Jacob Miller is a 21-year-old up-and-coming singer-songwriter from Miami, and judging by recent reactions to his first album, he may be this year’s Howie Day.
Miller turned acclaim into national tours and he started getting even more attention. There are high chances that you’ll find this guy on your iPod soon.
Miller is just beginning his musical career, but he has been playing and singing for a large portion of his life. His debut album “Who We Are,” released in 2006, is intended to be Miller’s exploration to answer that very question through his music.
Since the release of the album, Miller has been steadily gaining attention. This could be accredited to the fact that there are not many artists who can, or choose to, produce an original, organic sound like Miller does.
Miller says his musical influences include the great Ziggy and Bob Marley. When first listening to Miller’s croons on “Who We Are,” I immediately compared him to British piano pop star Jamie Cullum, who has a considerable following here in the States.
With his soft piano tunes, Miller also reminded me of Something Corporate (especially the track “Life”), but with less rage.
Because the quest of Miller’s musical journey is to answer the seemingly impossible questions that we are faced with everyday, the lyrics convey universal messages. In doing so, Miller introduces original and thought-provoking philosophies.
Miller is very focused on the importance of other cultures. He was inspired to write the song “Luck of the Draw” after hearing a news report of Haitian refugees. Afterwards, he decided to capture the spirit of the Haitian hardships in song. Storytelling also appears in another track “Charlie Brown’s Lament,” where Miller explores how the Christmas season can be used to explain the essence of humanity.
Although most of the songs deal with exploring the unknown, the songs vary in many ways and provide a platter of different musical choices. The songs differ in tempo and feeling. Some are fast and hopeful for the future, while others express regret and sympathy through slow, intoxicating ballads.
Many tracks like “Who We Are” and “Won’t Let You Go” feature only vocals, piano/keyboard and a hint of percussion, but a handful include a great deal of percussion and some plangent guitar accompaniment. “You Can’t Go Back Again” and “Charlie Brown’s Lament” exemplify the use of other instrumentation. In every song though, voice and piano are always the foremost-featured elements.
With Miller, you can feel his sincerity in his beautifully raw music. To him, the music is not tampered with to impress. It is simply impressing in its honest and natural form.
The Interview
The Mirror had a chance to ask
Jacob Miller a few questions:
The Mirror: What inspired you to take up music?
Jacob Miller: Music came into my life early on. I found my way to a piano bench when I was four and I just started playing around, searching for anything that moved me. I started writing the same time I took up instruments. Often, the albums my parents played inspired me and found their way into what I was doing musically. My dad was into a lot of folk music. I grew up listening to Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young, The Beatles, Bob Dylan and Miles Davis. The list goes on. The songs were usually of a sensitive nature so my music has come to reflect that in certain ways. I’m thankful that I was growing up in the time and place I did.
TM: What era of music or decade would you want to live in besides this one, and why?
JM: I like the early ’60s, because of the social change that was happening at that time and because of the profound social consciousness that existed. I mean, the beat poets like Jack Kerouac inspire me and I just love how art was just pumping through everyone’s veins at that period.
TM: What are your favorite types of shows?
JM: I know for me, I’ve played in front one person and 500 people. Either way, I always try to emote the same things and communicate the same way. I try to talk to a crowd like I’m talking to one person because I think music is intended to be made on that level. I mean, with big crowds, it doesn’t change the fact that we all have different thoughts and are individuals and for that time that were all under one roof. I like to show that everyone is a part of the music. I just like communicating in that intimate way.
TM: Let’s talk about the CD “Who We Are.”
JM: Actually, the song “Who We Are” was a writing exercise for me. Each verse of the song is a haiku, each representing one of the four seasons. I liked it and so did those around me so we decided to put it on the album.
I’m very happy with the product as a whole, because it’s simple and it’s a new place of minimalism that I haven’t gone through with.
TM: What do you think makes your music unique from the common alternative rock music?
JM: I think the fact that I’m from Miami makes it unique. There aren’t too many artists from around here, and it’s a great city for artists, it has all the things you need. I feel like I’m influenced everyday by living here, because of so many different cultures coexisting.
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