it’s, like, crazy.
It’s been 2 years that I’ve been in the band. And then, of course, “People in the World” came out which is amazing, because a lot of times when you’re working behind artists, they don’t really take interest in what their background vocalists and band members have going on. And it’s not anything to be offended by, it’s just that you’re there to be a support. But the Bacons have given me their platform and have allowed me to blossom, not just as a keyboard player, but as an artist. I’m super grateful for that experience and for them.
And so from that experience, they later signed you to their label Forosoco. Were you looking for a label at the time?
I was not, but I was definitely looking for help. (laughs) You know what I mean? When you have so many other things (to take care of), it gets harder to pursue your dreams. It gets harder to keep releasing music, you know? People see me in other bands and are demanding, “Well, where’s the music? Where’s the this? Where’s the that?” And it’s like, okay, where’s the funds and the money to make this work? So just praying for help and I believe that’s what has come, the help and support and guidance and wisdom that I need to keep going.
Being an artist, but also being a music director, producer, songwriter, choir member… so many avenues that I’ve been able to take, I believe it’s all for a bigger picture, farther than what I can even imagine right now. Because I have an idea, you know, but I still don’t know the full picture. That’s what I’m most excited about, is just being on this journey of seeing all these things unfold as to what it’s becoming.
MARE will be opening for Gurdon Banks on Monday, July 27 at Milkboy along with Sunnie Allen, Ria4Reel, Jakeya Limitless, & DJ Boog. To find out more about MARE, visit www.inmareland.com.
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