Miya Folick

Miya Folick makes music that simply lulls me. She's a storyteller, a teller of tales that are personal and universal. And though I first fell for her music, I have to say that feeling her passion and presence here at this tiny venue is what really hooked me. Maybe it's that she studied movement and theater, perhaps it's her Buddhist upbringing and hearing chants as part of her life. Her performance was captivating and personal and that, along with already loving her songs made this performance one that will stay with me. - NPR

Allow a little magic into your life in the form of LA-based folk-pop songstress Miya Folick. If you like Sharon Van Etten or early Cat Power, then the golden vulnerability of this girl—communicated over slide guitars and somber synths—will leave you charmed, even as she warns you she may break your heart. And therein lies the twist: "Strange Darlings" is a song that's comforting on one level, smacking of porch-stories and a dram of whiskey as the sun sets, but Folick knows that feelings can be fleeting. "Will I want you by the end of this word?" she wonders, her question echoing softly after.

Raised in a Buddhist household in Santa Ana, CA, Folick has been around for a minute, but in the past fews months songs like the ballsier "I Got Drunk" and "Talking with Strangers" find her pushing away from more trad singer-songwriter tendencies, making music that's more sparse, more moving. As for this song in particular, Folick had this to say:

"'Strange Darling; is music pounding in a downtown warehouse, flashing lights and dancing skeleton projections. You see across the room a creature so magnificent and mysterious you find yourself in a trance, walking up to this creature and saying, 'I like your sweatshirt.'

"I made the demo for 'Strange Darling' in my apartment after buying a little, old Casio keyboard and my first guitar slide. It wrote itself fairly quickly because it was exactly how I was feeling at the time—very in love with someone I didn't understand at all, hoping this person loved me too, but also aware that my own feelings might evaporate as quickly as they came on." - Noisey

When it comes to songwriting, sometimes simplicity can be more powerful than complexity. If you look at musicians like Joni Mitchell or Joan Baez, they were able to make you feel something real with just a few guitar chords or notes on the piano. Miya Folick may be a new artist, but based on “Talking With Strangers,” this is a concept she not only understands, but understands extremely well. The song pairs sparse arrangements with stunning vocal harmonies to create an utterly heartbreaking story.

Miya is readying more material, but for now, get lost in “Talking With Strangers” below. - Pigeons and Planes

MIYA FOLICK
In my CMJ preview post, I mentioned that LA had a lot to be proud of with rising acts like Elohim and Bird Dog, but I believe the artist that really made the most impact to me was Miya Folick (pronounced Mee-ya). Folick’s early material is more than promising, with a penchant for vulnerability that is transparent from her stunning live show: she is able to transform from a whisper to a scream in the same stanza. She assists her haunting and melancholic melodies with a very bright and personal charm that won everyone over. Catch her next in L.A., November 11th at the Echo. - KCRW

I grew up listening to female rock artists like Fiona Apple, Alanis Morrisette, and PJ Harvey. These were women I idolized not because they were beautiful, but because they were brave. They weren’t scared to show that life isn’t always picture perfect. Relationships don’t begin and end neatly. Sometimes we’re rash and illogical. Sometimes we say and do stupid things. Sometimes we get angry. Sometimes we over-analyze things and become paranoid for no reason. Sometimes we get scared. That’s all ok. That’s human. That’s real.

There was a period where I missed this emotional messiness in music, because I felt like everything was getting so cookie-cutter. But in the last few years, that’s changed. There’s a lot of new artists–women especially–who are putting some depth and grittiness back into music. Miya Folick is relatively new, but based on her last song and this new one, “I Got Drunk,” she’s on her way to joining this group. - Pigeons and Planes

“I think you’re the strangest thing,” sings LA newcomer Miya Folick on her hazy headrush of a single, ‘Strange Darling’. What she’s ignoring is her own sense of oddness. Weird is the endgame for her acoustic-led but alien-like songwriting. This latest cut takes a bedroom pop aesthetic and runs with it into the hills, bringing companionship and romance to completely new territory. - DIY

Alcohol tends to engender actions and words that otherwise would be absent, and we think exactly that fact was the breeding ground for Los Angeles singer-songwriter Miya Folick on “I Got Drunk”. Her “I guess I’ll write you a love song, because I got drunk and told you how I really feel about you” opening line to her latest single that we’re premiering today should evidence that clearly enough.

The decision to take a more pronounced musical direction than her folk-inspired catalog would suggest is one undoubtedly inspired, and though her track could have worked as an intimate examination of undisclosed romantic notions, the electrified chords and urgency of the drums help convey the raw and often senseless nature of infatuation, too. Miya’s lightly filtered and yet wholly endearing vocals explore the frustration of these emotions, gradually mounting in intensity with each line until ultimately breaking through the percussion in the final act with the cathartic proclamation, “Isn’t it obvious to you that I want you”? There’s a genuine honesty to this tale of hers, and it’s one that’s credited in no small part to the excellent songwriting talent that she’s put on display.

On top of this single, Miya is primed to drop a series of singles over the coming months, so if you are enjoying the sounds on this latest piece, be sure to keep an eye on her as new material gets released. - Hilly Dilly

“Talking With Strangers” is new from Los Angeles-based Miya Folick. Raised in a SoCal Buddhist household and a lover of classical choral music (yes!), Miya’s folkish guitar-driven music is infused with a sublime (and refreshing) quality unique to her. New track “Talking With Strangers” is constructed of a dynamic frame of crescendo guitars and chuggins drums but has the otherness to it, a depth of palette and mood that is consuming. Listen. - Blahblahblahscience

Los Angeles’ Miya Folick is an artist you can’t help but fall in love with on first listen. Her instantly gratifying music is personal, turning relatable situations of heartbreak and uncertainty into gritty, blaring anthems for the worst of times. “I Got Drunk” really sinks in on it’s first line: “Guess I wrote you a love song/ Cause I got drunk and told you how I feel about you.” The passion of that moment and those feelings permeate the entire track, matched equally by a sense of panic and desperation tucked into the song’s vocal warbles and intricate structure. Folick’s slightly distorted voice gracefully charges forward against a buzzing bassline and softly whispered backing vocals. With each chord, the song builds in intensity to a frenzy of infatuation mirroring the progression of Folick’s own emotions. Folick is releasing a series of singles over the coming months that you’ll surely want to hear. Listen to her equally moving last single “Talking with Strangers” on Soundcloud and head to her Bandcamp for a free download of “I Got Drunk”. - The Wild Honey Pie

If you're a fan of austere yet profound music, Miya Folick is an artist that you should really have on your radar. The sparseness of the arrangements on her songs works perfectly, highlighting the fragility and rawness contained within. The overall effect is haunting and ethereal, captivating the listener.

Miya grew up in a Buddhist family in California. The ritualistic practices of the religion have inspired her artistically, with the chants coming through in the songs she makes today. Along with an interest in classical music which dates back to high school, this leads to a choral music influence in Miya Folick's songs. Singing solo, the harmonies and intricacies lead to an effect that makes them feel symphonic. Despite this rewarding complexity, Miya manages this in a way that seems effortless. These are songs that work their way into your consciousness without resistance, finding an accessible route in and never outstaying their welcome.

She approaches her song writing in a literate fashion. Miya Folick compares it to writing short stories. She suggests that both mediums allow the writer to experiment thematically and stylistically without being limited by the constraints of a longer format. Primarily, she’s an artist that uses song writing as a way of exploring different facets of her life and her personal perspective. She’s a very introspective artist, but in a way that includes rather than excludes.

Relatively new on the scene, Miya Folick is an extremely exciting artist. She bears worth watching, to see how she develops from an already strong starting point. A series of singles are planned for the coming months. - Drunken Werewolf