Premiere: Evangeline masters dark-pop with new EP, I think about it way too muchThe five-track offering - the Melbourne-based musician's second EP - sees her flourish in the limelight, but also the darkness that comes with it.
Introducing Mia Wray, who makes a grand debut with new single, Work For Me
After years of refining her sound and building a vision, the Melbourne-based musician is ready for the limelight.
Posted By Hayden Davies
4 years ago
Header image by Jeff Andersen Jnr.
Mia Wray may be an artist whose name you're only becoming familiar with today, but in reality, there's much more to it than just a first single that's capturing early attention. Over the last few years, the Melbourne-based musician has been busy refining her sound and building a vision that encompasses the 24-year-old and her prowess in forward-thinking creativity, working not just on herself - both personally and musically - but also alongside a repertoire of creatives to bring her vision to life, the first taste of which we're experiencing today with her debut single / video, Work For Me.
Work For Me is a single that immediately floors you from the get-go, opening with Mia at a near-a capella peak as she moves amongst growing vocal layering and snapping fingers that eventually, grows into a choir of instrumentation that feels like an orchestra reaching its climactic moment - brass, percussion, keys and vocals all dancing in unison, before being plucked away and stripped back to its core - just Mia and her vocal, alone in the limelight and ready for your applause.
Entering with an almost entirely a capella single is an extremely bold debut that only a few could pull of - Adele and Florence Welch immediately come to mind, both of which are comparable to Mia - but Mia manages to grapple it and make it her own; leaving every ounce of emotion and passion that goes into the single on the floor, preventing you from missing the depth of her work and the potency that makes it what it is. It's empowering, carrying a strength that anyone could tap into in order to elevate themselves, and you can tell that Mia has done the same while writing this song.
It also arrives with a dark-lit new video directed by Cybele Malinowski, but other than that there's not too much to say. This is definitely one of those rare songs were the music can say more than we ever could.
Take a dive into Work For Me below, and underneath, introduce yourself to Mia Wray as she steps into the spotlight and emerges a fresh face worth keeping an eye on in the year ahead.
Tell us about yourself?
Hey my name is Mia Wray. I'm 24, I live in Melbourne and I write songs :)
What’s the ‘vibe’ music-wise?
The theme is empowerment... boss bitch, listening to your gut, taking your power back etc.
What are your production and writing processes usually like?
For me, it's different with every song. But for this track, I knew exactly what the production was as soon as I finished writing it. The melody came first followed by the lyrics and as for production I took it to producer Thrones (Andrew Lowden) and he just understood straight away what it needed to be. I've never felt so clear about a project before and I'm just so glad he executed it so effortlessly.
Can you tell us about your new single, Work For Me?
I used to work in hospitality and I came home from work one day just feeling so fed up with how I was being treated and a few other situations that were happening around me...I started singing in the shower and it just sort of came out. I had taken a break from music but I just knew that I had so much more to offer and I guess Work For Me is it? Well...that is where it starts anyway ;)
What does the rest of 2020 have in store for you?
Well living in Melbourne, I can't do a lot right now. Always writing, lots of recording and doing whatever I can in these restrictions to support this release! I'm just so excited to finally share this music.
What do you want people to take away from the project?
I hope that this is the song that people listen to, to pump themselves up or help boost their confidence. Any time I’m about to step into a situation where I’m a bit intimidated or a bit unsure or a bit self-conscious, I’ll just step into the person who wrote Work For Me and then I’m like, ‘I got this’.
Where can we find more of your music?
Well for now, this is it! It's just the beginning and there's so much more to come and I can't wait for you to hear x
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