Broad & High Presents: Mercedes Aviles
The music of Mercedes Aviles has its roots in folk, but comes with an electronic twist.
Mercedes grew up in Reynoldsburg and began playing the violin at age 8. After years of classical training, she found her love of looping at Berklee College of Music in Boston.
Her use of effects pedals allows her to capture and play back various sounds, which give her songs a layered effect despite her being a solo violin artist.
“That’s definitely the key for me to writing songs,” she says. “I can’t really do it that well any other way. And it’s a really simple set up, I just show up with a bag and I’m ready to go!” But she concedes that the technique comes with some limitations and she is looking to collaborate with other musicians now that she’s back in Columbus.
Solo Stride
Mercedes wrote Solo Stride upon moving to Boston for college.
They got a funny talk
Different ways of trade
I wanna stay the same
She says the song comes from her experience managing a new environment on her own and gaining self-acceptance along the way.
Receiver
Receiver is quite a personal song, says Mercedes. “It’s about my non-relationship with my father.”
The Proof
Mercedes says this song is about that time of life in your 20s when you make a lot of foolish and embarrassing mistakes, and perhaps imbibe a little too much. “The whole song is about the shameys,” she says with a laugh
Follow Mercedes Aviles