The Metacara Interview

Up-and-coming electrosoul duo, Metacara, made up of Vince Nania and Kyla Sauber, bring an array of genres to their music.

Their five-song EP, “Stone Love,” features everything from hip-hop to electronic to jazz. Kyla’s voice can be comparable to Amy Winehouse, Florence Welch, or even a soulful Beyonce.

We got the chance to interview the band before their anticipated debut performance in Pittsburgh this Friday. Below is what transpired:

Megan: Being from Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, how did you two originally meet?

Vin: We met at the University of Pittsburgh and I asked her to record harmonies on a song I played in my other band, Anello. Eventually, we asked her to join because we loved her voice. So after playing together for a few months, I asked her if she’d be interested in recording vocals over a “Purity-Ring-type beat” I had made. Instantly, we caught a natural wave of ideas and decided to run with it.

Kyla: As we started recording, our vision grew into something more concrete. After we released “The Map” as a single, we knew we wanted to continue to make music, which led to what Metacara is today.

M: You say your roots are in jazz, hip hop, and electronic music. What got you interested in working within those genres initially? Do you have any strong musical influences?

V: The first album I ever purchased was “No Way Out” by Puff Daddy and The Family. That album encouraged me to explore different genres of music. The songs like “Been Around the World” that Puff sampled made me explore other artists like David Bowie (the sample is from “Let’s Dance”). I remember some of my cousins saying that he stole music, talking about the samples, but I was never satisfied with that idea. I kept listening to hip-hop, and more recently electronic music, until I started making my own beats in 2010. I am heavily influenced by Clams Casino, Kanye West, and Jimi Hendrix.

K: I grew up listening to a lot of strong female vocalists like Joni Mitchell, Ella Fitzgerald, Cyndi Lauper, and Janis Joplin, along with a lot of great male artists including Elton John, The Beatles, and Led Zeppelin. Those artists put together inspired me to sing and write music from a very young age, and when I got into high school, I found my place in jazz bands as a vocalist. That experience set the foundation for how I approach writing melodies over Vince’s beats.

M: You recently dropped your debut EP, “Stone Love”; where did that album name derive from?

V: In the title track, “Stone Love,” I use a distorted, torn-up sample from a song called “Stoned Love” by The Supremes.

K: I like to think that love is something that is steadfast and solid in my life. As I was writing the songs this past year, that idea consistently emerged.

M: Can you explain what you mean when you say you want to “bridge the gap between your upbringings in the name of love and creativity”?

V:  Kyla and I differ in a lot of ways. But, in life and in music, we see those differences as opportunities to expand on our strengths as individuals. A product of that, though, is this honest but complete sound that neither of us really anticipated. “Stone Love” is our first bridge.

K: “Stone Love” bridges the gap between my songwriting and Vin’s production. Since we each come from very different musical backgrounds, our sound is the result of different elements merging together.

M: What do you hope your listeners will take away from your music?

V: I hope that our listeners hear a story when they listen to the EP from front to back.  At the same time, I hope that they can listen to the tracks individually, or in any order and enjoy it equally.

K: This project has taken each of us out of our own comfort zone. The artwork supports the story behind this EP, so I hope that Metacara fans will use it to uncover the experiences I’ve had.

Metacara will host their debut performance and EP release party at 10PM on Friday, June 19 at Spirit. The party kicks off with Pittsburgh’s very own RIVKA, an experimental, electronic band; and turntablist DJ Bamboo will close out the night. The event is 21+ with a $5 cover charge. Don’t miss it!