Mia LJ Interview and Uh - Oh & These are the Years Video @mia_lj

Check out the interview below with New York Native Mia LJ and her live studio video for her singles "Uh - Oh & These are the Years". 

Tell us about yourself and your music? I am a 19 year old self-taught musician / singer / songwriter. I was born and raised in New York. I started playing music upon turning five years old. After dedicating myself to music for over a decade, I've picked up six instruments, written hundreds of songs, and am preparing a second worldwide release for fans, my debut album!

How would you describe your sound? I'm always evolving and finessing my sound. The music encompasses a mixture of neo-soul & indie rock with jazz & blues elements. It's carried by very raw, soulful vocals and driven by guitars. I've come to call it Soul Infused Indie Rock / Pop.

Talk about the experience making your single? The writing process for "Uh - Oh" was very different from any other song I've ever created. I independently write every bit of my music (guitar, piano, bass, drum, vocal arrangements & lyrics). Unlike most of my songs which are completed within minutes of spontaneous writing, I wrote the verse for "Uh - Oh" one day while feeling inspired and finished the song off several months later. I was going through a very pivotal phase within my personal life following my first year of college at 16 years old. After struggling with self - harm for years, then alcohol, street & prescription drug abuse, suicide, rehabilitation, and more all leading up to the age of seventeen (17 YO), I came to a very black and white decision. At that point in my mind, I had forced myself to choose between living a life that I love, a life I've dreamed of for much longer than I can even remember, or not live at all. I've always been able to express myself through music better than I do through words. "Uh - Oh" was my way of saying that I was done fighting myself on doing what I love just to do what is "normal" for someone my age let alone what other people (society, family, friends, etc) think I should do. I feel that the song was finished months later because I had to fully undergo that mental transition in order to figure out what I wanted to say from the start. "Uh - Oh" was initially built upon this smooth piano progression using more jazz influenced chords and just the first verse's lyrics. That's where I was in life - my mind was a bit more slow moving towards progress, unsure of where I was headed. Months later, it turned into this groovy upbeat guitar / slap bass driven song. Reflecting on this process makes me realize how music is truly the only thing that translates my emotions accurately.

What are you currently working on? Any new projects? Shows? I'm currently wrapping production on my debut album and will be making some major announcements in accord with new releases VERY soon. The growth and evolution of my music has been so immense over the past year. It's made me realize that my goal is not to make music, but to be music. My goal is not to make history, but to be history. Once the album is complete, I'll be announcing several major city spot date shows and tours to follow! I am beyond excited to release new music for the fans and bring it to life with them night after night very soon.

What has been your biggest highlight in your music career this far? I've worked with some incredibly talented people within amazing facilities (producers, company execs, recording studios, venues, etc). However, it's hard to narrow a highlight when there are so many goals I've yet to achieve that my mind is currently set on. Still, something I'll always be proud of is independently organizing and releasing my debut EP "These are the Years" worldwide. Every bit of the process behind bringing the EP to life was a dream of mine growing up, from recording in such quality studios day in and day out to creating relationships and building a team of people that truly support me (that team includes my fans). Quite a few of my childhood dreams have transformed into lifetime memories within the past year and a half. I could not be happier with where I stand today and what the future holds.

Name your ideal collaboration: mainstream or independent artist(s)? I imagine myself and Miguel's musicality and vocal style meshing well very naturally. I would also love to create with Calvin Harris. Drake and G - Eazy collaborations are tempting considering the direction my music seems to be headed in for 2018 releases. We'll see what the future holds.

Name something random that people do not know about you? I wore nothing but a white robe throughout a majority of the recording process for my upcoming debut album.

What’s one thing you have learned or discovered while being in the indie music scene/industry? The more you have to offer, the more people have to offer you.

What can we expect from you in the future? Expect better. Better music. Better visuals. Better live shows. Better everything.

EP on itunes

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/these-are-the-years-ep/id1093559049

March 24, 2017 2:45pm ET by One Percent PR  

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