Singer/Songwriter (and apparently actress/photographer as well) Mia Kim has got a new interview out with Chaotic Content, a music licensing & cataloging group. Since her material has been added to the portfolio, they did a quick little spotlight on the artist, talking about her experiences making her last album, her creative process, and what’s next. You can check it out in full after the break or make the jump to CC.
Chaotic Content is proud to announce the recent addition of indie pop-rock artist Mia Kim to our library! Mia Kim shares her thoughts on her music, her alter ego, and what makes her happy in our exclusive interview below. You can also check out her website to learn more!
Q: The way you made your album, Who Is Sukey Rose, was very interesting. Tell us about that.
A: Thank you! Yes, WISR was a “fan-funded” album complete with interactive web site (http://www.sukeyrose.com/sukeyroseproject), which means 100 or so amazing, wonderful people donated their hard earned money to help me record my album. Together we raised over $8,000 towards studio recording costs. There is no way I could have completed the album without this kind of fan support! But more than the monetary aspect, the fact that people believed in me and wanted to hear the new music really gave me the strength and courage to keep the album moving forward when I would hit a snag in terms of getting the album done, and there were many of them!
Q: So…Who IS Sukey Rose? Is she your alter ego?
A: Sukey Rose started out as a fictional character that stands at the central of the album. All the songs are about her or experiences she went through. She really symbolizes experiences and situations that I haven’t really gone through or have only touched upon in my life. I grew up quite sheltered and had a blessed childhood so I didn’t really experience much hardship. By basing song ideas on Sukey Rose, I was able to step outside my own experience into more extreme vistas which inspired me and allowed me to write songs that were a little artistically vivid and potent, if that makes sense. Sukey Rose started out being symbolic but over time, I have taken on an ‘alter ego’ as Sukey Rose which is fun! When I perform as Sukey Rose I can be a little more dramatic. She also wears a lot more glitter than I do, so I have a good excuse to wear a lot of glitter! 🙂
Q: How would you describe your music? Has it evolved much over the years?
A: I describe my music as indie-pop-rock. My first album was more “acoustic singer-songwriter” in style and over the years my music has evolved to be a bit more intricate and broader in scope in terms of more synth sounds and a heavier band sound.
Q: You’re an amazing songwriter as well as singer. Where do you draw your creative inspiration from when writing?
A: Oh thank you so much! Most of my songs start from a personal experience or feeling. Many of my songs are also inspired by tragic news stories or stories that I dream up in my head. For instance “Safe” was written while I was pondering about Sukey Rose. I was just sitting there in a quiet room when I imagined what would happen if a homeless man walked up to her and tried to talk to her about life after death, “the end is near”, etc. I imagined the whole scene and I saw her reaction and thought it was funny so then I wrote a song about it!
Q: Who are your musical influences?
A: My musical influences are mostly from the indie pop world. Death Cab,Tori Amos, Mute Math, Radiohead, Imogen Heap, Tegan & Sara, etc. and of course Starflyer 59 which is the music of Jason Martin, who produced the album. Of course the classics like The Beatles and recently I’ve been into music from the early 1920’s and 30’s, just the natural, raw, analog feel of it all. Earlier this year I was really into Metric, I love their album “Fantasies” and the track “Help I’m Alive” is one of the best modern pop rock songs I’ve heard in awhile.
Q: You’re a quadruple threat – singer, songwriter, actress and photographer! How do you manage to balance everything and do so well in all areas?
A: Aw, thanks again! I’ve never been called a quadruple threat, I’m so honored! I don’t know if you’d call it “doing well” in so many areas as much as “growing in all areas” as I still have huge goals as a songwriter (write a song for Miley, co-write with Katy and have at least one Top-40 hit) and as an actor. I feel like I’m still at the beginning of my journey but I won’t be stopping until I reach those goals or similar ones to them. In terms of balance, I just follow my heart. I love all creative mediums and when I do one, it strengthens and feeds the other. I don’t think about losing ground in one area or the other because it’s all creation and that’s what I love most about music and art, the creative aspect!
Q: What’s next for Mia Kim?
A: Right now I’m focusing on acting which has been going really great. But with every day that passes, I get more excited to get back to music and finish my Space Signals EP and release it on iTunes later this year. I’m excited about the partnership with CTM and I also plan on doing more songwriting and co-writing of songs for placement with other artists and on TV/Film. Otherwise, I’ll bounce back and forth between music and acting, continue going on photo walks for the pure joy of it and continue working on some writing I’ve been doing. As long as I’m creating, I’m a happy bunny!
Thanks for checking out my music, and hope everyone enjoys it!
Listen to Mia Kim’s music on the Chaotic Content catalog
Visit Mia Kim’s official website at www.miakimonline.com
a-Tunes 