It's Miller Time

Writing by Stephanie Augello
Photos by Nate Watters
Video by Eratosthenes Fackenthall

Thanks to Kari Gruber for the title.

With a new album, new video and recent nod as Deli Magazine Seattle's "Artist of the Month," Long Island native Debbie Miller is tearing up the music scene in that Pacific Northwest city. 

                                                  

Singer.  Songwriter.  Multi-instrumentalist.  Student of Naturopathic Medicine.  The closer you look into the repertoire and skills of Seattle-based artist Debbie Miller, the more astounding she becomes.  "Miller, a classically trained pianist who studied under a Julliard alumna for ten years," released her full-length debut album 'Fake Love' in 2010.  Shortly thereafter, she moved from New York to Seattle, where she dove into the latter city's already noteworthy music scene.

This past March, the Pacific Northwest transplant put forth her latest, the EP "Measures + Waits."  The album has been noted by blog The Other Woman as being "...poignant and beautifully put together."  Artist Direct has a "crush" on this clever girl, and Seattle Weekly feels that her "...sweet vocals and restrained melodies give all the songs a clean and peaceful aura."  The praise for Miller and her latest endeavor expanded even further when she was overwhelmingly voted "Artist of the Month" for May by Deli Magazine Seattle.  You can check out the video for her single 'What She's Got,' as well as a link to all of "Measures + Waits."
 



According to her website, Debbie Miller began her live music "...career in the Brooklyn and East Village music scenes in 2007."  Her talent quickly helped her infiltrate the Manhattan circuit, where she began to make appearances at a number of popular venues, including Rockwood Music Hall.  Of the performance spot, Miller has stated, "I love playing at Rockwood, simply because the atmosphere is so lovely and intimate.  It lends itself both to solo artists and bands, which I think is a hard thing to pull off.  It also serves as a kind of 'hang" for musicians which I think help fosters a community for artists.  I have always have a great time playing at Rockwood, and play there nearly every time I am back in NY."  Of course, her love for intimate live shows did not end when she transferred her career to the West Coast.  In mid-April, Debbie held a release party for "Measures + Waits" at Seattle's Columbia City Theater. The photos below are from that show, and all were shot by Nate Watters.

                          

Debbie Miller and I had a little Q & A session via email about her new EP, video, live ensemble and overall music career.  The girl has some good things to say, but we know this already.  I've posted our exchange, pretty much unedited, below.

1) Why pursue a career in music?  When did you 1st begin writing/performing as a solo artist?

I never thought I would be a singer songwriter.  I was under the impression that you needed to be really prolific like Bob Dylan - and the music and words flow through you and you didn't have to think too much.  Once I started learning how to play the guitar in college, I thought about writing songs, but I didn't know where to start.  In 2007ish after I'd moved back to NY from Boston post-college, I started singing backup & playing a little piano (I'm a classically trained pianist) with Shanna Zell - a talented singer/songwriter and also one of my best friends. That was my first formal introduction to the music scene in NYC.  I think being in that environment re-sparked my desire to write.  When I was 24, I wrote my first full song at work.  It was called "Fake Love", and it was about.... fake love.  That was around February, and by June I'd written 2 more songs.  When I was offered my first official gig in Feb 2008, I still didn't have enough songs to fill up a 45 minute set, so I wrote a bunch more. And the rest is... the rest. (comedic drumroll)


My music is an extension, and sometimes at the core of who I am.  That is why I do it.  When I have hard days and think about quitting I literally can't - it is too much a part of me.  Also, in music  - just as a general statement - there is always room for you somewhere, and there is always a place to play whether its at an open mic, on the street busking, or in a stadium. That is beautiful to me.

2) You perform live w/ an ensemble.  Does the cast of characters rotate often?  Who are these people and the instruments they play?  Did they play on the album tracks as well?

When I am in New York, I often play with the same musicians unless someone has another commitment.  Jeremiah Birnbaum has been playing lead guitar for me for over 4 years now, and he even came out to Seattle for my west coast album release show to play on the set which was really special.  My New York peeps often include Leah Goldstein (vocals), Greg Coladarci (guitalele - he produced both of my albums), Amanda Gookin & Madeleine Craw Corliss(cello), Fred Kennedy (drums).  My bass player always seems to rotate - I have been lucky to have the talents of Matt Wigton, Daniel Foose, and Tony Maceli join me on stage. Sometimes, though, I also perform solo or just with Jeremiah.

When I moved to Seattle last year, I met violinist Jason Welling.  We have played a few shows together as a duo.  Once I had my album release show organized, I decided it was time to get a band together out here.  My band consisted of Tara Kelly Kearns (vocals), Scott Shrock Jr (bass), Ivan Gunderson (drums), Jason Welling (violin), Lijie (vocals, glockenspeil), Amanda Winterhalter (vocals, accordion).  I'm sure there will continue to be a rotating cast of characters.
 

3) What's your view of your personal music style; new album; video?  What direction do you feel like your music career is headed in?

I'm still not quite sure what my style is.  When people ask me my genre, I resort to "indie-folk".  But the truth is, I just write what I feel like without thinking about what category I am trying to fit into.  Some of my songs are folky, some have a classical twist, some are funny, some aren't.  Having the ability to play both piano and guitar gives me a lot of freedom to experiment with different styles.  My musical style is really just an extension of myself.  My goal is always to be honest - and I never feel more honest than when I am performing my songs in front of others.

My new album is similar to my first album in some ways - there are serious songs, there are light hearted songs, and songs that I hope people laugh out loud at.  I think there is a slight difference in the feel of the new EP (Measures + Waits) when compared to Fake Love.  Fake Love was recorded over the course of a year, so my producer (Greg Coladarci) and I were able to create several versions of songs, tweak things lots of times.  The new EP was mostly recorded in 4 days. I think that gives it a more organic feel.

My music video for "What's She Got" was so ridiculously fun to envision, brainstorm, and shoot.  The song is silly, there is flashmob-ish choreography, I have a giant bra and I get hit by a gargantuan courderoy heart that I got from Target (best $20 ever spent).  My mom keeps asking me if I can "make the video go viral", or if I am "trending".  I still don't know how she learned all of those words, but I tell her... "I'm trying my best." 

My music career is continuing to grow, and I am continuously getting really fun opportunities to share my songs.  I am going anywhere and everywhere it will take me, whether it's someone's living room or at a big venue.  The most important thing to me is that I stay true to myself and my art - it's this way I feel like I am succeeding.

4) How long ago did you move to Seattle?  What drew you to that location?  Describe how you perceive the music community in that city in comparison to NY.

I moved to Seattle in Sept 2010 to attend graduate school. (I don't know if this will be interesting for your blog.)  I am in a full-time medical program studying naturopathic medicine at Bastyr University.  Like my music, what I am studying I feel is an extension of myself.  I am so lucky I am in a situation that I have time for both of these things in my life.

The Seattle and New York communities are quite different - but then again when I moved to Seattle, I was in a much different place with my music.  When I started out in NY, I literally was starting from scratch - writing songs, learning how to books shows, trying to figure out how to put a band together, networking, etc.  When I arrived in Seattle, I already had an album under my belt.  To say I "hit the ground running" is an overstatement, but I certainly had a lot more experience that gave me a difference perspective.  Seattle is of course a much smaller city, and so is the community.  There are lots of opportunities to play a lot of different type of shows.  Back in New York I was playing a show once or more a month, usually at Rockwood or Bar 4.  In Seattle, I have played at songwriter-in-the-round shows, art-walk shows, cafes, large venues, benefit shows.  Most recently, I have gotten involved with The Bushwick Bookclub Seattle (actually originating in Bushwick, Brooklyn) which presents songs inspired by books, performed in front of a live audience.  This clearly exists in NY as well, but I think because Seattle is smaller, it tends to draw somewhat of a larger audience.  Soon, I will be playing at my first outdoor festival, which is very exciting!

When I started out in New York, I was so fortunate to have been a part of the Local Correspondents music community in Brooklyn which is largerly based out of Bar 4 in Park Slope.  I miss that community a great deal - it is really where I feel I grew the most at a writer and a performer.  It is comprised of a highly talented group of musicians, whose presence I am usually humbled in and whose songs I still am continuously inspired by.  New York also has amazing venues for singer-songwriters that are intimate like Rockwood Music Hall and The Living Room.  I think Seattle would truly benefit from venues of this type - they are slightly harder to find here.  That is not to say that Seattle doesn't have fantastic venues as well, sometimes they are just slightly more conducive to band shows.

The one thing that both Seattle and New York have is an amazing crop of talented musicians and bands.  I am so lucky to have experienced being immersed in both scenes.