Interview with Pete Devine of Pete’s Rock News and Views (http://petesrocknewsandviews.com)
PD: What type of artist are you?
MD: A dedicated one, I get knocked down & I keep going… I couldn’t see myself happy in any other career other than music. I’m an indie-pop songwriter based in Manchester with a 4 piece band behind me, making the tunes come to life. We’re a strange collection of people that you wouldn’t expect to see together, but we make banging tunes & have a good 
laugh while doing it—an indie-pop breakfast club.
PD: Tell us a brief history of yourself.
MD: I was born in Macclesfield to 2 creative parents, then moved to Wales where I spent the majority of my childhood & found my love for piano, then we moved to Buxton where I began to perform live and finally to Manchester, where I have been pursuing a career in music.
PD: Who are your musical and non-musical influences?
MH: My musical influences are definitely Etta James, Nina Simone, Aretha Franklin, Christina Aguilera, and Lily Allen. I love their vocal styles & songwriting too! In terms of non-musical, I’d have to say I’m really inspired by art, poetry & colour theory. I always use these in my music & my branding for any singles.
I’m also inspired by my dad, he’s a musician himself & I grew up listening to his songs & songwriting which inspired me to start myself.
PD: What are your dreams and goals?
MD: I always dream of performing on a huge stage & having people sing my songs back to me, that would be surreal & I’d love to think that my songs may help people in the future too, just like songs have helped me in the past. In terms of goals, I want to support some major artists on their tours & I’d love to get a contract with a label for an EP, getting some funding behind my project would really help bring them to life.
PD: Who writes your songs, and what are they about?
MD: It really depends on the song, the lyrics and key parts are written by myself, but the additional instrumental parts are written by my lovely band, Tom Hetzel on bass, Greg Keith on drums and Harry Smith on guitar. They really bring the songs to life. The content of the songs varies, sometimes I would write about my emotions and feeling towards certain situations, and other times I would write about something completely random, like my dog! At the end of the day, I want my songs to be interpreted freely and however the listener needs.
PD: How do you promote your band and shows?
Primarily through social media, but we also flyer around the city and I always talk about upcoming gigs at other gigs I perform. Since the band is a fairly new addition, we have started to introduce them online & they always get a shoutout at my gigs as my beautiful band
PD: What do you think about downloading music online?
MD: I think streaming services are crucial to the growth of an artist in these digital times, however, I do think that buying physical copies & merchandise is a more direct way to support those artists. Streaming is complicated & downloading music may be the easiest way to listen to your favourite artists, but it’s very difficult to see any financial gain & although I don’t release music for financial gain, it can be tough to keep your head up high when + £500 is spent on the single & you may have to take up additional jobs to support your career. In other words, keep streaming but if you can, maybe buy a keyring too!
PD: What song do you wish you’d written and why?
MD: I wish I’d written: “Where Is My Mind” by Pixies. It’s always a tough question as the songs I wish I had written are ultimately the songs that inspired me to write, but that song means so much to me.
PD: What are some of your pet peeves?
MD: Spitting… I’m not too fond of it when people spit on the floor. I also can’t stand it when people chew with their mouths wide open, makes me shiver…
PD: What is your proudest moment in music?
MD: This is a tough one, I’m really proud of the progress that I have made & the band have made over the past year, there’s an insane amount of gigs I could mention but honestly, getting Track of the week on BBC Radio Derby with my February release “Something Strange” was pretty incredible. That song came from a hostile and painful place, and to have a new meaning put onto it made me feel so proud of myself & of the music itself.
PD: So what are you working on at the moment?
MH: We have a song out on July 15th called Wildfire, It’s an indie-pop summer anthem all about taking pride in pleasure and not being ashamed of it. It’s lighthearted and fun, and if you fancy, you can pre-save it here:
PD: What music have you available online and where can we buy it from?
MD: I currently have 4 songs available online, soon to be 5! & I also have a lot of content on YouTube!
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWjL5E9nT7U5c2DdKIjfEvg
Spotify: Minerva Daisy (https://open.spotify.com/artist/7GuTJ34qFjZ8bdSqhLCD9I)
Minerva Daisy links:
Band/Artist location – Manchester UK
Website – Facebook – You Tube – Soundcloud – Merch –
Twitter – Instagram – Apple – Spotify – Amazon – Deezer – Hi,Hello.Me –
Check our page for Minerva Daisy
