Mon Rovîa stopped by the LPM Performance Studio to chat with me about his latest release, Act Four: Atonement and to perform a few songs. The EP marks the final chapter in a series of releases that reflect on growth, self-discovery, and love as a collective experience.
Outside of music, Mon Rovîa finds inspiration in silence, poetry, and books—especially the works of James Baldwin and Amiri Baraka. He spoke about how the history in those works is reflected to today's times, shaping both his perspective and his songwriting.
Though he started as a solo writer, he’s learned to embrace collaboration. "I think I was really worried about losing myself and my process, my mind, and thinking the way I do about the world and different experiences." But he went on to say, "There are other people super blessed to have that mind that can help paint the picture even better for you, and it goes a long way."
Looking ahead, Mon Rovîa wants to explore his Liberian roots and uncover untold stories from his birthplace. He looks forward to "telling the tales of those people that's lost in time through the war and different things, really trying to shed light on history that's really connected to America as well."
Before performing "Big Love Ahead", he left listeners with this: "Good is always around the next corner, and it's important to make it around those corners, up those hills, to see what comes next."
Listen to the entire performance and interview here. Act Four: Atonement is out now.
