The name Mihi Nihil (Mee-Kee Nee-Keel) sounds like a University’s Latin motto, but it was actually the lead singer, Mihi Vox’s, nickname in college. Now a band motto, the name represents the groups approach to life and music as they write songs together in one room, staying open not only to each other but to the music. Mihi Nihil’s ‘everyone is present’ writing method is apparent when listening to their self-titled debut album arriving this April. The independent quartet have been slow feeding a taste of their LP with four singles over the past six months and have landed tracks in two movies, on several media outlets in fifteen countries and in fifty-four playlists. Officially, they are a new band consisting of members who have had successes in all sorts of creative endeavors.
These individual milestones include touring with Iggy Pop and the Stooges,and Jane’s Addiction, fronting shows at famous festivals/venues including Coachella, the Warped Tour, and Carnegie Hall, backing up musical legends like Neil Young, John Denver, Bruce Springsteen, and even designing eyewear worn byBruno Mars, Lady Gaga, and Rhianna.
The former New York City Opera singer and three self-taught rockers are ready to unleash what feels like a box of explosives that has stored up a tremendous amount of energy. From the playful punk burst of “I Eat You” that feels like it could have been recorded in 1977, to the dark wistful waltz of “Falling Star” that sways with a 1950’s soul, they never linger in a single sonic space. The band shifts effortlessly with maximum emotional thrust through a sound that bridges the past and present musical zeitgeists. Like a rock formation with different colored layers, the music encompasses a myriad of subtle tints and bold textures. Together, with producer Adam Lasus (Yo La Tengo, Helium, Madder Rose), they created a nine song record that is grounded in earthiness and redolent with nostalgia. Moving from the cinematic echo of Ennio Morricone in “Verberation” to the ominous yearning for connection in the more soporific electronic sounding “Space Invader,” which slowly sinks to smothered murmurs. Mihi Nihil’s music feels at once mysterious and familiar, like a fog curling heavily and dankly around the listener only to be cut through by rays from the sun.
MIHI NIHIL
From: Los Angeles, USA
Sounds like: Up late watching MTV’s 120 Minutes reruns, smoking clove cigarettes and drinking all your parents old liquor, while ear-binging on post-modern sounds with poetic lyrics and the ache of layered guitars to remind you all is not lost or is it…
For fans of: early Radiohead, The Clash, Mazzy Star, early Cure, Bauhaus, Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Savages and The Pixies
Members: Mihi Vox (vocal), Benjamin Montoya (guitar), Nick Steinberg (bass), Adam Alt (drums)
Why You’re Going to Love Them: With anethos revolving around how art and activism can work together, the debut album is a vessel expressing deeper truths. Mihi Nihil puts on emotive live shows that remind you why great stage presence and classic song craft create the soundtracks of our lives.
Links:
https://www.facebook.com/
https://www.instagram.com/
https://www.youtube.com/
http://www.mihinihil.com/
https://us11.list-manage.com/
MIHI NIHIL – MIHI NIHIL (smarturl.it)
Photo Credit: Jenna Hipp Spencer
High Violet PR
