MioTiga is a 25-year-old music artist who currently resides in the (D)MV took time out her day with me to discuss her upbringing, her music, and her latest album 3 AM. I can tell that she has a down to earth personality that shows in her music, especially in songs like You Like It and Yellow.

 

BACKGROUND

 

Where are you from and how has that shaped who you are?

Well, I was born in Illinois but I grew up in Alaska for 10 years and I’ve bounced around the “lower 48” in the years since then. I would say the bouncing around has shaped me more than anything. That “new kid” feeling still gives me anxiety but so does trying to fit in. Long story short, it’s so much easier and authentic to be yourself. Lame, I know, but authenticity is what everyone loves to say they look for in people but don’t even know what it looks like.

 

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MUSIC

How long have you been making music professionally?

I’m not quite sure I’ve ever made music professionally, to be honest. But I’ve been self-recording on a laptop for about 5-6 years now. As far as recording in a fancy studio, only a handful of times.

 

Could you describe your writing process?

I may hear a nice instrumental that will inspire me or I could be in a mood or I could just really be feeling a theme. I normally would say that I hate writing, but after recording 3 AM, I feel like I’m getting into a groove. My only issue with writing is that it doesn’t come super easy to me. But like I said before, it’s easier to keep yourself in everything you do. It’s easier to write when I put real-life memories and people onto paper.

How would you describe your latest album 3 AM?

 

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3 AM is a pretty chill album that anyone can vibe with ten tracks. I believe it has something for everyone. Whether you like heavy bass, a retro vibe, or jazzy elements, you can find something you like.

What mental space where you at when you recorded 3AM?

 

I named the album 3 AM simply because that was the setting I was going for. Almost every track can be attributed to a conversation or thought I had working third shift at work or trying to get enough sleep for the first shift or just something that kept me up at night. It also has a little bit to do with trying to juggle the people in my life and the things I feel like I should be doing as a young adult as well as my dream.

Who is speaking on the intro of the album and why did you choose this conversation?

 

A bunch of my family was together for a birthday party and I sang a few of my tracks. My aunts were talking about my music and my writing and what not and my aunt Carolyn is the one I caught. She had gotten onto the topic of God-given talents and that if it was given to us then we should use it and started addressing the entire room. Then her husband, my Uncle Dexter, still addressing me. I felt like it all resonated with the theme of what I was going for.

Do you have a favorite song on 3AM and if so what is it and why?  

 

I have a few different ones for different reasons. But out of those, I would have to say Yellow. It’s one of the more upbeat ones. It embodies the whole “do what makes you authentically happy” mindset.

(yellow is my favorite) could you tell me how the song came to be?

 

I like to call it the Yellow Paint Theory. Apparently, Vincent Van Gogh ate yellow paint to see if it would make him happy. Toxic? Yes. But in theory, he was just doing what he thought would make him happy. It’s silly to romanticize it because in reality I’m sure he was fucked up but that’s not the point. The point is that he went way out on that limb, to do something no one around him was doing, in search of self-happiness while others are willing to ingest something edible and still be unsatisfied.

 

What does this album mean to you?

 

3 AM was something I needed to get off my chest. Whether any of the tracks resonated with anyone else or not, I feel a little bit liberated knowing some of those tracks are on there. 3 AM was more so for the people currently close to me. Some things that I maybe can’t or won’t say in regular conversation. I guess I also felt like if I addressed these topics first, I’d have given myself permission to keep going (put out more music). It’s hard to explain. I feel like this album was like turning a faucet on. The reception I’ve gotten from listeners is just what I needed to give them more

3 AM is currently streaming on all platforms including Tidal, Soundcloud, and Spotify

IG: miotiga