Mieka Pauley
New York City, New York, United States
Music
Press
An extremely talented, accomplished, and relatable artist. - WERS 88.9FM Boston blog
A female version of Jeff Buckley. - SXSW Examiner
Fast-rising singer/songwriter Mieka Pauley has gone on to win the first-ever Starbucks Emerging Artist Award, take the top award at the Rocky Mountain Folks Fest Songwriter Showcase, be named “Cosmopolitan’s Fun Fearless Female Rockstar of the Year” in the publication’s StarLaunch competition, and finish in the top three at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival’s Troubadour Competition – not to mention a plethora of plaudits for her self-released 2007 album, Elijah Drop Your Gun. - SESAC Magazine
Her confidence and swagger translate to the stage each time she puts on a show. - Dig Boston
A cerebral singer/songwriter with a rock edge. - Hits Daily Double
Mieka Pauley has a very listenable and soothing voice ... you will hit rewind. - Phil Ramone for Huffington Post
Bold, sexy and wicked with just the right touch of irony. - NPR
Lyrical magic. - Performing Songwriter
Her words come at you like blunt force. - Daytrotter
She’s not to be messed with. - Boston Globe
She’s turning into a big name. - WBUR 90.9 FM (Boston's NPR)
We believe that Mieka is a major talent and will break thru to the mainstream sooner than later. To that end, we very much want to be a part of this development. - WBOS 92.9 FM Boston
[Mieka] eschews flowery imagery in favor of forthrightness and clever turns-of-phrase. - Dig Boston
What jumps out immediately on Pauley’s latest offering is her voice: a bluesy, weather-beaten croon that demands attention without being overly affected. She can go from a howl to a whisper in seconds, and lines that might seem hackneyed coming from other singers sound natural and convincing in her hands. - Ourstage blog
If you’re still walking around Boston not knowing who Mieka Pauley is, we really need to do something about that. Her latest, Elijah Drop Your Gun, takes all the smoldering soul of her voice and all the concise urgency of her songwriting and soups them up with more straight-up rock gusto than her largely acoustic past had prepped us for. - The Boston Phoenix
Invitations to prestigious music festivals and songwriting awards have piled up over the past six years. Playing an average of 150 annual shows means she’s logging thousands of highway miles, which she doesn’t mind at all. - CMJ / uwire Blog
Mieka calls her music 'soulful alt-pop/indie-rock.' We just call it good shit. Think (a grittier) Sarah McLachlan meets (a well-adjusted) Bjork. Plus brilliant lyrics... In 2008 Mieka won Cosmopolitan’s Star Launch Contest (and the 10,000 bills that come with it) and in 2005 snagged top honors at Starbucks’ inaugural Emerging Artist competition. Not bad for a Harvard alumna who got her start gigging at Cambridge open-mic nights. Of course, most impressive to us (lovers of all things creatively-financed) is how Mieka makes her music: her first full-length album Elijah Drop Your Gun was funded in large part by fans. Media moguls, take note. Give the people what they want—and they will give you what you need. - The Stimulist
Discography
Still working on that hot first release.
Photos
Bio
* Winner, Cosmopolitans Fun Fearless Female Rock Star of the Year (year 1 out of 800 contestants)
* Winner, the Starbucks Songwriter Competition
* Winner, New York Songwriters Circle Songwriting Contest
* Opened for Natasha Bedingfield, KT Tunstall, John Legend The Lumineers, Nellie McKay, Edwin McCain, Jason Mraz, Gavin DeGraw, the Black Eyed Peas, Shelby Lynne, Citizen Cope
Mieka Pauley possesses a voice that flows like good whiskey and a frankness that makes Alanis Morissette look shy. She conjures up a sonic immediacy with the same masterful command as Ani DiFranco with driving, yearning melodies.
My songs are like the actions that I cant really take. So says Mieka Pauley, a refreshingly candid artist whose vagabond background infuses The Science of Making Choices, her new full-length album released on June 26, 2012.
Frequently moving about the country in her formative years, settling down, then uprooting and starting anew: No wonder her messages have a no-time-for-B.S. vibe. While her lyrics are startlingNever f*** a woman that you dont love, I promise this time I wont be a psycho, I wanna wreck your home/I wanna get your husband alonetheyre never vindictive. In fact, her confessions invite listeners to admit they share the same inner struggles and desires.
A lot of it is true from the prospective of me thinking these things. Its all shit that I went through in my own head, like rocking in the corner, she says of her songs about retaliation (First Stone, Marked Man), lust and envy (Wreck), desperation (Another Go) and brokenhearted disgrace (Never F*** a Woman You Dont Love). But Ive never tried to kill a man or steal a husband, she laughs.
Pauleys career pursuits have helped her win prestigious competitions like Cosmopolitans Fun Fearless Female Rock Star of the Year, the Starbucks Songwriter Competition and the New York Songwriters Circle Songwriting Contest. Shes shared stages with household names like Natasha Bedingfield, KT Tunstall, John Legend, Edwin McCain, Ben Kweller, Jason Mraz, Gavin DeGraw, the Black Eyed Peas, Shelby Lynne and Citizen Cope while earning herself slots at must-see music events (Newport Folk Festival, South by Southwest,CMJ) and high-profile gigs like singing the national anthem at Red Sox games. Shes also been featured on BBC London Radio, PRIs Mountain Stage and the music session blog Daytrotter.
Not content to wait for label backing, Pauley has self-released all of her work, which includes three other EPs and two full-length albums. For Science shes joined forces with PledgeMusic, where her fans proved their demand for more music by donating far more than she requested to fund the project. Having worked with producer Geoff Stanfield (Firehorse, Sun Kil Moon) to create The Science of Making Choices, Pauley feels shes finally captured in the studio the same rawness she conjures when playing live. Its finally like me making that alternative sound while still holding on to what makes my live solo show work. He was able to take that live vibe, that connection, and then put really sweet, respectful production behind it. I really love that Geoff was able to make it happen.
Other major plans are in the works besides Pauleys new album release. An edited version of Never F*** a Woman You Dont Love is a contender in the International Songwriting Contest, which includes Tom Waits, Darryl McDaniels and Tori Amos on its judges panel. Also this summer Pauleys song Devils Got My Secret will be heard in the movie Peace, Love and Misunderstanding, which stars Academy Award winner Jane Fonda, Oscar nominee Catherine Keener and Elizabeth Olsen.
Band Members
Links
