Trash Talking with MYNX

Music is art, and sometimes that art makes for one hell of a sexed up, over-the-top, hi-energy glam party.

Ara and Holly, the duo behind MYNX, are exactly the eccentric, energetic, and sharp-witted characters you would expect to be behind a project like MYNX.

Just a few years ago, the fashionable duo burst onto the scene with the satirical, “I’m So L.A.” The song achieved somewhat of a cult-like following with fans posting their own homemade videos of the song on YouTube and endearing them to fans literally all over the world.

Their dynamic combination of punchy lyrics, infectious hooks and fierce vocals make for a sound that calls up imagery of an electro rebirth of Sonny & Cher or The B-52s meets Goldfrapp. Leading MYNX’s first official release is the single, “Kissie Show,” a glitzy new wave dance floor stormer with dirty, dirty synths. Accompanying their crackling rhythms are campy sexual lyrics that display the band’s dry sense of humor about everything -- especially sex.

Too coarse to be classy, but too intelligent to be trashy, MYNX slinks around in that smoky area in between -- which is exactly where they like to be.

Here, the duo talks about the genesis of MYNX, their love for artists as diverse as Queen and Dolly Parton, and getting their start in the hipster and gay clubs of Los Angeles.

How did you two meet?

Ara:  Holly and I were both part of the underground scene in Hollywood 5 or 6 years ago.  I had my own solo electro act, and Holly was always DJ-ing at all the same parties. We started hanging out all the time, and then music became what we did for fun.

Holly:  And we got addicted to it. We had all of all the wild, fabulous ideas together. It just kind of happened.

So, it sounds like a lot of what you did in those early days was kind of spontaneous.

H: We just started making up songs wherever we were. One of us would sing a line, the other would jump in with the next one, and so on. That’s how “I’m So L.A.” came about. We’d be standing outside a club and just sort of jamming. If there was a beat playing somewhere, we’d just go with that beat.

A: MYNX was born in the clubs. We were night people. We’d sleep all day, primp all evening, and stay out all night. Holly and I were a part of the underground scene in L.A., so when it came time for us to do shows, there were many open stages for us.

"I'm So L.A."

When did you start thinking about MYNX as a career?

A: There just came a time when we looked around and said, “It’s time to take this seriously. We really have something here.” We knew that it was going to take a lot of dedication. But ultimately, we could be working around the clock in the studio or on a video set and still never think of this as hard work, because doing MYNX is what we love.

H: People seemed to love what we’re doing. And we love it too . . . a career was the natural next step. It wasn’t a decision that took any thinking over. It was obvious that this is what we had to do.

When did MYNX start moving beyond just the club scene?

A: I’d heard that local bands could submit their music to Indie 103.1, so I sent them a copy of our CD. The DJ called us up and said, “Oh my God, I love your song.”  And then he played “I’m So L.A.” at the start of his show.  He plugged our next L.A. show and said that people should check out our video online.  It was quite thrilling.

H: After the demo for “I’m So L.A” was leaked, club DJs in Europe started playing us too.  In fact, a promoter flew us over to Barcelona to perform at his club so we turned it into a mini European tour.

A: It’s funny, we’re definitely eager to reach a wider audience, but the clubs will always be home to MYNX.

So, word was really spreading -- viral marketing at its most effective.

A: Yeah, and a lot of the momentum has been because of YouTube. We discovered a whole bunch of fan videos kids had made. Some are pretty creative, using animation and what not, but most of them are lip-synch performances. And since there’s two of us, there’s usually two of them, and you can tell that they’re close friends, and this is their “thing” that they do. It’s kinda touching.

H: Ara and I got together and watched a lot of them. We were laughing and just really enjoying it. That’s when we decided to get into the studio and record our EP.

Tell me about your image. Where does your sensibility come from?

A: Holly and I both love image and iconography.  The sensibility comes from everywhere, from classical fine art, to clubs culture, from art photography, to our heros.  Grace Jones, David Bowie, and Madonna, to name a few.

H: We love clothes and fashion and hair. Our image is very important to us. And there are always new outfits. I’ve been modeling for a really long time, so I’ve always been in the fashion world.

"Kissie Show"

A boring question, maybe, but who are your musical influences?

H: We are influenced by all of the music around us. Pop, rock, electro—you name it. The artists that influence us change all the time.  Sometimes it’s David Bowie, sometimes it’s Whitney Houston or Dolly Parton.

Let’s talk about some of the songs, starting with “We Are MYNX.” I’ve always loved songs that are self-referential.

A: Holly came up with that one. We were hanging out at my pool, and we decided that we needed to have a theme song.  She said “Yeah, and it should go like this . . ..” And, she basically sang “We Are MYNX,” a cappella.  We burst into laughter. It sort of captured the essence of what we’re about. A perfect theme song.

H: Ara brought his vision of the theme to the studio, and we turned it into the monster stadium anthem that it is now.

It reminds me of Queen’s “We Will Rock You.”

H: Queen has definitely been an influence. How can you not love Freddie Mercury? He’s our hero.

“Kissie Show” is probably the naughtiest song on the album -- lots of sexual double entendres.

A: I wrote that song when I was 19 or 20 years old, before I met Holly.  It’s a real teenage sexual  angst moment. I wrote it as a guy-girl song, so when I met Holly, it was like “Oh, ok . . . this is why I wrote this song the way that I did.”  I was deep into glam and glitter rock at the time, so it has a real lipstick-and-cigarette sensibility to it.

Sex and humor seem to go hand in hand on this EP.

A: We like to have fun with what we’re singing about, whether it’s sex, life in L.A., or even ourselves as a band.

Your image and music would seem to have a lot of resonance in the gay community. Have you noticed a lot of gay fans at your shows?

A: Definitely. When we first started out, we were gigging at mostly gay clubs and hipster clubs. The DJs would be spinning us too. It was home!

H: The gay kids here in L.A. are really ahead of the curve. The more progressive music in L.A. comes from the gay scene.

A: I think that our gay fans dig the attitude and fearlessness of our music.

What’s next for MYNX?

A: We’re going to be touring this summer. We’re putting together a really spectacular show.

H: We’re also writing and recording new material. We’re always working on becoming a bigger and better MYNX.

Image courtesy MYNX