The LA-based singer on making music you can dance or cry to.
MIYA wears jacket by TOPSHOP and long sleeve top by URBAN OUTFITTERS x IETS FRANS.
MIYA wears jacket by TOPSHOP and long sleeve top by URBAN OUTFITTERS x IETS FRANS.
Miya Folick captures the poignant moments in everyday life. The in-betweens, like walking home or waiting at the dinner table. Her lyrics and music videos explore these moments of reflection, navigating the range of emotions they provoke.
“I want to make hopeful music about everyday life that’s very relatable to all different types of people,” the singer-songwriter affirms, when I ask what themes she’s drawn to. Her upcoming album, Premonitions, is “about caring for each other, being demanding of each other, sometimes fucking up, but forgiving each other. It’s just about the ebb and flow of life.”
MIYA wears jacket by HOUSE OF HOLLAND X URBAN OUTFITTERS.
MIYA wears jacket by HOUSE OF HOLLAND X URBAN OUTFITTERS.
Layered over ethereal sounds, her stirring lyrics are delivered in a highly moving way; Miya conveys emotion with such vulnerability that you can’t help but feel it too. “I love the beautiful sadness of life,” she tells me. “When I’m very happy, I cry sometimes. If something’s beautiful, as humans there’s some understanding for us that it’s fleeting, so there’s a sadness to that. As soon as the moment happens, you miss it. That’s the beautiful, achy feeling that I’d like to make in my music.”
Miya especially values connecting with her audience whilst performing live, which she highlights as one of her favourite aspects of being a musician. “That energy in a room, where everybody is feeling the same? There’s nothing like it,” she smiles. “It’s communal. It’s spiritual!”
MIYA wears jacket by TOPSHOP, trousers by URBAN OUTFITTERS, and long sleeve top by URBAN OUTFITTERS x IETS FRANS. Shoes the artist’s own.
MIYA wears jacket by TOPSHOP, trousers by URBAN OUTFITTERS, and long sleeve top by URBAN OUTFITTERS x IETS FRANS. Shoes the artist’s own.
Having grown up an hour south of LA, the 28-year-old cites the city as another major influence on Premonitions, which is set for release in October. “The music scene there is very diverse – different people all hang out together, which creates this melding of sounds,” she explains. “That’s what the new album is. There are electronic and rock sounds, and then there’s hip-hop beats and pop sounds. I think that’s something specific to LA.”
In turn, Miya’s crafted a truly unique sound that transcends categorisation altogether. “I feel like the word ‘genre’ is dangerous,” she muses, suggesting that the music industry is, and should, move towards a post-genre landscape. Experimental and unwilling to limit herself, she’s not shy about challenging perceptions and forging her own path. “I’m a Gemini!” she laughs: “I don’t want to be labelled. I don’t want to be tied down to anything. I just go with the flow, and do what I want.”
Miya’s debut album ‘Premonitions’ will be out on October 26th.
