Page 9 - Black Velvet Magazine Issue 105

BV105 pg 08-09 Stitched Up Heart Interview.qxp_BV105 pg09 27/12/2021 18:39 Page 2

BlackVelvetMagazine.Com - 9
ixi tells us she picked up the guitar during high school tioned listening to meditations. “Yes, meditations,” Mixi agrees.
Mand started playing with friends towards the end of “I listen to positive speeches and philosophy-type stuff. I’m al-
her school years. She was born in Atlanta, GA and has a sis- ways doing internal research to nurture my emotions.”
ter. “We have your typical sister relationship. Fought a lot when She has advice for others feeling negative. “One thing I
we were in high school, but are very close. She’s the only sis- try to do if my mind goes dark is to gain control of the thoughts
ter I have. We are blood and that’s forever.” I’m having. Try turning a negative into a positive. Every nega-
Mixi’s close to her parents and her dad even went to tive thought you have, think of things that are good about it.
Shiprocked with the band, rooming with drummer James It’s easy to be sad. It’s hard to stay positive all the time. Don’t
Decker, getting a temporary tattoo, and watching bands such let your mind control you. Get control of your mind.”
as Papa Roach and Nothing More. Her dad learned to play Mixi has been known to give out an email address for fans
the guitar when he retired, so she visits her family and has jam to get in touch if they need someone to talk to or feel alone.
sessions with her dad. She says, “I think a lot of human beings in general feel all
During the 11 years that Stitched Up Heart has been a those emotions and I just want them to know someone is there
band, Mixi has worked hard and never given up. Based in LA, for them through this rollercoaster of life. Of course, I’ve had
the band, which also includes Merritt Goodwin on guitars and those feelings as well.”
Randy Mathias on bass and backing vocals, have been a part
of some amazing tours, supporting Halestorm and In This Mo- he band use their platform and go through life trying
ment, Steel Panther, Godsmack, Butcher Babies and Infected Tto help others when they can. Guitars 4 Vets were the
Rain and more, plus they’ve played festivals such as Carolina recipients of the proceeds from their ‘I Am A Warrior’ T-shirts.
Rebellion, Rock On The Range and Rebel Rock. They’ve re- The song ‘Warrior’ itself is about PTSD. Mixi also has been in-
leased two studio albums, ‘Never Alone’ in 2016 and ‘Dark- volved with the California Equine Retirement Foundation and
ness’ in 2020, as well as a number of EPs; the two full-length has fostered over 30 cats and bottle feeds kittens when off the
albums after signing to Another Century Records, a division road. “I started fostering in 2015,” she says. “I fell in love with
of Century Label Group. “I’ve learned a heck of a lot,” says bottle feeding. It’s perfect for when I’m home from tour, and
Mixi, looking back on those years. “I keep learning. And for there’s not a lot of people who can do this particular volunteer
every year that we are a band, we accomplish new feats. I’ve work, so I try to help as much as I can when I’m able to.”
changed tremendously from the beginning. Once you stop She now has a dog called Bitty Pomsky, but plans to keep
learning, you stop growing. So, I’m always striving to be better fostering kittens as well. “I keep the foster kittens in the bath-
than I was yesterday.” room and don’t let the puppy anywhere near them. Maybe
One of the things she hopes to do is to inspire fans to be later when she’s older, but I don’t want to risk it. She’s just a
good humans. Mixi herself is often inspired by her bandmates. pup still.”
“Their dedication, loyalty, and determination inspires me,” she Bitty went on her first tour with the band in the USA when
says. Stitched Up Heart toured with Butcher Babies and Infected
Rain in mid-2021. “It was the best tour experience ever! Every-
n ‘This Skin’, one of the songs from the mesmerising one absolutely loved having her with us,” she says.
I‘Darkness’ album, Mixi sings ‘I’m baring my soul for you When we ask how she sees her future when it comes to
to see it’. Black Velvet asks how it feel baring her soul. Mixi animals, she replies, “I can see waaaaay too many animals in
replies, “Sometimes being vulnerable is scary. Nobody wants my future!”
anyone to see their true colours. But music is a medicine and She recommends others volunteer to help animals if they
in the medicine we create, we want to relate to people and can. “100%, volunteering to help animals is the best food for
show them they aren’t the only one with those thoughts.” the soul. Doing something positive and giving back is better
She also sings in the song about ‘trying to live up to these than any feeling in the entire world.”
high expectations’. We ask about her own expectations. She Mixi frequently posts on Instagram – you can find her at
says, “I have goals for the band that we still haven’t realized. @mixiofficial. She has posted photos of the fostered kittens
But we check boxes all the time. I suppose, trying to be as and bottle feeding them. Occasionally she posts quotes un-
perfect as possible, even though perfection is impossible. I still derneath photos. One quote she posted read ‘Happiness
strive to be great at what I do and try to be a good person.” doesn’t come from what you get, but what you give’. She tells
When the band signed to Another Century Records, that us, “There’s no better feeling than looking at a tiny baby kitten
expectation bar raised a little higher. while it drinks the milk from the bottle and knowing you have
“When Stitched got signed we definitely hit a new level,” helped save its life. Nothing in the world compares.”
she says. “There’s levels for bands and that was a massive
step. When you have a label and a team behind you, you e were grateful that Stitched Up Heart finally made
never want to disappoint them. Because now there’s more Wit over to the UK – you can read the review else-
people you can let down. So yes, it’s a little more pressure, where in this issue. Although, prior to the tour, we had won-
but worth it. It only makes us better.” dered whether it would go ahead due to COVID-19 still
spreading around the world – but thankfully it did. “This has
arkness’ includes a song called ‘Lost’, that Sully been an amazing experience,” Mixi says. “We’ve been want-
‘DErna of Godsmack guests on. Released in 2019, it ing to play overseas for almost ten years now and we finally
was the first single to be taken from the album and was re- did it. Definitely a dream come true.”
leased prior to the album release. Mixi flew to Nashville so The band are now back in the USA working on their third
Sully could record his part on the song. After ‘Lost’, the band album, the follow-up to ‘Darkness’. Mixi says she’ll be baring
released the title track ‘Darkness’ and then ‘Problems’ – the her soul some more on there. “The third album is more about
latter which sees Mixi sing ‘I got a friend called anxiety’. Mixi strength and tenacity,” she reveals. We cannot wait to hear it
tells us she feels anxious on occasion. “I get anxious leading and know it won’t disappoint – and instead, will no doubt fur-
up to a tour. Even though we’ve done so many I always have ther inspire others to stay strong and follow their dreams. We
anxiety about it. As well as huge festivals. But that’s just part end by asking Mixi about another quote she posted on Insta-
of it. I think if I’m not feeling anxious/nervous/excited then I’m gram - ‘If tomorrow isn’t guaranteed what do you do with
not following my heart. So, it’s a good thing really.” today’. Does she have any final words to go with that quote?
More and more people are speaking out about anxiety. What should people do with today?
Even world champion racing driver Lewis Hamilton recently “Follow your heart and do something good every day,” she
revealed ‘the anxiety you get is crazy’ before motor races. A replies. “The world needs more good people.”
lot of successful celebrities have anxiety before certain events. It does indeed. But with Mixi and Stitched Up Heart in it,
Mixi says, “Meditation helps me. CBD as well. But, also, fear we’re definitely in good hands.
can be crippling. That’s why some people don’t do the things
they dream of. But I choose to fight my fears. It’s a never-end- Visit www.stitchedupheart.org for more info.
ing battle, but it allows me to accomplish so much. Once you
just do it, you realize you’ll be ok and then you want to try Words By Shari Black Velvet
something even scarier!”
One of her aims is to inspire listeners to turn negatives Photo By Jonny Stalnaker
into positives. Stitched Up Heart guitarist Merritt has men-
STITCHED UP HEART