Holly Miranda
Holly Miranda | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Detroit, Michigan, United States |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, Singer-songwriter |
| Years active | 2003–present |
| Labels | XL Recordings |
| Website | Official Site |
Holly Miranda is an American singer-songwriter and musician. Besides being trained in piano, Holly is a self-taught guitar and trumpet player. In 2001, she recorded "High Above The City", a 20-track solo album available only at shows. In the fall of 2003, Holly met and teamed up with Alex Lipsen, producer and keys player. The project evolved into The Jealous Girlfriends, a four piece band based in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Her music has attracted praise from the likes of Kanye West and Scarlett Johansson.[1]
Life and career
1983–2000: Early life
Miranda grew up singing in church, in Detroit, learning piano at age 6 and picking up the guitar at 14, around the time she began writing songs. At the age of 16, she moved to New York, dropping out of high school and finishing her degree through correspondence. She scored a record deal by the time she was 17, recording with major label BMG, but the end result was less than thrilling.
"I ended up walking away from [it]", Miranda said. "It's, like, in a safe somewhere and no one's ever heard it."
2001-2007: Career beginnings, The Jealous Girlfriends
After moving to New York, she met the people she'd eventually refer to as bandmates for The Jealous Girlfriends. The Jealous Girlfriends toured with Nada Surf and Delta Spirit, and had their songs featured on the TV shows like CSI: Miami , The L Word and Grey's Anatomy.[2] The band received critical acclaim, but is currently on a break, Miranda said, but all continuing on their own musical pursuits.[3]
2008-present: Return to solo career, The Magician's Private Library
After the Jealous Girlfriends went on hiatus, Holly Miranda decided to release a solo album with help from her producer friend TV on the Radio's Dave Sitek.[4] The Magician's Private Library was recorded in 2008. Miranda's publisher Chrysalis Music financed the album, but it wasn't formally released until 2010 after Miranda was signed to XL Recordings.[1] The Magician's Private Library received positive reviews from critics; according to the music review aggregation of Metacritic, it garnered an average score of 68/100.[5] The album peaked at #40 on the U.S. Billboard Top Heatseekers, becoming her first album to chart on any Billboard chart.[6] "Forest Green, Oh Forest Green" was released as the album's lead single, followed by "Waves".
In support of The Magician's Private Library, Holly Miranda toured as the opening act on Tegan and Sara's US tour.[7] Miranda also toured as a supporting act on the Xx Tour by the xx,[4] and the Lungs Tour by Florence and the Machine.[8] Holly appears as a featured artist in Theophilus London's song 'Love Is Real' from his 2011 album Timez Are Weird These Days. Her vocals were also used in CREEP's single 'Animals' released on the 17 January 2012.
Personal life
Miranda is a lesbian, but she doesn't like to label herself when it comes to being talked about as a musician. "I have no problem being out, but I don't think it has anything to do with my music", Miranda said. "I like who I like. I don't want people to not listen to my music because of that and I don't want people to listen to my music because of that. I haven't had to deal with it in a professional way very much yet."[9]
Holly moved to Los Angeles in August 2010. She is currently working on her next album.
Discography
Solo
Albums
- High Above the City: Evolution (2004)
- The Magician's Private Library (2010)
Singles
- "Forest Green, Oh Forest Green" (2009)
- "Waves" (2010)
The Jealous Girlfriends
- Comfortably Uncomfortable (2004)
- The Jealous Girlfriends (2007)
References
- ^ a b Sisario, Ben (2010-02-19). "Music - Holly Miranda - A Young Singer's Newest Transformation - NYTimes.com". New York Times. Retrieved 2010-08-25.
- ^ L, Seraphina (2009-01-09). "Interview: Know Your NYC Bands with The Jealous Girlfriends". BeatCrave. uCrave. Retrieved 2010-08-25.
- ^ Who is... Holly Miranda Retrieved 17 March 2010
- ^ a b Saxelby, Ruth (2009-11-18). "Holly Miranda: "It sounded like I was in their heads."". Dummy Mag. Retrieved 2010-08-25.
- ^ "Holly Miranda Profile at Metacritic.com". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 2010-08-25.
- ^ "The Magician's Private Library - Holly Miranda". Billboard. Retrieved 2010-08-25.
- ^ Hood, John (2010-02-19). "Q&A With Holly Miranda, Opening for Tegan and Sara This Sunday - Miami Music - Crossfade". Miami New Times. Retrieved 2010-08-25.
- ^ Birman, Paul (2009-10-28). "Florence & the Machine played Letterman (video) & Bowery Ballroom w/ Holly Miranda (and Nada Surf) - pics & setlist". Brooklyn Vegan. Retrieved 2010-08-25.
- ^ Holly Miranda is an Overnight Success 11 Years in the Making | AfterEllen.com Retrieved 17 March 2010