Published: February 10, 2010 9:24 PM EST
By: Isaac Davis Jr., MBA (Juniorscave.com)
New Music Spotlight February 2010 Edition
Shelley Miller
Music Now Artist/Band Spotlight Weekly Series
Shelley Miller photo by Jeremy Lawson
Singer/Songwriter Shelley Miller's music is an eclectic range of genre fused together by Miller's wonderful soulful indie rock vocals and deep meaningful lyrics. Miller's passion and drive to make music from the heart and soul are what make her a top notch performer. In this recent interview with Shelley Miller, the artist speaks openly about her music, fighting and overcoming personal demons, and what lies ahead for the singer/songwriter.
Isaac: I just listened to one of your songs titled, "I Don't Mind". What was the inspiration for making this song and your new album?
Shelley: That song in particular came out of a little fling...which didn't work out. I think that's a lot of the album...not flings, per se (though they're in there, too), but being okay with things not working out. I quit drinking a couple years ago, and that's been a huge shift, both in terms of life and making music. It's made me be a lot more honest and open, and a little less concerned about getting things right.
The new album was largely inspired by all the 'off-duty' time I've spent with other local musicians in the last two years. My favorite music is the music that gets made in living rooms and late night bars when the spotlights are off--raw, rough and real. I wanted to capture that intimacy for this recording, and when I sat down to talk with John (Abbey, who engineered and co-produced 'When It's All Gone...' with me), it became clear almost immediately that we were on the same page aesthetically.
Isaac: Who were your influences?
Shelley: When I first started playing music, I wanted to be an Indigo Girl. Now, it's a lot more eclectic. I like the usual alt-country suspects--Neko Case, Ryan Adams, Wilco, Patty Griffin--but also a lot of Memphis soul and Sufjan Stevens, and the Stones and Sonic Youth. There are also a few local bands in Chicago that I can't get enough of: JT and the Clouds, The Record Low, Dolly Varden. Great songs, great playing, great voices.
Isaac: What do you consider to have been the highlight(s) and lowpoint(s) of your career to date?
Shelley: The low point is easy--after I put out the last album (2006's 'Morning Somewhere'), I pretty much gave up on making music in front of people. I fell in love, it didn't work out, and drinking myself into a stupor seemed like a completely reasonable coping mechanism. But then the ennui just kept building, and it felt like the only way I could instigate some sort of change was to leave Chicago.
While I was plotting my escape, I happened to cross paths with a local songwriter (Micah Walk) who was just clearly better than anyone else I'd seen in a while. We started singing together, I started going to more open mics, and suddenly (after 10 years in Chicago) I found myself in the middle of this circle of musicians and other creative people that I'd wanted for my whole life.
That's the biggest high point, but others include doing a duo show with Micah Walk at the Old Town School of Folk Music, recording the current album and playing at the National Women's Music Festival last year.
Isaac: Brief history about your background plus the style of music you play.
Shelley: I grew up in California. I was way more into sports and poetry than I was music when I was in high school-I didn't start playing guitar until after I got out of college. I moved to Chicago on a whim when I was 23-I knew one person in the state-and, when I got snowed in the first winter I lived here, I signed up to take a voice class and had one of those "a-ha" moments where two things became very clear: that I was scared to death to sing in front of people, and that it was what I was going to be doing with the rest of my life.
My music could (and has) been considered folk, alt-folk, indie-folk, alt-country or Americana. I'm not a big genre stickler. Most of my influences these days are local rock bands-I'm more interested in music that moves me (or others) than music that can be easily pinned down.
Isaac: How easy is it to gets gigs for you as an artist? What is the live music scene like in your area?
Shelley: It's gotten a lot easier in the last couple years. I don't know if that's because I'm trying harder, or if there are actually more opportunities. Chicago's a pretty amazing place to being making and hearing music right now. There are a lot of great bands and songwriters, and even more importantly, there's a good community of people who share ideas and resources and support and challenge each other creatively. That's so important.
Isaac: What do you think of the state of Americana music at the moment? Do you listen to radio much at all? Has the Internet helped music grow or hindered it in your opinion?
Shelley: The only time I ever really listened to the radio was in my car, and when I got rid of that, I became one of those iTunes-only people.
I'm a huge fan of the Internet inasmuch as it lets ANY artist reach out from her/his living room and connect with people around the world. I've been amazed, doing promo for the new album, how many more niche review and blog sites there are than there were even a couple years ago-there are entire sites that review nothing but slow, sad acoustic music. There's a lot more room for a lot more eclectic voices to be heard, and that's a good thing.
That said; I don't know that anyone's found a way to make exposure translate into cash. I'm really grateful that I have a creative job (as a guitar teacher) that allows me to support myself without relying on touring or CD sales, because otherwise, I'd be SOL (or back in a cubicle typing memos).
Isaac: If you could create a fantasy band - what would be the line-up and why?
Shelley: You're the second person who's asked me that question today! I think, if I were queen, and suddenly got to take over, I'd have the Stax rhythm section, David Rawlings and Thurston Moore on guitar, Kelly Hogan and Jeff Tweedy singing harmony. And a gospel choir. And/or Modest Mouse. It would, quite possibly, be awful, but darn if it wouldn't be a lot of fun.
Why? I want to make music with people who inspire me and push me to be a little more honest and make a little more noise. Not noise for the sake of noise, but noise that gets at some part of being alive. I think that all of these artists do/did that.
Isaac: What CD's do you currently have available and where can they be purchased from?
Shelley: I have three albums: When It's All Gone, You Come Back (March 2010), Morning Somewhere (2006), and Tear Me Down (2002). They're all available via CDBaby*, and the first 2 albums are also on iTunes. When It's All Gone will be on iTunes soon, too.
Isaac: Where can fans access your music, videos, blogs, and anything else about you
online?
Shelley: Here are a few of the sites I update most regularly. I'm not a big fan of MySpace, so if you're going to "friend" me, do it on Facebook instead :
Shelley: Make music, make art, be alive. Don't wait for someone else to give you permission to be yourself. Dance to Otis Redding in the canned goods aisle of the supermarket. Bike through torrential downpours. Oh, and support live, local music...wherever it is that you live.
