Variety Mix; 480; Mirah (recorded 2002-06-02)

You've got a tune in 90.3 FM, K-E-X-P in Seattle and worldwide on the web at www.k-e-x-p.org. Just heard music from Belgian Jazz artist working in kind of a groove in there. My name is Mark Moulin, a track called Oregon from his latest release. It's called Top Secret. Music from Huskerdoo before that, a grant heart song called Books About UFOs. That's from New Day Rising. And guided by voices, brand new music from them. They're new ones called Universal Truths and Cycles. And we heard a track called Back to the Lake. I'm Kevin Cole and joining me in studio right now is Mira. And thanks tons for stopping by. I appreciate that. Yeah. Welcome to K-E-X-P. It's always a treat to have artists combine play for us. My pleasure. So, we'll talk a bit about your recent release shortly.

But first, you're performing tonight. You're playing in town? Yes. I'm playing. What is the address again? It's it. Seventh in Jackson. I'm performing at Seventh in Jackson. The Vera Project is putting on a show. It's myself, The Blow, Calvin Johnson, and C-O-C-O. Kind of a K records showcase show. And that starts at eight o'clock, I believe. It's an all-age show, I believe. Is this part of a tour? Is it kind of a one-off coming on up here? A little bit of both. I was on tour with The Blow for two weeks through California in the end of April and beginning of May. And then have been in the Northwest for a month and just continued to play sporadic shows. So, I don't know if that's touring, or... That counts. Yeah. Do you mind playing a couple songs for a second? I do not mind that's actually why I came. Awesome. Awesome.

Hmm. There should be no hesitation When the coast is clear You got a right to slide right into place When the end is almost here So you think you got some rotten deal What a way to compromise It's a long, long way before you get to Claim our final prize We're looking at that sorry face I can recognize the fear But if you keep on looking up at night That stars will all appear See there's food for me There's food for you

There's gold that's in the air There's oceans deep down Wide and there is Love beyond compare There's apples and the trees Let's take all that we need We know what we believe There's hope for you and me My eyes can almost see That if you fight until you're free You don't have to wait Until you die You don't have to wait Until you die You don't have to wait Until you die You don't have to wait Until you die Thanks fellas

I was gonna sing a acapella song Was I supposed to say something else now? No, no, this is cool, this is great, thanks This is this pretty old song I'm lucky, so lucky to be here in this rain I'm hoping and waiting to raise a little cane My head's up, my hat's off, I know it's after dark Supposing you catch me, I'll be your little shark The stars in the sky, if only they knew What happens inside, what I think of you You're sweeping, my socks off, unsteady on my feet Delicious and frightful to me, you're such a tree I'm bashful, let's tackle the certain love affair You'll kiss me, good night well I'm hoping that you'll dare, this sad little heart So so much it's seen, but with that look in your eyes

Now I'm in a dream, I'm lucky, so lucky to be Here in this rain, I'm hoping and waiting to raise A little cane, my head's up, my hat's off I know it's after dark, supposing you catch me I'll be your little shark The stars that one Alright, what was that called? That was called Lucky Little Shark, that's the old one It actually, there's a recording of it on The Cha Cha Cabaret CD, that's a K release from a few years back I can't remember which year, exactly Cool, and that's an old one that you wrote So I'm in studio with Mira right now, 90.3 FM, K-E-X-P And Mira's playing tonight at the Northwest Asian-American theater along with Calvin Johnson, C-O-C-O and the blow So could you give me, let's do a brief little history

to just get up to speed real quick So you have two records on K, based in Olympia Are you from Olympia? I'm not from Olympia, I grew up outside Philadelphia And then I moved to Olympia to go to college And I went to Evergreen from 92 to 96 And then I continued to live there until last November And then I moved back to Philadelphia Cool, yeah What's going on in Philly these days? It seems like there's some pretty cool stuff actually I'm actually, since I moved, is sort of in quotes I'm a little bit in a constant state of travel All my boxes have remained untouched in my parents' garage And I haven't been there actually since February But it's what you're calling home Sort of, yeah

Actually sometimes when people ask me certain questions I think most people do this You just say a convenient answer that you think that they will respond to That they can relate to Like if someone who I know is really into folk music makes me what kind of music I played, then I just tell them it's folk music Because that seems easier And I don't think that it's being dishonest either And no, so do you ever get confused with the Philly band, Mora? Actually, I've had that problem I guess you wouldn't get confused other people would be Yeah, I've had a few people show up at shows of mine in Philadelphia And be like, but where's the dudes? You know, like the dudes with the house Yeah, but I don't know, I never met them, I never talked to them about it But it's just mine, this is my name, so Yeah, I feel like I can stand solid in them Having a legitimate right to being called

Oh, yeah, absolutely Just ask my parents, you know Cool, so I've never, I'm a relative newcomer to the Northwest And they haven't been to Olympia Where are you from? From Minneapolis Oh, but Olympia seems like a pretty magical place from the vibe I get from it, and there's so much great music that comes out of there It's pretty enchanting, it's a small town And actually for that reason some people, Some people don't like small towns, and so then it's harder for them But I like smaller communities of people And partly because of the college, but also due to other influences Just being in the Northwest, in general There's a lot of music that happens For various reasons, there's been a gathering place I don't know, it's like at sea level, so maybe it kind of watered down to there

Collection of unique individuals So, had you recorded, or were you performing prior to moving to Olympia? No, not, not really, I mean Yeah, no So, your two records are on K, both have been produced by Phil Alvarim from the microphones And you sing as well on microphones releases What's your working relationship like, and how did that happen? Well, first just to clarify things about I feel like it's sort of my duty to do this sometimes, that there's an assumption Well, okay, I'm not in the microphones, and Phil and I share production responsibilities on my album, and then the microphones is a separate band

Sometimes there's confusion about that Yeah, it's the record you did on really I did have the record on my own, it's true But, yeah, you wanted to know how I met him or what our working relationship is, like how we That clarifies a lot, but I was wondering how the working relationship worked And if, for example, not knowing that you produced half the record If a lot of your songs were written acoustically They're all pretty much all written acoustically And then some of the recordings had more planning than others And working with Phil, it's kind of similar to working Like, when I record by myself, it's You know, instinctual Yeah, but the records have a great sound

I mean, from at times, really sparse and acoustic To really creative, interesting musical, textural things To open, like, majestic bits, kind of, like, cold water So it makes for a great listen Yeah, when we worked on that song, we knew it was like That sort of this very heavily produced sound But I feel like it's representative to have Like, sparser moments on the album Because I have those in, you know, like, part of my life It's not all, it's not even all that dramatic, sometimes so So, are you comfortable in the studio? Do you feel like you're able to capture the sort of depths of emotions Do you want to convey? Well, the, I can't, I don't know, interesting question The studio that I work in, mostly, that the microphones

Albums are recorded in, dubnocratic, in Olympia It's a really comfortable space for all of us who work in it And I think that, that leads to the ability to, like, expose ourselves Through the music, more because we're, like, physically comfortable in the space And it's very, you know, we've all, like, slept in that room And, like, eaten breakfast there, and... I bet that makes a huge difference, actually Because I would imagine just going into a studio if you had a short amount of time Could be very intimidating and kind of cold Yeah, I've been curious about that Because I know that that's how most other people experience recording And I can't imagine getting, like, being able to spend the time And be able to capture anything if there was some, like, time pressure

Or, like, even a financial pressure Or, like, you know, working with unfamiliar people Mm-hmm And... Cool Yeah So, uh, you might be playing to come more songs I don't mind at all Mm-hmm Mm-hmm Mm-hmm I'll do that Mm-hmm Mm-hmm Mm-hmm Mm-hmm Mm-hmm Mm-hmm Mm-hmm Before you left to go away I wrote down what I couldn't say I bet you read it on the road With foggy lights and fingers cold Now you gone so far But now you know how rough it is to Let me go so let me rock up And that you think twice

And I always give the best advice So come on back to where You know I'll be Let's go sit under the apple tree You can pour that thing Let the engines roar The wheels they'll spin The rain it pours If there's regret that you feel About the choice you've made You'll just have to deal Before it goes away You asked me how I feel And here's what I'll say That I'm doing fine just fine I'm doing fine You need a big wide space You need light

You need grace Disappointment And your skin I'll always let you end Pull up forever From the best Facing into your chest To your self Up to me Cut through the gravity You don't have to be scared You hold yourself down there You would like it here I know You were meant to let it go Cause I am the sun

I'm the only one I'll pull you to me The moon ever see When the oxygen comes It blows it all clean Remember to breathe Remember to breathe And we are the ones With parts and emotion We fill up the sky And we burn with Devotion when our bodies are done And hard times are over Remember to breathe Remember to breathe Ah no I thank you my little audience

I settled up my pony ray and rode into the ghostly night it was wide wide open, wide wide open I left the only home I knew I stayed alive and I found you now I take you where the water's deep and make the air you breathe so sweet, but is it not enough to be complete, please, let me give you every thing you need and please, we found the way we found the street direction sweat under the sheets and let you have it, let you have it

love it it can be a lonely place, desire comes, desire fades there's a bright one cut your fancy eye it's okay so long as you stay and so number one that it's a shame that you let other numbers in the game and now I suffer for your hungry eye oh I must it see more than mine it's light your after

because light moves faster but when I ride again into the night my torch will shoot flam strong and bright and my absence will remind you of how tough it is to be in but it's not what I think it's what you say hey hey and works great for you to have your way oh the west can be a desperate place you search all day for just a taste of the coconut water

cold water and here we go too listen the sky will sing this song as it burns above you're alive in studio here on 90.3 FM KEXP that's cold cold water you can find that on the latest record advisory committee also there's a cold cold water EP with a bunch of cool bonus tracks what

were the other two tracks that I just played yep well all of them are from advisory committee except for that lucky little shark song that was on the touch of Capri one yeah they're off from the new album cool and again the show tonight is at the northwest Asian American theater and Calvin Johnson's also performing as well as C.O.C.O. and the blow yeah so what's next what's what are your plans for the summer oh boy it's this long list of unplanned plans involving much traveling back and forth and yeah I'll I'll continue to leave my boxes in my parents garage for well it sounds like fun yeah I think it'll I think it'll work out somehow cool and I'm gonna play it shipwreck days and anacord is on the 19th of July cool well thanks tons for for coming by

yeah thanks for having me it was fun and good luck and we'll see you again thanks you everybody at the show and thanks as well to Tom and Jack for engineering and to Larry for running the board thanks got a tune to 90.3 FM KEXP in Seattle one two three four sounds good stupid up this is mirror and you're tuned into KEXP Seattle 90.3 on your radio dial okay you got it you want us to try it again okay you mean good plan good plan options let's do it okay say I thought his accounting office great okay and can I cut you off too yeah okay okay one two three

four okay sounds good hey this is mirror and you're listening to KEXP Seattle 90.3 on your radio dial okay okay cut it are we done we hear those so we listen in there one two three four there should be no hey this is mirror and you're listening to KEXP Seattle 90.3 okay cut it forget it you

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