I received the opening track of this album with the following message:
“Hi 🙂 This is the first single off my upcoming LP, the Sisko Sisko Demos, which I recorded and mixed on an iPhone 4. Thank you for considering the track!”
As soon as I stumbled upon this piece of music, I was immediately hooked. Being a passionate fan of DIY projects, the raw and unpolished feel of demos and home recordings has always appealed to me. This particular album, featuring gentle acoustic folk-pop tunes, struck a chord in my heart. With nothing but a guitar, a voice, and a few subtle touches, the songs were stripped down to their bare emotions, allowing me to easily connect with them on a personal level.
One thing that stood out to me was the warm, lo-fi atmosphere that permeated each song. It was like a cozy blanket that enveloped me, shutting out the outside world. I found myself closing my eyes and getting lost in the melodies, letting my soul be filled with the beauty and honesty of each track.
It’s safe to say that I am smitten with this album. It feels like it was tailor-made just for me, and I can’t resist listening to it over and over again. Despite being nothing more than demos, each track is a masterpiece in its own right, brimming with authenticity and raw talent.
I went ahead and reached out to Mia to ask our 3 Qs:
What inspired you to start making music and what keeps you making music?
I grew up going to shows (my parents were and are avid music lovers). I think that exposure taught me a lot about music as an outlet and also made me look up to musicians a lot. I think I was around 10 when I wrote my first song on a bass guitar. I remember performing it for my mom—it was full of profanity and anger (the chorus started with the line—f*** these bi***** and all these h***). Haha! I obviously had a lot of anger about something and imagine writing that song helped me release some of it. That release is what keeps me making music—when I can articulate a feeling in a song in a way that feels authentic to me, I (almost immediately—magically) start to develop this acceptance and peace with that feeling that I didn’t have before.
What was the most challenging thing in your music (artistic) path?
I went through a period where I thought being a musician would be my career. It was after my first release, the Sister Honey Demos; I worked for a music producer and focused my energy on how I could make a living as a musician. Realizing the toll this took on the music I created, the joy of making music, and my mental health more generally has been the biggest challenge in my artistic path. In order for my music to be my career, I needed to commodify it, which meant I needed to appeal to an audience, which was never why I started making music in the first place. Suddenly, the writing process was no longer pleasant for me. I also had no self-esteem, I think because I knew I wasn’t being true to myself. I had to take a long break from music after that. When I found a job and path entirely outside the art world, the writing naturally came again. It was an amazing feeling that I still feel grateful for everyday.
What would you dream to do if anything was possible?
In terms of music or just in general? I’ll answer both. In general, I would distribute the wealth of the richest people to those in need. I don’t think anyone needs that much money, especially when many have nothing. In terms of music, I’ve never played a show where I felt my music sounded the way I wanted it to haha. I love choirs and strings and big performances like that. It would be cool to be able to orchestrate a show like this with my music.
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