Hailing from Australia, Misstiq has been churning out her own bend of musical compositions of many famous deathcore songs. She has worked with hundreds of Deathcore bands, doing many different things, from adding synths, to collaborations, to complete rearrangements of songs. Misstiq caught my ear when she did a rendition of Fit for an Autopsy’s ‘Black Mammoth’. Her take on piano and synth to this song enhanced this audiophile’s experience. This track took on a new life, the feeling and emotion was deeper and enriched. Misstiq has become a staple in the deathcore community with her constant line of work. Her most recent collab can he heard with her work with the Australian band Deathbeds, who has her featured throughout their album. With the state of the world coming to a standstill in the wake of Covid-19, I reached out to Misstiq via email to find out more about her and her music. 

GA: When did you start your love of music in general and learning how to play piano?

MISSTIQ: At a young age, I was dancing to Backstreet Boys, Aqua and VengaBoys cassettes as well as playing around with a toy keyboard at home. My parents then decided to sign me up for piano lessons at the age of 6. My love of music grew the most in my mid-teens as I started to discover myself and what I enjoyed listening to. At that point, I started to teach myself how to play songs by ear on the piano. I arranged my own piano versions of songs I liked and my love for music continued growing even more from that.

GA: How did you get into heavier music/ deathcore, what were some of the bands that got you into this style of music?

MISSTIQ: At first, it was Green Day, Blink-182, Avenged Sevenfold. This led to I Killed The Prom Queen, Parkway Drive, Thy Art is Murder… and here we are. I was exposed to rock bands from an early age as my Dad listens to that kind of stuff. So, I feel this may have played some part in my musical interests today. I was also in sync with what some of my friends listened to at school. We’d talk about a bunch of bands we found out about via MySpace and the internet in general.

GA: You are known for your rearrangements and collaborations with other artists, what would you say are some stand out pieces you have worked on?

MISSTIQ: There’s heaps of amazing people I’ve worked with. I’m working on some crazy collabs now and am so eager for these tracks to drop. I really enjoy working with Kris (from Vulvodynia). We put out a metal rendition of a Backstreet Boys song a few months ago. The process was super enjoyable, and we’re stoked with the final product. I love collaborating with like-minded people and he is a solid 10/10. We’re working on new stuff as we speak. I also worked with the band Deathbeds – they were amazing to work with. I am featured on their full album and it sounds killer. 

GA: The band Deathbeds recently released the album ‘Sinner’, you are a co-collaborator on this album, what was your experience working on a full album as opposed to working on one song or a handful of songs for an artist?

MISSTIQ: I am so proud of Deathbeds! With longer projects like this, I need to be very organized with my timeline and progress of each track. When writing the additional keys and orchestral parts for each song, I had to be very mindful of keeping each track similar, yet different from one another… I must ensure that I maintain a similar vibe throughout each track but write slightly different motifs to give each track its unique character. Also, I feel that the band and I develop a personal connection which grows to a unique level seeing as we have to keep in touch throughout the entire process. Every one of the members in Deathbeds are genuinely friendly and passionate people, which is definitely the icing on the cake.

GA: Anyone who follows your Instagram knows you also teach. What got you into teaching, and what all subjects do you teach?

MISSTIQ: For almost 8 years now, I have been teaching piano as well as some singing. I teach at the same music school I learnt piano at, so that was a nice and easy transition into the job. My piano teacher suggested to me that I should take up teaching. I also got my Master’s degree in Teaching, with music being my main area.

I also do substitute teaching as it is very flexible. In that job, I teach any subject or age. The schools know me for being a music teacher, so I guess I am their first preference when it comes to needing a teacher to fill in for that subject.

GA: When you approach a new song for arrangements, what is your process to go about making these additions?

MISSTIQ: I have a little library of theoretical techniques and musical ideas in my head. When a band describes the mood they would like me to create in a song, I know which of these ideas I should try out. These ideas can be general — e.g. a particular chord progression or the tone of my instrument/s. Also, these ideas can be super specific — e.g. hitting two particular notes in a scale to emphasize an eerie mood.

I have a listen to the song once and imagine the finished track; how I want it to feel. I then go back to the start and hit record. I’ll play the rough ideas that come to mind then later tweak them so that they suit the piece to my and the band’s liking.

GA: What equipment are you currently using to make your compositions? If you have any endorsements, please mention, if not would there be any companies out there you would be interested in working with?

MISSTIQ: The current companies I use are Akai, ROLI, Roland and Korg. I have an association with ROLI, and it would definitely be nice to gain traction with other companies.

GA: Do you have any plans to write more original material?

MISSTIQ: Yes! If I wanted to release original music in say, 3 weeks from now, I could do that. However, I am enjoying the process of getting to know myself as a musician so that I can be satisfied with my original material 200%. I don’t want to feel like I need to rush things. In a way, I’m embracing the part of my life where I don’t have original music out. I have been gathering ideas on what I want my original music to sound like – something catchy that I would genuinely enjoy listening to myself. Right now, I’m also getting to know very skilled people in the music scene. Talking musically with them is very inspiring, and I feel this can help me in my writing process.

GA: If you could work with any artist to either do an original, or collaboration with who would it be and why?

MISSTIQ: Drake! This is far from the metal scene, I know, but it’s always a good time with a bit of Drake tunes. I enjoy his vibe and aesthetic. Whenever I listen to his stuff, for a little laugh I like to imagine how sick it would be to be on one of his tracks. 

GA: You are known for being stylish as well, sporting many high-class clothing brands, from Louis Vuitton, to Gucci; what are some of your favorite designers?

MISSTIQ: Love this question. The first brand that comes to mind when we’re talking about looks is Versace. I love that baroque aesthetic. It’s very elegant and classy. My ‘goal designer brand item’ would have to be a Versace bathrobe.

GA: What would be some advice you would give out to a novice musician trying to expand their skills/playing?

MISSTIQ: Pace yourself with your learning and don’t rush things. If you know you suck at a certain technique, practice it over, slowly. Have patience. Go online and find tabs, sheet music or even watch YouTube tutorials for a song you like and play along with it to test your ability on keeping up with a strict tempo. Then, kick things back and put your own spin on it. Get to know what kind of ideas you like exploring on your instrument and put a short song together to work on your own creativity. 

GA: You also have an online store where people can support you? Where can they go to purchase merchandise, and can you tell me more about your designs? I really like the Slam Queen design, who came up with the design for you?

MISSTIQ: I’m so happy with my merch and I’ll be releasing more very soon. My merch store is www.misstiq.bigcartel.com. The Slam Queen design is my all-time favorite. Scotty Bates put that together – he’s known to do really cool artwork for bands. I told Scotty I was after a powerful look, an eye roll, jewels, a UFO and some other things. He did an amazing job putting my vision together.

GA: In many ways the Coronavirus is affecting the world, from quarantine, to rationing everyday items, to even shutting down businesses. In what ways has the coronavirus impacted your daily routine and how are you getting through this tough time?

MISSTIQ: I have to teach piano and singing online from home instead of teaching students at the music school. I’m looking on the bright side and seeing this as an opportunity to strengthen my craft as a teacher. Because of COVID-19, I can’t substitute teach. However, I am grateful that my music service business as Misstiq is growing to provide me work instead of substitute teaching. Sucky time. 

GA: What is next for Misstiq, any new projects coming down the pipeline?

MISSTIQ: A lot of collaborations are on the way with many well-known people in the music scene. Soon, I will be announcing info about a big solo release which I’ve been working on the past couple of weeks. New merch is also on the way.

GA: Anything you would like to add?

MISSTIQ: Thank you for this interview and support! Huge shoutout everyone giving my content a chance and tagging along on my journey.

Misstiq Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/misstiq666

Instagram: @ulaminati

Twitter: @misstiqmusicBig Cartel: http://www.misstiq.bigcartel.com/

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George Archibald

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