Interview with Mieka Pauley

-by Will Morgan

Singer/Songwriter, Mieka Pauley’s career has evolved from performing on the streets of Harvard Square to touring nationally, sharing the bill with artists such as Eric Clapton, Wyclef Jean, Black Eye Peas and Ben Lee to name a few. Her lyrics are as beautifully human as her voice is hauntingly chilling. Watch her Septemeber 1st, as she performs at the Paradise Front Room

WM: Just out of college, you have already received a great deal of media attention, from Billboard to the Boston Globe, and played a variety of large-scale music festivals. As an admittedly shy person, what has been the most challenging aspect in dealing with this new found success?

MP: I think I must have mentioned I was shy in an interview a couple of years back. Actually I've loved every aspect of what I've been doing the past two years - as challenging as some of it may be. I love performing, that's what I want to be doing as often as possible. So, driving sometimes 10 hours between shows, in all kinds of weather, dealing with whatever the lodging or food or pay is along the way, playing at all kinds of different clubs or festivals or conferences, in front of all different kinds of audiences of all sizes - I accept the challenges that come with it so far and am just enjoying all the different experiences and all of the great cities and people I get to meet along the way.

WM: What prompted you to concentrate solely on your music career after receiving a degree in Biological Anthropology from Harvard?

MP: Music has always been my focus. I knew I wanted to go to college and study something other than music, if for nothing else than for the experience, to round out my brain a bit. But I never had any intention of becoming a Biological Anthropologist. Ha! what a different life I'd be leading right now. When I applied to colleges, I was living in Denver, and I had the idea that Cambridge was the place for my music. The move across the country was a physical, as much as a mental, opportunity to redefine my priorities around music. I just happened to study anthropology when I got here.

WM: You have shared the stage with a variety of talented artists. Has any one musician been particularly influential, supportive, etc.?

MP: I feel very lucky to have shared the stage with all the artists I've played with. In particular, Edwin McCain, Ari Hest, and Citizen Cope have been very supportive of what I'm doing - getting to play in front of their audience is always such a great experience. Also, I've been a huge fan of Martin Sexton for a few years now - I feel he's been influential on my music - and so when I got to open for him last year, I was ecstatic.

WM: You've mentioned that you want to show that you have soul, yet you often get lumped into the folk, "girl with a guitar" genre. How do you work to distinguish your
sound and project a soulful image while on-stage?

MP: I don't really try to project any image while onstage - I sing what I sing, and my influences are either apparent, or they're not. I never really listened to folk music - growing up, I was very into vocalists like Ella Fitzgerald, Aretha Franklin, and Otis Redding. Come high school, an acoustic guitar was added to the mix (given to me by my uncle), and it gave my music a push in another, not mutually exclusive, direction. Doing what I do now, I have discovered I love artists like Patty Griffin and Ben Harper. They too will probably have some influence on my music, and I'll let that be. Whether audiences interpret my sound as "soulful" or "folk" or "pop" (or all of the above!) is up to the audience.

WM: What sort of role has the Boston music scene played in the progression of your sound and career?

MP: I love Boston... The artists here are so talented and diverse - it's beautiful to belong to a community like this. In terms of the progression of my career, my career STARTED because of Boston artists being cool enough to let me jump on stage and play during their show! And the clubs here are so supportive - they've really allowed me to hone my live show by getting me on stage in front of so many different audiences. There's nothing like a home show...

WM: Your debut album has been well received by critics and fans alike. Do you have plans to record a follow-up in the near future? If so, in what direction do you believe your music is headed?

MP: I'm hoping to get in the studio this fall. My next album will not be just me and my guitar, with a few other instruments thrown in for variety - my goal is to get some other musicians in there with me and really work through the songs, but still stay away from over-production. As to what style it will be, I'm not sure - I just know I'm going to stay true to my feel.

Mieka Pauley will be playing the NEMO Music Festival on Saturday October 2nd at the Paradise Front Room. For more information check out: http://www.mieka.com/