INTroducing:MILLER BLUE
INTERVIEW BY: KOFI OWUSU
With the release of his Orchestral Sessions EP, Miller Blue steps into a captivating space where reflection meets orchestral genius. In this conversation with Tirade, he discusses gratitude and reflection, that arose upon hearing his songs reimagined with live strings. Through every note, Miller Blue revisits his earlier work with fresh insight and renewed sentimentality.
Your Orchestral Sessions EP is now out, when you first heard the orchestral arrangements, what emotion hit you strongest?
An odd combination of gratitude and sadness. I felt so grateful for being able to go through such an interesting experience with the orchestra yet at the same time I felt a kind of sadness towards my younger self I guess. These renditions brought out new emotions in the song that I'd never registered before which made me feel quite reflective. Really interesting process.
Did it feel familiar, or did it reveal something new about your songs like “Us” or “Blush”?
Yeah it was like a new layer of meaning was brought to the surface. I think naturally our relationship to any artform changes and develops over time as we gain new experiences and perspectives. So I think having that moment to sit with pieces personal to me but in a new light definitely brought out new thoughts and feelings about them. More than anything, i’d say the knowledge of how those particular circumstances ended up, really changed the meaning of the songs for me.
You’ve described this version as feeling like a letter to your younger self. What do you think your younger self would say hearing it now?
MB: I think he’d be proud for sure. Maybe a sense of disbelief of what was to come in life. It’s definitely a nice feeling to know that younger me would look up to current me.
When you released your debut EP Cotton back in 2019, your sound blended jazz, R&B, and soul. How do you feel your style and message have evolved since then?
MB: Yeah for sure, those genres were my main inspiration at the time and in many ways still are now. However I feel my influences are now less obvious, my songwriting is more refined and my mindset is more clear. However I’d say my message ultimately lies in the same boat, just trying to be as honest as possible.
You’ve worked closely with Slovenian producer Sare Havlicek on the Orchestral Sessions EP. What drew you to collaborate with him, and how did your creative chemistry evolve during this project?
MB: Well the label I worked on this project with had done some orchestral work with him before and I was really intrigued when the idea got brought up. Upon meeting him I was unsure how the relationship would develop and luckily we very much gelled straight away and he opened up a really comfortable environment for me to express ideas and share my vision. We spent a lot of time chatting back and forth on ideas, we ate together, drank together and yeah i mean really it all felt surprisingly natural from the get go.
Sonically, this orchestral version carries more emotional weight than the original. How did working with live string players influence how you approached the vocals this time around?
MB:Yeah absolutely. More than anything it gave me more room to breathe. Really sit in the essence of the tunes. The strings really brought that out and weirdly demands a deep presence. Nowhere to hide.
As a producer and artist who’s always played with texture and mood, how different was it working with classical musicians versus electronic or R&B collaborators?
MB:Yeah it was completely foreign to me. I mean, I play instruments but am certainly not classically trained whatsoever so I noticed myself feeling a little bit like an imposter at moments. But it was a great place to learn, watching their musical efficiency and how quickly they could adapt to notes was inspiring. There was a moment where one of the players asked me about a melody i’d chosen and how he found it so refreshing as he would never normally see it over said certain chord progression. It was a nice reminder in the moment that no matter the background, all approaches can be interesting and of use to others.
Did you find yourself communicating music differently?
MB: I'm somewhat used to working on things such as velocity in post production, manually if not recorded live. So it was cool to be able to express what I wanted directly to the players. It makes me want to record more complex groups of instruments simultaneously again.
“I used to almost always write to a beat, a loop or something I had crafted. Whereas for the past few years I have almost exclusively written songs on guitar or piano. At least until I have the barebones of the song itself. I find there's nothing to hide behind that way, I can really feel if it's a good song at its core and then build up the sonic world from there. I feel it’s really improved my quality of songwriting.”
— Do you approach songwriting differently now?
Did you find yourself communicating music differently?
MB: I'm somewhat used to working on things such as velocity in post production, manually if not recorded live. So it was cool to be able to express what I wanted directly to the players. It makes me want to record more complex groups of instruments simultaneously again.
There’s something cinematic about “Us (Orchestral Version)”—it feels like the soundtrack to a scene. Was that atmosphere intentional?
MB: Absolutely. I shared with Sare early on that I wanted the project to almost feel like a soundtrack to a Studio Ghibli film. We went through each track and I described the scene I envisioned for each song and we then built up textures and sounds that fit into that world. Super fun process.
Were there visual or emotional references you were drawing from?
MB: As mentioned, Studio Ghibli for sure. In terms of emotion I was aiming for a reflective dreamy world that took listeners into a home away from home.
This orchestral reinterpretation feels like a moment of pause in your catalogue, Felt as though you were reflecting deeply on where you’ve been. Has this project changed your relationship to your older songs?
MB: Absolutely. It seems to be exactly that. A moment of peace and reflection before moving forward to this new chapter.
With Sunflower, The Tree of Tenéré, and now Orchestral Sessions, it feels like each project adds a new emotional chapter. How do you know when a body of work is finished and ready to be released?
MB: The million dollar question. It’s tough, as a perfectionist there's always seemingly more you can add. But I guess over time I've learned sometimes less is more and over cooking something can really lose its sauce. A fine culinary balance haha. Below that level though there’s often just a feeling.
Let’s talk process; what does a typical writing session look like for you? Has that changed now that you’re working with more live instrumentation and orchestration?
MB: As mentioned earlier it's often now beginning on an instrument (guitar or piano usually) and then once it's there I will record an acoustic demo and start building the world around it. Then later I will bring in other players if it feels it needs it.
You’ve performed in intimate COLORS sessions and now with a live orchestra—two very different vibes. How does setting affect your performance and emotional delivery OR Do you prefer stripped-back or cinematic live shows?
MB: As much as I love the rush of a big show. I think truthfully, the more intimate the better. I love feeling a sense of togetherness with the audience, sitting and really taking time to take the show in.
There’s a real stillness and patience in your music. In a fast-paced world, how do you stay grounded in your artistic voice and have you ever felt any pressure to follow trends or chase certain sounds?
MB: It’s a good question. I think I just try to come back to “is it true for me?” when i write it, when i listen back. Does it feel true? And if so, that's good and that's the most important thing. However that said, I've definitely had moments where I've felt myself drifting towards sounds just because it feels like I should. But more often than not I'll clock it before I go too far with it. And there’s also lessons even within that, trying and testing yourself in different styles you know, it's fun and i just see it as play when i do that now.
“I would hope that they can feel that I give who I am. Or at least, how I know myself to be at that time you know. It all comes back down to honestly for me at the core. I really do think that’s the most important thing when expressing anything.”
Looking ahead, do you see orchestration becoming a bigger part of your sound, or was this project a one-time exploration?
MB: Not necessarily, I think more of a one time experimental thing, however I'd definitely love to do it again for a show or something.
What’s next for Miller Blue?
MB:Well I've just finished mixing my debut album! So that’s the focus now, getting everything ready for that. It really feels like a big step, there’s something special here. So, I am truly excited to see the outcome of it all.