 Courtesy of the Artist Americana-Folk duo Mia and Jonah are prepping the release of their new album, Spin as One, a collection of intimate stories, lush harmonies, and minimalist instrumentation that is due July 1st. Ahead of the release, the duo answer their Essential 8+ and talk about everything from the album to musical mentors, road life, and more. Did you have a musical mentor? If so, who was it and how did they influence you? Mia: A big musical mentor of mine is Emmylou Harris. Her voice varies in so many incredible ways. It wavers and whispers all with so much strength and self assurance. I first fell in love with her on “Wrecking Ball” which was produced by Daniel Lanois(another hero of mine). Jonah: When I was in high school, a friend of mine got me into Neil Young. There was something about his voice and the soulful imperfection that was totally inspiring to me. Neil showed me that you could make magic out of simple elements with the power of the pen and the soul. I remember hearing “After the Goldrush” one night, and felt like it was written for me. It was like a siren’s call for to explore the world of songwriting. It was then I got myself a guitar and started learning chords. With any particular song, was there an “a-ha” moment when you knew the song was completed and perfect? Mia: Jonah wrote all the songs on “Spin as One” excepting for two which he co-wrote with Scotty Passaglia. In the past when I wrote I suppose I just felt it when a song was complete. Some songs are still out there half done.. waiting till the other layers expose themselves. It’s not something I would force. It’s just like a flower, it grows in its own time, and when it blossoms, you know. Jonah: I don’t always know that a song is working until I play it for someone else. For the most part, that person is Mia, or has been for the past 15 years. If I play a new song for her, and it’s not really a big deal, then that song probably won’t be a keeper. It really has to make an emotional impact for us to consider it as a Mia and Jonah song. On this album, I remember playing Season of Opening for her, and afterwards she had tears in her eyes. So, I knew it was doing the right thing and had achieved a sense of clarity within our story. As far as the writing process, I feel like with any song, there is moment when you crystallize the truth of that particular song, and then you just need to keep the channel open to let the words make themselves known.  Is there a story behind your album’s title?
Mia: It’s funny how somethings are just right. Jonah and I were busy with other things for a long time. Him teaching music in a school and myself raising our daughter. We weren’t playing music together for about 6 years, which was when I became pregnant. Our daughter Rose is 5 years old now and will begin kindergarten in September 2018. I began to feel we’d have time to do music together again. We both love music and performance - it was the knot that forged our relationship when we met. Of course I love raising Rose, but Jonah and I had been out of full synch for a while. Him going out to play with his band “Midnight Ball” while I stayed home with Rose. When I heard the song, “Our Old Farm”, I cried, longing for that “Old Farm” we had built with our music since 2005. We decided to play music together and put together an album that instant. Jonah wrote “Spin as One” almost immediately after that decision. There was a heightened excitement to our lives as well as our relationship. It was time to “Spin as One” once more. This time with a renewed sense of purpose and a more singular goal… Enrichment of our lives and souls. It was the obvious title to our album which represented just that. Jonah: We had a few titles running on this one, but ultimately “Spin as One” was a concept that seemed to root the songs in this idea of energetic unification. In our past records, we would course through Mia songs and then Jonah songs, telling our story as separate artists working together. In 2012, we had a daughter, so we’ve grown together in some deep ways. We began to unify our sound, so “Spin as One” is an evolution of Mia and Jonah wherein we sing all songs in harmony, spinning our voices together as one. Why did you choose to anchor the album with the songs you did? Mia: To me they were right. We both have a lot of songs waiting in the wings for their time… but this group written by Jonah (with the help of Scotty P.) called upon the healing of our lives as well as the healing of the world. There is a general theme of trust, unity, peace and love throughout the album. We hope by singing these songs we can call upon those forces which seem to be waning in the unsettled political state and growing strangeness of the world we live in now. Jonah: We’ve always made somewhat eclectic sounding records, and wanted this record to actually have a consistent vibe all throughout. So, the songs had to come from a similar musical universe. We began working with violin player, Alan Grubner, when he came out to LA. Alan and I were in a bluegrass band together years ago in college, so the songs on this album really wanted to cross over to the world of folk and Americana and suit the addition of the violin. These songs were a continuation of the Mia and Jonah story as it unfolded in real life. They all seemed to tie back to our past 6 years, raising our child and building a home in LA together. Where do you draw inspiration from when writing? Mia: I am very inward, diving deep into my own feelings and emotions for inspiration. I can be a little self centered when I write and get completely naked whether the world wants to see me that way or not. I write my soul. Sometimes I feel like it’s my own “therapy”. I am also inspired by others stories. When I wrote “Water in a Teapot” in 2005, I felt like I was channelling a friends story and letting myself be that person while I wrote. Jonah: I draw inspiration from my own emotions. So, usually I will discover a musical progression that does something for me, and I’ll play that progression over and over again until I find out what it is triggering on a deeper level. Sometimes I will scribble words and sounds that have the right prosody, and then decipher them into the real words once I unlock the song and find out what its about. It all comes from within and usually is a way of processing something I am going through in real life. When/where do you do your best writing? Mia: The best writing comes when I am least looking for it. It’s kinda like a radio turns on in my head and writes the song all by itself. It could be at home or walking in the rain. Sometimes late at night in bed. I love these times when the words come rushing out so clearly almost like daytime dreaming. There is no pushing or trying, just listening. Jonah: I haven’t noticed anything consistent as far as when and where. Usually, I really need to be by myself to hear a song within. Sometimes, I really benefit from writing lyrics with a partner. On this record, I got together with Scott Passaglia, and we wrote Our Old Farm and Sugarbones. I had a chord sequence and melody, and Scott fished out the lyrics with me. Do you write about personal experience, the experience of others, observations, made-up stories, something else or a combination? Jonah: I write about an abstracted personal experience. It all comes from an emotional truth, but can be woven with abstract metaphors to paint a picture. What’s the best advice you have ever gotten from another musician? Mia: Jolie Holland told me a long time ago, It isn’t easy to make money doing this. At the time she was one of my heroes, had been a huge part of “The Be Good Tanyas” and as broke as I was. Losing this mentality of “I’m gonna get rich doing this” is only a good thing. I think it makes a musician truer to themselves once it becomes a labor/delight born of love. Playing music enriches my entire life in so many ways. Also, I definitely do not mean to say you can’t make money doing music!! I wish the best of luck to all musicians out there. Jonah: There was a street musician in New Orleans who I played with for a few months who said to “play it all”, meaning learn all styles of music and allow yourself to be flexible and open enough to do so. The more you push yourself musically in different directions, the more you can bring back into your style over time. I think Willie Nelson is a great example of a musician who has pushed his own music boundaries to the ends of the earth. When you hear him play guitar, you can hear everything from Django Reinhardt to Hank Williams, but it all swirls into his own sound. What’s the best advice to give to a musician just starting out? Mia: Keep moving forward. Jonah: Of course, it doesn’t matter what you do, just how you do it. So, find what it is you love to do with music, and use it to stay on “cutting edge” of yourself and your music. Think of music as a life-long practice. Also, don’t be afraid that learning new musical styles will change your’s. Everything you learn about your instrument and music theory will find its way within your natural musical self. What’s your favorite/”go-to” food on the road? Mia: Haha. This is very strange, but I love veggie chili from a can! Sometimes I still eat it at home, for memories sake. Jonah: We shoot for sushi and kombucha whenever possible. If it’s early in the day, and available, I love breakfast burritos. Do you have any touring tips? Mia: Have a bed in the van! Jonah and I had a memory foam bed and often opted to stay in the van rather than sleep on a lumpy couch. You can sleep while someone else drives… So important when you are traveling all the time and have a gig every day or so. Also, always have a headlamp. They are great for finding gear in the dark or your way to a friends bathroom! Jonah: If you are touring in a van, join the YMCA. All around the United States, if you are a member, you can be a guest at pretty much every YMCA for up to three days. Some of them are really nice. You can work out a bit, shower, sometimes even do the steam room. If you are on a budget, and want to cut down on hotel room expenses, you can always park your van and sleep in Walmart parking lots overnight. Do as many radio interviews at the college/ AAA stations as possible. What are your “must have” albums for the road? Mia: Bruce Springsteen “Born to Run”, Ryan Adams “Cold Roses” and “29”, AJ Roach “Dogwood Winter”, Emmylou Harris “Wrecking Ball”, Sean Hayes every album, I could go on forever. Jonah and I love music. Newest latest.. We Are The West “The Golden Shore”. We just gigged with them in LA. I had heard their album and was already a fan. They were incredible live! Jonah: If I had to choose a few albums for the road, one would be Talking Heads, “Stop Making Sense”, one would be the Bob Dylan “Bootleg Series”, and one would be Emmylou Harris’ “Wrecking Ball”. How do you kill the long hours in the van? Mia: Often I learn new parts of something on a new instrument (I learned to play bass in the van). Jonah is fun to road trip with. He’s funny as hell! We get very weird sometimes, cracking up for no reason, singing our favorite albums with a country twang, or making up commercial songs for places we pass with fun names. Jonah: I don’t think we have any one thing - we spend a lot of time together anyway. I think it’s always good to stop off and have little adventures whenever you can. We like to meet people along the way and enjoy the landscape if possible. All that being said, sometimes you just need audio books. What’s the most frustrating thing about being on the road? Mia: Since we almost always sleep in the van(we kept a memory foam bed in the back, YES!)… places that don’t have public bathrooms. People are kind enough to leave their doors open for us. Bless you people! But sometimes, we are parked on the street and, well, it sucks to pee in a neighborhood with homes… you feel like a vagrant! Jonah: Any kind of vehicle trouble, and rising gas prices. What do you love most about being on the road? Mia: I love the gypsy spirit that comes with the travelling. There is a freedom when you’re own ideas of who you are stop being so defined, the boundaries of your former self are pushed. I am much more open to believing I can do something new and different like learning a new instrument or make a lifestyle adjustment. Jonah is very supportive of taking risks. The second I said, I think I’d like to play bass in Texas, his first priority was stopping at a store to buy me a bass. Jonah: I love the impending serendipity, where you meet people and see things that somehow tie to other people and places in your life. Often, when you are in motion on your right path, there is a magical serendipity that can come in to remind you that something else is in control. There are these delightful coincides that just come out of the woodwork. Mia: I love the gypsy spirit that comes with the travelling. There is a freedom when you’re own ideas of who you are stop being so defined, the boundaries of your former self are pushed. I am much more open to believing I can do something new and different like learning a new instrument or make a lifestyle adjustment. Jonah is very supportive of taking risks. The second I said, I think I’d like to play bass in Texas, his first priority was stopping at a store to buy me a bass. What has been your biggest struggle so far? Both: We really struggled to complete our last album/ project, The Golden Ass. It was an ambitious multi-media project that took us a bunch of years to get together. There was a strong visual component, a stop-motion puppet film we projected for the show. We had to move to the East Coast half-way through and finish all that we could in my sister’s garage. Musically, it was like a piece of theater wherein we would play different characters to tell a story. It was a bit draining, but we saw it through, and definitely learned from it. What has been your biggest success? Both: In our career, the biggest success has been the song “Rooms”. It has been streamed millions of times, and continues to outsell everything else we have out. What’s your favorite venue and why? Mia: House concerts are my favorite venue. They pay first of all. They are silent (you could hear a pin drop in the middle of a house concert). People respect and love that we are choosing to be artists. Bars are loud. Opening for a great act is awesome and a huge honor, but still, you are the opener, people didn’t pay to see you. They want what’s next. In a house concert people are truly loving you and your dream. They are dreaming your dream with you. It is so gratifying and lovely. Jonah: When we lived in San Francisco, we really loved playing at Cafe Du Nord. It always had amazing sound onstage and off. What’s your dream venue and why? Jonah: My dream would be to play at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles. Who would you love to collaborate with? Mia: We have been so blessed to collaborate with the some of the best musicians I have ever known. I mean we’ve played with Seth Ford-Young (bass), John Hanes (drums), Stevie D (drums), Alan Grubner (violin), Josh Nadelberg (voice) and Myles Boisen (electric guitar/banjo/producer). Playing with these accomplished people always make me better. Somehow just their energy awakes something that takes you to a whole new level. Daniel Lanois is someone both Jonah and I have always admired as a musician and a producer. It’s funny cause I’ve been to his house for an afterparty (he lives here in LA) and we know a close friend of his, but we haven’t connected yet. Maybe someday… Jonah: I would love for us to make an album with producer, Daniel Lanois. He creates such an amazing sonic landscape in everything he touches. Which song of yours gets the best crowd response? Mia: Good question… Depends on the crowd. When we started “Bird on the Wind” (which was the first song Jonah and I had written together) always made people dance. Now well, I guess this upcoming tour will help us find the answer to that.Jonah: Lately, the song Nightingale from our new record gets a unique response. It is very meditative and features Mia’s saw playing. Are there any songs you are tired of playing and why? Mia: Yes, more than one, only because I’ve sung them so many times. When we are making a set list we get together and both of us decide what to play. Sometimes Jonah will be like, I’m not feeling that song right now. Same with me. We have quite a few songs to choose from luckily with 3 albums an EP and some singles. Well, 4 albums now that “Spin as One” is coming out. Jonah: I remember getting a little tired of “Bird on the Wind” a few years back. We haven’t been playing it much in our current live set. I bet we’ll feel it again at some point. Sometimes a song has to be rediscovered. Is drinking at gigs a positive or a negative? Mia: Neither so far. Jonah: I like to have a drink after the set. The thing is, I usually don’t eat too much before singing, so drinking on an empty stomach can be hazardous for me. There has to be food at some point. In general, drinking doesn’t help me as a performer, but if its a low pressure gig, sometimes I have a few. Favorite (or first) concert you have ever attended? Mia: Joni Mitchell was one of the first non-christian(my parents were missionaries so rock or anything not christian was secular and not allowed - except Hawaiian music), picked by ME concerts I attended. My ex made fun of the “lesbian music” the whole time. I was transfixed. I thought she was so cool. She was smoking a cigarette in one hand and a microphone in the other. I was really young. I remember thinking “she is such a rock-n-roller”. Jonah: I drove down to LA to see Neil Young at the Greek Theater in 2000, and it was an amazing two-night experience. It was like he was a different person each night, and played with such intense raw energy, it made a lasting impact. Favorite thing to do on a day off? Mia: A real day off, would be a day alone. That doesn’t often happen as a mother. On the rare chance that I have a full day for myself - You’d probably catch me at home binge-watching episodes of “West World”, “GOT” or “Big Little Lies”. Another luxury on a “day off” is going to a spa to get a facial or something equally pampering. Jonah: We love to go to the beach as a family. Do you have a favorite gift from a fan? Mia: There is a woman who did a really great cover of our song, Rooms. I love it! I suppose people loving, sharing and believing in your music is the best gift a singer/songwriter can ask for. Jonah: One time we got featured on a magazine cover, and subsequently received a really sweet letter in the mail from a young girl with a picture of herself. It was really touching that she reached out. Have you met any of your heroes? If so, how did it go? Mia: After falling in love with The Be Good Tanya’s, I met Jolie Holland in San Francisco at Cafe Du Nord. I had just heard of Sean Hayes, who I came to see - he was a local artist people who people were beginning to talk about. Jolie was hanging out at a table with some ladies and with a deck of Tarot cards. I had no idea who she was when I went up to the table and asked if she would read my cards. We hung there out for a while just talking about Tarot and whatever else came up. Then she said, Oh I’ve got to go play a couple songs with my friend. Turned out Sean and Jolie were doing some harmonies and upon asking I found out who she was. I was so psyched. She was so personable and just nice. After that we discovered we both lived on the Pan Handle (in SF) and I continued to hang with her from time to time until she got signed and moved. She was just getting by then, no different than myself even though I was just an aspiring musician with no albums, just songs. I was really amazed that Jolie Holland would hang out with me, let alone listen to my music. Once I even asked what it would take to get some music lessons from her. She said dinner would do. What a lovely person. I love her new album Jonah: Not yet - hopefully at some point. Is there a recent release you cannot stop listening to? Mia: Yes! We are the West, The Golden Shore! I found their music and it was on my “what I’m listening to now” facebook post when I discovered they lived in LA. I emailed them as soon as I found out asking if they would like to do a show with us (not really expecting them to say yes). They said yes! Turns out they we have a lot of musician friends in common. We talked about doing some more gigs together. Small world. Jonah: We have been listening a lot to We are the West’s new album, “The Golden Shore” Song (of yours) you wish you would have released as a single and why? Mia: Not really. Jonah: I like the album format for what we do in general. Each album is a chunk of our life where the songs relate to each other in some way. Is there a professional “bucket list” item you would love to check off? Mia: No real professional bucket list, but as far as a hope of my own, I’d love to live to see my daughter grow into her own woman… Jonah: I think that list could be really long if I put my mind to it. It would be great to around the world at some point. We would love to do gigs in Europe, Asia, Australia, and Africa. Otherwise, let’s hook up those licensing deals and get our music in movies, shows or anything of the like. Deep down, I kind of hope our daughter ends up joining the band so we can tour as a family. Website/Facebook
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |