Interview with Grave Concerns

interviewed by Julie- gothgirl

Mira is the newest signee to Projekt Records. Their debut CD was just released on 4-4-2000. This band is awesome and are going to be huge. They create a dark alternative sound like no other band on the label. You definitely have to get their ablum, but first check out this interview with the band right as they are emerging into the scene.

Mira is the newest signee to Projekt Records. Their debut CD was just released on 4-4-2000. This band is awesome and are going to be huge. They create a dark alternative sound like no other band on the label. You definitely have to get their ablum, but first check out this interview with the band right as they are emerging into the scene. Listen to Mira on MP3 files

Julie: I have $20.00 to buy a CD at the record store today and I see your new CD. How can you get me interested in buying this release. ( Please sell me , make me want to buy this CD)

Tom: Mira is one of the newest signees to Projekt Records. In the spirit of Shoegaze, Mira takes you on a journey over waves of resonance through their brief history together. The haunting vocals of Regina Sosinski lead the way through soundscapes ranging from pop sensibilty to epic drone.

Julie: Is this your first CD, and how long has this been in the making?

Regina: Yes, it is our first "real" release. we have made a few CD demos in the past that are floating around, but this is the first full-length release on a label.

Tom: Really since we started in 1996. The actual recording of it has been sporadic in the past two years

Julie: How do you feel about it finally being out and people are buying it and listening to you in their homes?

Tom: Its crazy...when we started this recording, we had a vision of being a local phenomenon with a few CDs being sold here in our hometown. Now, it doesn't really sink in that we are distributed everywhere...

Regina: hard to believe......once again, it hasn't really sunk in yet...

Julie: How did you grow into your style with this CD?

Tom: Well, this CD represents three years of songwriting and refining. This record features many musicians that have come and gone and the influences that they left with us. From our beginnings as a drony ethereal shoegaze group, to a Cure-meets-the-Sundays pop band to something a bit harder. It hard for me to say that we have a certain style now.

Regina: our musical style has been changing over the past three years, due to the changing members and simply our own growth. i'm really not sure where our style is leading....definitely a little louder and harder at times, but still with that soft edge always surrounding us....at least me

Julie: What were some of your worries for this release?

Tom: Well, you know, the usual stuff. Its not good enough...Projekt won't like it, nobody else will like it. We don't really think it is us at our best. We plan to show it up on the next release.

Regina: ditto

Julie: What is you rate your confidence level for performing live?

Tom: Pretty high...we have been playing on a stage for quite a while. When things go wrong, it's generally not a big deal for us.

Regina: I've come a long way as far as the stage is concerned....from ultra shy and self-conscious to much more comfortable with the whole thing. It took me awhile to feel like I belonged up there.

Julie: Who do you consider your most valuable influence and how have you taken the ideas from the influence into the context of your music?

Tom: Well, for me, the guitar work in slowdive's Just for a Day has always stuck in my mind as being lush, beautiful and different. Many early bands on the 4AD label were also very much influential. What is influencing my songwriting these days, are indie rock/math rock/emo/whatever bands with simple but intricate song arrangements/time signature changes/harmonies

Regina: its hard to say who the "most" valuable influence was.....the cocteau twins were a favorite of mine simply for the delicate, extremely beautiful songs they created ....and that words cannot always express the emotions you feel -- sometimes it can only be captured in sounds. when writing a new song, words are always second to me, whereas the melody comes first.

Julie: Musically, what you like to do more of on future releases that you did not do on this one?

Tom: Well, we haven't worked out all of those details yet, but we'd like to polish our song arrangements; improve dynamics; use more/different instruments; try some 'unorthodox' recording techniques; etc. We'd like to get a tighter, more unique-sounding recording than this last one. (Doesn't everyone?)

Regina: adding backing vocals, experimenting with different melodies, exploring my range.....

Julie: What was you favorite recording moment with Mira?

Tom: For me, it was recording and mixing the cello....

Regina: finally hearing some of the finished, mixed tracks

Julie: Where do you get your rich guitar sounds that are so rippling?

Tom: Well, mainly its a Digitech GSP-2101 processor with a few extra studio tricks thrown on. Mostly layering and spatial processing...to put it bluntly.

Julie: Your sound varies from rock to trance pop beats, do you thing this is better to have to appeal to a wider group of fans?

Tom: Well, good and bad. Some people might really like one certain thing we did, but not like anything else. Then again, they bought the cd anyway.... But really, it is better to have a wider range of fans, they don't get sick of you as quickly. All in all, we didn't really plan to write different types of songs, it just knida happened.

Regina: the variety just comes out with our moods....it depends on how we are feeling mostly. Julie: Many you could tell me, what is Shoegazer mean?

Tom: Well, shoegazer was a genre of music that began in the UK in the late eighties/early ninties. Bands that can be called Shoegazer are My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, Ride, Cocteau Twins, etc. Music with thick soundscape generally comprised of washed out guitar. The term 'Shoegazer' came from what it makes you do when you listen to it. Gaze at your shoes. It also could be that shoegazer bands generally look down at the floor when they play live. Julie: As I listened to your CD it reminded me of the Cranes in some ways,who would you compare yourself too?

Tom: I'm not sure, we are a combination of things. When we started out, we couldn't shake the Cranberries stereotype. Our style now changes almost drastically between song to song. I haven't really gotton a change to step back and actually listen to our new stuff, but to me it lacks comparison.

Regina: we are asked this question a lot.....but I don't think any of us has ever come up with an answer! >

Julie: At what point on the CD, can we see a tone set for the record?

Tom: Probably by the time Dry gets going. The first three songs are a good representation of whats to come.

Julie: "Cayman" is an awesome track and the ending is so moving and powerful, Can you give me a brief story about this song?

Tom: The story of this track is closely linked to our signing with Projekt. We had given Sam Rosenthal a copy of our demo EP at a Black Tape for a Blue Girl show here in Tallahassee. He emailed us back and told us that he really liked it, later he invited us to appear on an upcoming compilation CD entitled 'A Cat Shaped Hole in my Heart' It was a dedication to cats with feline leukimia. We needed to write a song about a cat or something cat related. It just happened that it was a very inspired time for us and we whipped together an awesome song. It really was us putting everything we could into giving Projekt something impressive.

Julie After listening to "Alone" I knew this CD was going to be awesome, why was that the first track for the album?

Tom: Well, it turned out to be a very strong recording, it was also shorter in length and we felt it appropriate to use as the teaser intro track.

Julie: What is the band gearing up towards in the upcoming months into this summer?

Tom: Well, we have immediate plans to record some of our newer stuff for our second release sometime next year. A few songs to get down and out of the way. We also plan to do some kind of southeast tour. Our busy schedules right now will limit us to play an out of town show once a weekend or so.

Julie: What can we see from you in the future?

Tom: Its hard to say. We have two new band members and we are still working out a new dynamic with them. The newer stuff will be more complex and diverse, with experimental song structures and different sounds. Julie: Any final things you would like to add?

Regina: Its been an amazing experience so far....I'm looking forward to seeing/hearing how we progress as a band. We're very excited to have our two newest members: mark (guitar) and melody (bass).

Regina:Thanks again for interviewing us!

Julie: Your welcome.. best of luck to you!

Additioal Info based on website at mp3.com- Artist history: Mira sprouted in 1996 with Regina Sosinski, Sam Riles, Tom Parker and Alan Donaldson. Following an appearance on Projekt Records' compliation:A Cat-shaped Hole in my Heart,Mira signed to Projekt Records in April of 1999, with the debut release slated for April 4, 2000. Group members: : Tom Parker; Drums: Alan Donaldson; Vocals: Regina Sosinski; Guitar: Mark Davidson;Bass: Melody Fleck; Past Contributors: Sam Riles(bass); Mike Stephens(Guitar); Jeff Engel(Guitar); Max Fresen(bass) Instruments: Guitar, Drums, Bass, Vocals. Albums: First LP release: April 4, 2000 on Projekt Records Press reviews: Mira Site info: Compilations on Projekt Records; "Cat shaped hole on my heart" and "Seirennia" Location: Tallahassee, Florida USA