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What's the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning? Drink coffee. What is the best advice you've ever received? At night, you can't really solve anything. Sleep it off, work and solve it the next day… And you indeed will. What do you never leave the house without? My phone… and my brains (haha!) Pick three words that describe yourself Hardworking, ambitious and creative. What do you consider to be your greatest achieve- ment? I think achievements build on each other and so let's say, I am very happy and pleased to be where I am at right now. What is your guiltiest pleasure? Cheese, cheese and more cheese please. What is the most important lesson life has taught you? Chase your dreams, don't ever let anyone bring you down… Own your life and yourself and work hard for your idea of success. What's the most expensive thing you've ever bought? I think that would be paying for my music tuitions and equipment. Who's your inspiration? I have a lot of family, friends and artists/musicians who are now my friends who inspire me in their own ways each day really. What has been your biggest challenge? With a focused mind, it is easier to stay positive and continue to work on your passions uninhibitedly and unapologetically. We are all human so I'd say the biggest challenge is always to constantly leave out of my life negativity, jealousy and all the bad vibes and things radiating from such worlds coming from some people. It's an everyday challenge but I try to, as much as I can, stay positive, focused and continue working hard for my goals and for what I want. It is possible. If you weren't a singer, what would you be doing? I can't imagine myself any other way but if I weren't a singer, I'd be a tattoo artist probably. I have a fond love for tattoos and art… Hence the pieces I have inked already. If you could have dinner with any person, dead or alive, who would it be? My grandparents. What's your worst habit? Opening the fridge and cutting a box of cheese every time, till it's gone… What are you like when you're drunk? Me. What is the trait you most deplore in others? Jealousy, hatred, ignorance, uncertainty, bossiness and possessiveness. What music would you have played at your fu- neral? "Walk with me in Hell" by Lamb of God… suitable. What is your most treasured material possession? Nothing material is worth treasuring to me. What's your favourite food? Pizza, Indian food and a nicely cooked steak. If you could travel in time, where would you go? Mmm, can we travel to a time where time doesn't exist? I like to take it step by step. I learn every day to enjoy the present more than wish for the future to come faster. What book are you reading right now? I'm doing my final semester at Berklee College of Music right now so I'm actually very busy with the books about music production for games, music marketing and music production. I also love to research the phi- losophies about ideas that crop up spontaneously. If you could have any super power, what would it be? To eliminate ignorance, abuse of kindness, double standards, double-faced individuals and greed from this world. Be kind, respect and live and let live, in the name of rock and roll folks! What's one thing you want to do before you die? Live happily till the end. What music are you listening to at the moment? I always listen to quite a lot of music at a time all the time really. In the shower or when you're working out, what do you sing/listen to? Millions of stuff, really, hard to put briefly. In the shower it's usually a song that would have gotten stuck with me on the day so it's different every time or it depends on how long the song stays going round up there… Sometimes I even surprise myself with the random choice! Haha MIKAELA ATTARD maltatoday | SUNDAY • 25 NOVEMBER 2018 THE Q&A 2 BY MARIA PACE suggestions by email mpace@mediatoday.com.mt Vocalist for symphonic black metal band MartYrium ad now fronting her own metal band MIKAELA ATTARD, at 25, has now graduated to a professional music producer. When she's not creating music or performing, Mikaela enjoys painting and writing poems What artists have inspired you the most? Janis Joplin, Freddie Mercury, Ozzy Osbourne, Ronnie James Dio, Mikael Akerfeldt, Frank Zappa, Chuck Schuldiner, Angela Gossow, Alissa White-Glutz; and bands like Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Lamb of God, Otep, Opeth, RATM, The Aristocrats, Pink Floyd, Queen, Death, Slayer, Jinjer, Katatonia, Motorhead, Meshuggah… Where in the world would you choose to perform your last show ever? This is like planning my death, so I don't know. I let that decide for itself when it's time for it I guess. What should we expect in the future? An album! I'm currently working on more writ- ing for my first ever album after the releases of own EP and singles in the past that have achieved great feedback and awards. Apart from being metal and rocking of course, there's a lot of progressive, djent, hardcore, metal core and black metal influences in there. I'm also recording an album with MartYrium and I'm touring next with the band in Italy and the UK with Abigail Williams this December again after such an amazing tour we had from last mid-October on starting from the great FemMe Metal Festival and onto the incredible Female Metal Voices Tour in Germany, Netherlands, Denmark and Belgium with the Butcher Babies and Kobra and the Lotus. TELL US...