North Carolina born, Mexico City based vocalist, songwriter, and producer, Meraki Trice is sharing a new single entitled “Waste Your Breath,” written in the aftermath of a transactional relationship.

The hazy and ethereal song mixes analog, digital, and acoustic sounds to create a richly produced soundscape which Trice likens to the feeling of walking in the clouds or floating in the air. “Waste Your Breath” blends elements of electronic music, rnb, and pop to create a highly melodic plane of existence.

1. Tell us the story of this song, why did you choose to visualize this song specifically in
this way?

Waste Your Breath is a commentary about dating as a queer person, from my experience I have had many partners mislead me and themselves about their intentions. The title comes from a statement that my grandmother used to say when she knew me or another person was about to lie, she would say “Don’t waste your breath” as in I know you are about to lie. This song to me is a refusal to go along with half-truths or out right lies, but to be honest and clear about the intentions of others with me, and I with them. 

2. What was the inspiration behind this new video (visuals, storyline, etc.)?

The video takes place after a crash landing on a foreign planet, Meraki as depicted in the video stumbles from the wreckage to hallucinations of his lover. He searches the landscape to find the love that feels just on the edge of being reciprocated. However their efforts are to no avail, the video looks to explore imagery of queer love, in its less marketable elements. To show the lack of commitment and unhealthy attachment styles that exist within the community and I have personally experienced in many of my relationships. Even queer love in 3023 has a bit of sour with the sweet. The inspirations for the video were many afrofuturistic and Scifi novels from the Parable of the Sower to Dune 

3. What was the process of making the video?

The production timeline for the video included 9 months of planning and execution. We created every costume and accessory in collaboration with designers from Mexico, Argentina, and the United States. The script was created before the music, or songwriting had begun. The main priority was to create this futuristic world filled with queer love and tell a story that could resonate with people in and outside of the community. From there the script was created, and permits were secured with the Mexican government since the video location was in one of Mexico’s more primer national parks. Meraki and 3 dancers learned choreography that was created in collaboration with a rising Venezuelan choreographer, the set was designed to be constructed on location inside of the mountains by our art department. Shooting spanned two days, thousands of miles above sea level, in rain and fog with 4 different shoot locations spread in and around Paso de Cortes, a mountain pass way that sits in between two active volcanos. From there we colored the video to evoke more of an otherworldly look and then shared it with the world.