Whenever I've moved to a new neighbourhood or started a new phase of my life, I often romanticize my new daily routines—walking to the dep, going to the grocery store etc.

Often I'll be listening to my favourite music, or sometimes I'll even dress up a bit to motivate myself to get out of the house. I guess that's what TikTok would call being the main character.

Magi Merlin's new music video for her track "Walking to the Dep" is exactly that. It's a perfect fusion of the dreamworld going on in your head, mixed with the most mundane but comforting of routines.

I spoke with her about her artistic career, inspirations on a cold November night. Tune in to our N10.as show next Thursday at 8pm EST to hear the full interview, and be sure to check out her new music video below.

Malaika Astorga for Also Cool Mag: Thank you for being a part of Also Cool! Why don't you tell us a bit about who you are and what you do?

Magi Merlin: Hey, I'm Magi Merlin! I'm a singer-songwriter based in Montreal, Canada. I would describe my music as an alternative RNB Neo-soul, but I've recently discovered that I'm branching into different genres. So maybe like RNB fusion. Yeah, let's say that. (laughs)

Also Cool Mag: That's so fun. So did you grow up in Montreal?

Magi Merlin: So, funny story, not really. I grew up in Saint-Lazare outside of Montreal, so it's actually quite boring. I went to school in the West Island, and I moved here for university, which I've now dropped out of. So now I'm just here, which I like.

AC: What were you in school for initially?

Magi Merlin: I was in computational arts, which involved graphic design and website development.

AC: What has your experience with the music/creative scene been like?

Magi Merlin: I've been making music for my whole life, which I feel like a lot of people say. But it started with me teaching myself how to play guitar, so very indie.

Once I moved to Montreal, that's when I started to understand what kind of music I wanted to make. Also, by being in Montreal, you're just closer to the scene. It makes it so much easier to get into contact with people, and I feel like I could like to grow as a musician after moving.

AC: Did you start going to shows here? How did you end up finding the scene?

Magi Merlin: Okay, so I actually have a clear origin story. In 2017, I had I ripped this song from a producer called WunTwo. I had taken one of his tracks and wrote on it, and put it out on SoundCloud.

I made a music video for it, which started getting a bit of traction, and this guy found my music. He introduced me to his friend funkywhat, and that's who I make all of my music with now. We've just been working together consistently for the past three years, and I even lived on the same street as him in NDG for a year.

AC: One of the things that I enjoy about Montreal is that you can see people around really easily, and that's a huge contributing factor to the scene. You see people at shows, but you also see people when you go out for a coffee, or you run into them sitting on the sidewalk, eating a sandwich.

That kind of casual interaction is definitely responsible for a lot of my friendships and collaborations and discovering new aspects of the city.

Magi Merlin: Yeah, it almost prompts inspiration. It prompts your creativity. It's just like a good-ass place to be.

AC: So I read that you've played quite a few shows. How do you like performing live, and how has that changed over time?

Magi Merlin: Confidence is a big part of it, getting used to knowing what I feel like and how I sound on the stage. There are older videos where I'm barely moving on stage versus more recent videos where I'm flowing a lot more; there's a lot more movement.

AC: Do you have like a favourite venue or like a favourite show that you've played?

Magi Merlin: I really liked the one I did recently for Slut Island. It was a bit weird cause everyone has masks on and all that, but I really liked Sala Rosa as a venue.

AC: I miss that place. That kind of leads into my next question. I was watching the music video, and since I live in the Plateau I was super excited to recognize all of the locations. Is there any reason why you chose this neighbourhood in particular?

As I watched it, I found it made me think about all of my different apartments and how emblematic routines like walking to my dep would be of specific eras of my life.

Magi Merlin: I feel like in Montreal, you fall into these little routines. Deps are everywhere, but you always kind of have that one that you go to regularly.

The song just ended up being super Montreal. It's my version of a love song. One of my love languages is gifts, but it doesn't have to be a big thing. Going to the dep and getting me like a bag of chips means a lot. I was trying to put that in a track, that homey, comforting feeling.

AC: How would you describe Montreal to someone who hasn't been here or wants to move here?

Magi Merlin: It definitely depends on the area. Right now, I live downtown, which I would describe as casual shopping, Urban Outfitters kind of vibe. But in the Plateau, it's very homey. It's very, "Going out to a cafe, chilling with your friends, reading a book, tote bags."

AC: That's so funny. When I moved to Montreal, any idea that I had that I'd ever use a purse again was gone. Tote bags from the grocery store became my go-to, and now I have way too many but also keep buying more.

So, I'm interested to talk about who inspires you. Where do you find inspiration?

Magi Merlin: I've been super inspired by existentialism lately. I've been reading a lot of books, most recently A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle.

I'm also super into movies. I am obsessed with this app called Letterbox. I'm on it just as much as I'm on Instagram. It's like basically this bank of just every movie ever, but not to watch the movie. You can read about the movies and then you can organize them into little lists. It's great for organization, I highly recommend it.

I watched movies a lot growing up, and I was introduced to The Go Goo Dolls because I watched Treasure Planet. More recently, I watched The Queen's Gambit on Netflix, which was bonkers. That stayed with me for a few days afterwards. I also really liked Honey Boy by Shia LaBeouf, Hereditary, and My Cousin Vinny.

AC: Do you have any like favourite poets or books that have stood out to you in the last little while?

Magi Merlin: Yeah, Nejma by Nayyirah Waheed. It's really pretty and very direct. I like poetry that doesn't complicate things too much, but it makes you think about a situation in a new way.

AC: Who have you been listening to lately?

Magi Merlin: This past week, I've been listening to In Rainbows by Radiohead. I'm also super into Mk.Gee's "A Museum Of Contradiction," and then older artists, like The Spinners and John Coltrane.

AC: How do you want people to feel when they listen to your music?

Magi Merlin: I want people to feel cool. Often, when I'm listening to music from various artists that I enjoy, that's what I feel like. To be able to give that to somebody else would be the ultimate goal.

Watch “Walking to the Dep” by Magi Merlin below

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