Mave O’Rick competed in the Home Composed Song Contest three times, most recently last year, with the song ‘Not’. Since then, his career taken off, with performances around Europe, and the release of his album ‘Neo Messiah’.
It has also just been revealed that Mave is competing in the on-line stage of the Swiss Eurovision preselection, where he will be up against none other than Lys Assia, winner of the very first Eurovision Song Contest. Mave’s song is called ‘My Beat’ and we think it could be a winner. See the video at SVT’s site here and don’t forget to vote for Mave!
Mave O'Rick
We caught up with Mave recently to find out more about his blossoming career in the pop industry:
AB: Last year you were lucky enough to win a place in the on-line stage of the Swiss Eurovision preselection, where you took entered a duet with former Home Composed winner Patryk Smolarek. How did you come to work together?
Mave: This collaboration actually happened because I listened to his HCSC winning song and loved it – his voice and the way Patryk sings. Our joint friend, Stefan Engel, made the contact and we immediately liked the idea of a duet. Today we are still good friends and we will see each other again in October in Poland, where I am having a concert. Patryk and I will also perform together then.
AB: Your career has really taken off over the past year. What was the catalyst for this? What would you say was your big break?
Mave: Well, it’s all about continuing and hard work. Every new project opens a new door, every performance brings you new fans. There is no moment, it is a steady development. You always have to keep on going, no matter what people say.
AB: I’ve been listening to the tracks on your website maveorick.com, trying to find a way to best describe your style, and in the end, I just came up with ‘maverick’. Is there one style which you feel closest to?
Mave: Yeah, maybe that describes it best. I am fan of so many artists and different styles and these influences make Mave O’Rick. I listen to Schlager and Punk, Pop and Rock, Techno and Folk, so everything is combined. But it is always Pop, that’s maybe the biggest compromise. And I love to dance, so it should be beats that are danceable. But I always try to reinvent Mave O’Rick … my next styles will surely sound totally different to what I am doing right now. Demos are in the making.
AB: As well as all your studio work you’ve been busy performing live across Europe over the past year. What has been your most memorable gig?
Mave: My most remarkable performance this year was in Austria in June, I guess, where I performed at Vienna Pride
AB: That must have been an incredible experience – you can see what a fantastic time you were having. You were singing some of the tracks from your concept album ‘Neo Messiah’. The recurring themes in the lyric are religion and sexuality. How did this idea originate?
- Neo Messiah
Mave: I wanted to combine dance-pop with themes that really matter. I didn’t look for topics, they just came in my mind since I am very political as a private person as well. I see so many things that I need to comment on and that’s what artists should be like. I see myself as a mirror of our society and world and try to make clear what goes wrong. And for me as a gay artists the topics of belief, church, pope, barebacking, condoms etc. of course interest me very much. My album shows what goes wrong, but in the same time I give advice of how we could do better. Above all it’s about love!
AB: Is it important to you to have serious themes for your work?
Mave: This is just one part of Mave. In this case I really wanted to say something. But music should be a mixture of having something to say and having fun, so some projects of mine have a real meaning and some are just about dancing, loving or anything else that can be fun. All I can say is, that you can find maybe a dozen secrets or hidden meanings or messages in NEO MESSIAH – I used a lot of symbolism.
AB: Tell us more about your 2012 Eurovision bid.
Mave: My entry for the Swiss online selection called “MY BEAT” has just been revealed, which is a collaboration with an Irish guy, who wrote the main parts of the lyrics. I have two other projects for Eurovision 2012 in progress, but time will tell if they work. It always depends on so many aspects and I just keep on going with my ideas and concepts. Just because I love it, there is no real goal or aim, except doing music, because I just can’t stop.
AB: Your album includes your HCSC entry from last year, ‘Not’, which was one of my own favourites. Where can we buy your album?
Mave: It is available from Amazon, itunes and djshop.de. And you can listen to some of the tracks at my website maveorick.com
AB: And finally, what current projects are you involved in?
Mave: I am working on several projects with German and international artists with plans for the next 6-8 months. I have just finished my greatest project, with
the former ESC winner Anne Marie David. I am very honored to have produced
a remake of her winning song from 1973 “TU TE RECONNAITRAS” with a new vocal by Anne Marie David herself.
We also recorded the German version as a duet, and this is clearly a dream come true for me as a real Eurovision fan. The release was last Sunday, 23rd October, so a lot of promotion begins now and I am really looking forward to some interesting days and weeks ahead.
Anne Marie David
AB: I am sure that any of the 400 or so people who have been involved in the Home Composed Song Contest would like to join me in congratulating you on your success so far, as well as wishing you the very best luck in Eurovision this year.
Mave: Thank you, it’s been a pleasure, and the best of luck to all the participants this year. May the best song win!
