With our new series “An artist´s life.” we want to share the stories of the people behind the art.
“An artist´s life.”
The stories of the people behind the art
#2 Pat DiMeo
From the time I could walk and talk I was watching movies from the 1980s with my parents and singing along to the hit songs of that era. Thanks to them, I became obsessed with all aspects of pop culture from that decade. When I was little, I didn’t want to dress up as Spider Man, I wanted to be Marty McFly from Back to the Future.
I’ve been writing and recording music since the age of 16. I’ve been in various bands and projects since I’ve started writing music and I’ve got to say that I’m very proud of all the work I’ve done all these years. Most of my early stuff wasn’t very developed, but I like to call it the “practice period” …the 10,000 hours. You’ve got to let the drain run until the rust is gone, then and only then you can start drinking the water. I believe that songwriting works the same way.
Rock & Roll holds a special place in my heart but there’s something special about the Pop world. I’ve always loved Pop music ever since I was a child. It’s not so easy to write a Pop hook that everyone can sing along to. But once you got it, it not only feels good, it gives you a sense of satisfaction. My hooks and melodies tend to come to me while I’m driving, which is not the best place to write or record the parts, but it’s where I feel most inspired and most creative.
“Music is not only my passion, I live for it. I lay in bed at night with my eyes closed but my mind constantly working, always thinking about the next step.”
Music is not only my passion, I live for it. I lay in bed at night with my eyes closed but my mind constantly working, always thinking about the next step. What to do next, how or when to put out the next song. It’s almost as if the musician’s life has always been instilled within me. I know what I have to do, I know what’s meant for me and I’ve accepted the fact early on that I was never meant for the traditional lifestyle. I’ve slept in my car when traveling to music related meetings or gigs far from home just so I can save that extra budget from a hotel room to instead allocate it towards my next release. It never bothered me once and I still continue to do it.
I would give up anything for my music and I truly feel that if other musicians don’t accept this kind of lifestyle, then it’s not for them. You have to be willing to make the sacrifices that might not work in your favour. It’s all about taking the risk in something you believe in that might or might not benefit you in the long run. And it’s ok, I believe that life is all about the unexpected. You can plan your life out all you want, but who really knows what our future holds? All I know is that regret is a hard pill to swallow, so you might as well go all the way and live for your dreams while you still can.
“You have to be willing to make the sacrifices that might not work in your favour. It’s all about taking the risk in something you believe in that might or might not benefit you in the long run.”
What I want up and coming artists (who are hungry for success with their music) to know is that you don’t take your possessions with you to the grave, you take experiences. So don’t be scared to live the life of a struggling artist. If you feel like you’ve got what it takes, go all out, invest in yourself and don’t let anyone convince you otherwise. Most of all, do what’s best for you and what you believe in. I’ve learnt the hard way and I’ve made my mistakes, but I feel as if I’ve finally come full circle on what I want to achieve as a musician. Even though it’s only still just the beginning for The Motion Epic, my first single dropped on the 29th of June and has received huge exposure on many blogs from across the world and it’s been quite rewarding so far. Through these posts, we hit over 2000 monthly listeners on Spotify and are continuing to grow in listeners every day.
The age of the internet gave the ability to musicians like myself to have a voice, a platform of expression. The Motion Epic is here to express it’s love for the 1980s of Synth-Pop, soundtracks and pop culture. Through this style of music, my end goal is to write songs that will last for generations to come.
The Motion Epic’s sophomore single “Temporary Lovers” drops August 10 on all music streaming services.
www.instagram.com/themotionepic
www.open.spotify.com/artist/2maV9w4OlFpfWlMX3URDuN
Images by Dino Rovolis
