In this NAMM 2025 Artist Development panel excerpt with MUNNYCAT, the indie pop duo emphasizes the importance of embracing all creative interests as part of an artist’s identity. They believe in embracing what makes you unique and using it to shape your artistic persona, whether through videography, poetry, or other creative outlets.
Tell us about your videography… is it part of your brand, is it like a different company altogether? How do you factor that into what you're doing?
MUNNYCAT: That’s a great question. From the perspective of artist development, to us, we just like to make shit. And I think that everybody in here is a creative person. You get that. And whatever that other thing that you do is, you know, I think that we try to encourage and foster people to [embrace it].
Everyone’s talking about, like, “if you’re an artist, what makes you an artist?” Don’t push away those other things. I could be like, oh, well, we have to make films, and that’s a separate thing, and our music videos are this, and we’re a separate company. No. We just make shit. And we lean into those things that make us unique because that’s one thing that can help us be different. And then when you’re kind of embracing all the stuff that you do, that’s where your artist identity comes out of.
So, you may be like, oh, well, I’m just an acoustic guitar player, but I also got awesome fashion, and I love video games, and I love this and that.
Embrace all that and, like, pull it into all those little shards of yourself because one of those things might be the thing that makes you different.
You know what I mean? You’re the classical composer who is also goth and skateboards. Or something. And it’s about not just going like, well, I can’t let them know that I skateboard. F*ck that. Like, be you.
So, I think of it like that. Like, the videography stuff, it’s a blessing and a curse in some ways because nowadays we really like to make things epic. And we like to do, like, huge – we’re influenced by, like, 70s cinema and all that, whatever. But with TikTok, you just film it with your damn phone. And I also think that for us, and I think that this also can work for everybody else, like, that artist development, our video stuff helps us because we are the ones making our music videos too. Many times they are elaborate selfies, very elaborate selfies. Sometimes we’ll get friends involved. But a lot of our press photos are DIY as hell. And that really, if it is running through you and reaching the other side relatively as untouched as possible by other hands, that is your artist identity. Like, it easily, quickly becomes that.
And so, for you, if it’s not video, it might be poetry. It might be books. It could be video games. It could be fonts. I really love fonts. Or, like, web design. You know, like, whatever you can contribute additionally using, like, your secret power, your other interests. It’s just embracing it and incorporating it into your music, even if it’s different than Gracie Abrams, whose fans you’re trying to get. You know, kind of leaning into those things that make you weird, that make you special, that is ultimately what’s going to help develop you as an artist. And that’s, I think, why we love video so much.
At HVS Conservatory, you can develop the necessary tools to succeed in the music industry. Based in Los Angeles, our faculty of music industry expert and mentors help to coach aspiring artists by passing on real-world training from their personal experiences alongside necessary musical training, including courses in songwriting and performance. Check out our schedule of masterclasses and free community events, including acoustic sessions, seasonal open house events, and artist showcases.