Electric Heart Alive: Ten questions with MC Monk

1. What was the first piece of spoken word, poetry or rap you heard? How did it affect you?

Technically speaking the first spoken word I heard was probably Laurie Anderson, my parents had her seminal album Big Science which combined experimental music and spoken word. As a child it was probably quite a strange form, how did it affect me? that's difficult to say but in retrospect I suspect it sowed the seeds of intrigue for playing with language and unconventional music.

2. Who is your favorite Artist of all time?

That's a tough one, I'm going to cheat and name two, Jimi Hendrix and Bob Marley, both were intensely spiritual artists and there is a timeless poetry inherent in their works.

3. What is your method for writing lately? (or What does your process look like?)

I write whenever it comes to me, my phone is full of these notes with one or two lines that have popped into my head at various points when im going about my day.

4. Where is the most fascinating place you’ve travelled to with your art?

I would have to say Ethiopia. Traveling there with Black Jesus Experience was on of those moments when I felt truly grateful to be involved in the arts and share my words with a new culture on the other side of the world.

5. What inspires you to keep working?

The joy of creation and performance.

6. What does a typical “being an artist” day look like for you?

Tinkering with beats, writing rhymes and refining the craft.

7. What’s the hardest lesson you’ve learned as an Artist?

Nothing comes easy.

8. Fill in the blanks... Poetry can...

bring tears, tears of laughter, tears of sorrow, that's the beauty of poetry.

9. How did you get involved with Black Jesus Experience and where can we see y'all play?

I started hanging out at The Horn, which is were you can see us play every Sunday, and I knew there MC at the time One-Sixth, he got me up for a few rhymes and they were feeling it so I gradually became part of the band.

10. Soren Kierkegaard once said: “If you name me, you negate me. By giving me a name, a label, you negate all of the other things I could possibly be.” What are the “other things” you could possibly be?

Radio announcer? Someone told me I had a good radio voice haha