“An artist that powerfully crafts waves of emotion reminiscent of some of the classic greats”
Louder Than War
“One of the best vocalists in the UK” – Natalie Eve-Williams, BBC Introducing
“I work on around 50 albums a year at Abbey Road, very few make it onto my iPod. This went straight on” – Geoff Pesche, Mastering Engineer at Abbey Road Studios
Featured in Abbey Road Studios’ “best projects of 2021”
and “most exciting up and coming artists of 2022”
Independent, UK soul newcomer Mica Millar crafts a promising fate with a spiritual new single, ‘Preacher Man’, out January 28th 2022 – the first taste of her debut album coming June 2022.
An effortless storyteller with soulful qualities delivered in abundance, Manchester’s Mica Millar presents her strongest narrative yet in the forthcoming release, ‘Preacher Man’ – a heart-wrenching tale of a spiritual encounter that offers an empowering perspective on escaping from capitalism in pursuit of what it truly means to be human. With its addictive chorus imbued with her flawless smoky vocal Mica implores us to “jump for your life” and exhaust our time on Earth for all it’s worth.
“I think as human beings we have lost that sense of spiritual purpose; the joy of doing what you love, going for your dreams,” says Mica. “I’ve always believed that we all have a gift – something some people never uncover in themselves because of the circumstances of their lives and the society that we live in.”
Exploring deeper: “This song is about encouraging the pursuit of that gift, taking that leap of faith into the unknown. I don’t think as human beings we are here to work, 9-5 every day doing something that doesn’t inspire, empower or fulfil us. I really wanted to write a song that evoked this message.”
‘Preacher Man’ is lifted from Mica’s self-written, arranged and produced debut album ‘Heaven Knows’ out June 2022, which explores themes of human nature, spirituality, love, oppression, inequality and female empowerment. The music draws inspiration from a plethora of vintage soundscapes, most notably soul, blues, gospel and jazz with respectful nods paid to girl groups of the 60’s and 70’s and classic Motown, giving her songs a timeless quality that is both reassuringly familiar yet distinctively hers.
Against all odds, ‘Heaven Knows’ was completed during a tumultuous time in Mica’s life. Not only having to adapt to the effects of COVID on the industry – shifting from studio sessions to remote recording, a big enough feat in itself, in 2020 Mica’s world was turned upside down when she broke her back, narrowly escaping permanent paralysis from the waist down. In extreme pain and having to learn to walk again, all recording came to a halt and nine months on Mica found herself still recovering from her injuries, amongst which, her core muscles, formerly powering her ever-present, soaring vocals, had deteriorated. But instead of giving up – as most would, Mica decided to push through these challenges taking on rigorous rehabilitation and never losing sight of her vision for the album.
Once able to return to her studio, Millar who had written Preacher Man just days before her accident, enlisted a fresh team to remotely deliver the recording, including Jerry Barnes (Whitney Houston, Chic) on bass, John Ellis (Lily Allen, Corrine Bailey Rae) for Rhodes and Organ, with mixing by Brian Malouf (Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder) and mastering by Geoff Pesch (Adele, Ed Sheeran) at Abbey Road Studios.
“I didn’t want Covid or my accident to impact my vision for the record,” says Mica triumphantly. “In fact, it allowed me to think bigger and better in the end and become a much more experienced producer. Working one on one with musicians remotely really opened up the possibilities for both collaboration and achieving the performances and sonics I wanted for each song on the album”.
The result is sublime; heartrending, understandable, and totally compelling. ‘Heaven Knows is a timeless collection of modern soul showcasing a confident new artist who’s not only found her own voice but one that’s put everything life has thrown at her into her art.
And don’t miss the startlingly, triumphant music video accompanying Preacher Man. The first in a series of six, filmed for the album. Executively Produced by Mica, this ambitious video project took place over three months and involved in excess of sixty creatives from across the Northwest. Preacher Man, the final video to be filmed, saw Mica not only feature and take on production duties but Direct too; a huge learning curve for her but one that evidently paid off. Enlisting up and coming to Choreographer Zirih Zadi to star and coordinate a spine-tingling piece alongside Mica’s intimate performance reaches a climactic peak in the historic, world-renowned bell tower of Liverpool Cathedral.
Stay tuned for the video and more news on the album, coming soon.
‘Preacher Man’ is available January 28th 2022
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