From a small town in Maryland, Memoria XI has made his name known in the underground scene with his powerful vocals, passionate lyrics, and unique tone. He has released an array of singles this year and has even performed in New York City to open for Dro Kenji. Learn more about Memoria XI below.

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What got you into music at such a young age and why did you start taking it seriously?

I didn’t really have a lot of experience with music. I was in choir, and I thought it was cool, but I never really took it seriously until my freshman year of high school. I was like, wow, I can kind of sing and come up with lyrics.

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Growing up in Maryland, was there a music scene? How did you get your name out?

There is a definitely a music scene now. I’m not really into it like that because of the genre I’m in. Brent Faiyez is the one everyone likes. He’s lit. The way I do music is different than how it is in Maryland at the moment. I love Maryland and hope to show love. I want them to be like they claim me.

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You say you’re different than the sound in Maryland. As you grow, do you want to kind of give Maryland a sound?

I feel like the way Maryland is, I want them to be more open to experimenting with their vocals.

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What would a Memoria x Brent Faiyez collab look like?

It would be awesome. It’s one of those collaborations I really look forward to. I’ve sampled his songs and have even made covers for fun. He inspires that R&B side of me. He’s so sick and has that finesse to it.

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Speaking of inspirations, who inspires your sound?

For sure Post Malone and The Weeknd. I think it’s more melody-wise. I can’t really sing like The Weeknd but his songwriting and the way he presents himself on a track. The sounds he chooses complement his voice. That’s what I try to do. I try to use beats that complement or push my vocals to shine brighter. I want my vocals to cut through. I don’t want too much going on when I’m singing.

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You’ve had a consistent year with six singles. How important is that for an artist trying to make their name known?

I think it’s important to keep coming with quality music. Quantity is important but I approach that differently. I don’t really release that often. People are willing to wait. They know when I drop a song it will be quality. I like to do that rather than release a bunch of projects. It’s really whatever the artist feels or what the fans want.

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How did your most recent single “Lonely Star” come together with Landon Cube?

The Landon Cube song was a full circle kind of thing because I met his director who dm’d me because I was hosting a show in Maryland. He liked what I was trying to do with Maryland. I made this song and there was a second verse on it, but I wasn’t really pleased with it. I was thinking about it and was talking with my manager Josh. I told him I wanted Landon on this. It made sense. Two Maryland dudes. He was down and such a nice dude. It was cool because he was writing. He was making sure it was a work of art. Even though it was a short verse, I loved it. It felt meaningful to the song.How has the relationship with him formulated? Take me through that.He’s an honest dude and genuine. He is also quiet. We haven’t spoken a ton. The most we have spoken was when I went to Cali and shot the music video. It was a short conversation. It was cool to get to know each other. We are moving all of the time so hopefully I can sit down with him and talk aside from music.

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You just performed in New York City with Dro Kenji. What was that like? Was that your first time performing in front of an audience?

Yeah. It was my very first time. It was one of those moment where before the show, and I was out of it. There was a lot of things going on in my head. Not really the nervousness of a crowd. But I was thinking about my life, and I was grateful. This is dope. To be around Kenji was awesome. He’s an awesome dude. You’re surrounded by people who will be up there as well. I have to keep grinding. When it was time to perform, it was like a switch. I was just appreciating everyone there and showing as much love. I wasn’t expecting that many people, and it was cool to see so many people.

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How did performing change your perspective on music or just motivating you?

It did motivate me. It was cool to see people know the lyrics. People don’t realize how big music is. It’s something you don’t think about when you’re writing. It made me want to go back home and put more emotion and more effort into it. It makes me want to add more parts where I think the crowd can interact. It was just an awesome experience.

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Where do you see yourself in a decade?

I want to go beyond music like with clothes, writing a book or something. Music is awesome, but I want to branch out to more creative stuff. I don’t want to box myself in. I want to inspire the youth in a sense to be themselves, follow their dreams, and not let their environment dictate them. I didn’t have any siblings so it was lonesome living.

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