(A For the Love of Music exlcusive) We’re completely honored and excited to share with you first hand Marie Miller’s cover of, “Sweet Baby James” by James Taylor.)
LISTEN HERE: “Sweet Baby James” Cover (Originally by James Taylor
Marie Miller has always loved performing, at the young age of twelve she was already in her first band. After ten years spent at a record label Miller took the leap and dove into the journey of an independent artist. After the release of Miller’s first song after she left the label, “Imaginary Friends” surpassed three hundred thousand streams in the first two months of its release on Apple music alone.
With only success behind her and in her future we sat down with Marie Miller to talk about the journey of an independent artist, her song 6’2 and what is coming in the future from her.
Courtesy of Marie Miller
BC: Can you tell us a little about your background with music?
Miller: “I started performing when I was about twelve years old. I was in a bluegrass band with my sister and my dad - we just had fun and played at little festivals and churches. As I got older I realized that I wanted to do music full time so I got signed to Curb records down in Nashville when I was sixteen. I started working on music in full time way and performing ever since.”
BC: What was performing in front of an audience like for the first time?
Miller: “Yeah, what I do remember is never being scared or nervous or shy on stage. I was always really loving it and enjoying it, even at seven years old.”
BC: Is stage fright something that still never happens?
Miller: “Never, only when I performed for Pope Francis when he was in the United States and that was extremely nerve-wracking but besides that I don’t get nervous.”
BC: Were you equally more passionate about something other than music?
Miller: “I have always just loved performing so I have always loved acting and music. My dream is to be in a musical because combination of those two. I would have done something in that world but always music and performing in some capacity.”
BC: Speaking of musicals, do you have a favorite?
Miller: “I have a lot of favorites but one that I love that is a newer one is, ‘Waitress’ with all the music written by Sara Bareilles. I’ve seen it a couple times in New York and I basically cried the whole time, both times,” Miller laughs.”
BC: You left your label of ten years in 2018, what was that like?
Miller: “Yeah, it was really freeing. Not that I didn’t have good relationships with everyone at the label, we left as friends. I really wanted to create an album that was more true to the style that I started with - I grew up playing mandolin. It was always a push and pull to be a little pop-ier I just had to do that and it wasn’t possible to do with my record label. I just knew that if I really wanted to create something it was going to be smaller budget, smaller team.
BC: What was the process like letting out your first CD, “Little Dreams,” after leaving your label?
Miller: “It was really exciting. I worked with an investment company so we got investors for the record which was something I’ve never done before. I never asked for somebody to invest in my music like that. I then created a team of wonderful people and worked with an incredible distributing company called Tone Tree out of Nashville. It was a great experience!”
BC: You had mentioned earlier that you had performed for the Pope, you opened for the Backstreet Boys, toured with Kris Allen and Five For Fighting - what were those moments like for you?
Miller: “I just love music and I love performing so much in any capacity. Of course those were really special memories because I just worked so hard so it’s fun to do something special like that. The Backstreet Boys was crazy, it was at Disney World. I’ve done a couple tours with Kris Allen, a couple tours with Five For Fighting and many other artists where I’ve been able to open for them and be on the road with them for a month and it’s so fun! I love new cities, I love traveling, I love meeting so many new people. It’s definitely been the most painful thing for me with the lockdown - not being able to meet new people and see new places.”
BC: Was there a silver lining for you during quarantine?
Miller: “I think musicians are really good at finding silver linings apparently - I’m reading about all of this and I’m like, ‘how did you guys do that?’ All these people writing records and getting in shape. I’m like, ‘all I did was eat,’ “ Marie laughs, “The silver lining for me was getting the opportunity to perform private shows. What we did was the band and I, or just myself, we would go to people’s houses - listeners that would usually come to club shows. We would perform in their backyard and we would never go inside because this was at the height of COVID. We would just set up the sound system and we would do our own private show. I have done private shows before but not in this capacity. It was just really fun because this was at a time where people weren’t hearing live music at all. Our crowds were just so grateful. It was awesome.”
BC: What an amazing experience for these music lovers! What would you say is the ultimate dream for you as an artist?
Miller: “I think that I fight with that because naturally as an artist you want everyone to hear your music, you want people to come to shows and those are kind of basic things. However, that’s empty if there’s no real connection. I believe that music is healing and inspiring and it’s been such a force for good in my life. My hope is that my music makes somebody believe that the world is brighter and better. That they can be better, that they can be brighter, they can change the world. I want people to leave my concerts feeling uplifted. Life is really hard and if I can give them just a little rest from those hard times, that’s my ultimate goal.”
BC: I was actually introduced to you because of 6’2, a song on an older album of yours. What can you tell us about the inspiration from this song?
Miller: “6’2 I wrote totally as a joke. I’ll be talking to my girlfriends and they’ll say, ‘oh, I’m not picky’ and then go through a laundry list of what they want in a guy,” Miller laughs, “It’s just amazing the journey the song has been on - it was on Dancing With the stars and Sirius XF which was cool. Usually if anyone has heard of me it’s because of “6’2” which is funny because they’re like, ‘you just like tall guys,’ and I’m like, "‘well I am tall so I guess, but I wasn’t thinking about that when I wrote it.’ It’s really just a fun song about us girls being a little too tongue in cheek being a little too picky and pretending that we’re not.”
BC: Your recent album, “Little Dreams” was there a theme for this album, what were your hopes for “Little Dreams”?
Miller: “The title track is about believing in your dreams when it feels like everything is falling apart and also having an appreciation for little dreams coming true. I think sometimes we’re so focused on big things, big change, big accomplishments - really everyday is a gift. We have these, I say, little kites on a string that are coming true for us. I’m really bad at appreciating those things so I’m kind of talking to myself. The album fit was almost too perfect for me because I had all these plans to do all these things last year and I didn’t get to do them. I really did have to focus on all the little accomplishments, all the little dreams, all the little moments of life that were good as I was not able to tour on something I had worked so hard on.”
BC: Do you have a favorite song off the record?
Miller: “I’d have to say my favorite song is, “Imaginary Friend,” which is one that Apple used on one of their playlists so that got a lot of attention which was awesome and that was thanks to Tone Tree, my distributing company. "Imaginary friend” was fun because it’s very true for me, because I have a crazy imagination. Sometimes I can know someone for five minutes and I have decided, ‘he’s perfect, we’re gonna get married,’ “ Marie jokes, “You fill in all the blanks and you realize once you get to know him more that it’s not true. Yeah, I just like singing that song.”
BC: Since when you have in the music industry from such a young age, has there been a change in your songwriting/music from when you started and now?
Miller: “Definitely. I’ve become more serious - so there are less romance songs and more songs about family, friends and life songs. I’ve tried to stay true to myself, I think If I wanted to be cool and really artsy and different and then I’m like well I’m still writings songs like 6’2 which are not super cool but hopefully are about being super relatable than being cool.”
BC: You’re cover of James Taylor’s, “Sweet Baby James” is already out here exclusively but available everywhere tomorrow - why did you choose this song to cover and what does it mean to you?
Miller: “I just love folk musicians and singer songwriters so much. I love James Taylor - there is a DVD of him and Carole King playing at the Troubadour in L.A. . I heard him say that this (song) is a cowboy lullaby and I just thought, ‘that’s perfect, what a beautiful idea for a song.” When I sang it in the recording studio I imagined myself singing it to a little baby boy which was really fun. It’s just a sweet old song. I play mainly mandolin which I think is really cool because mandolin is sort of like a lullaby instrument.”
BC: With doing this cover, what do you want it to stand out for?
Miller: “I think because some of my audience is younger and doesn’t know James Taylor’s music, maybe they do, but maybe hear it in a different way that will make them appreciate it even more.”
BC: For a dream headlining tour of yours, who would you ask to be supporting acts?
Miller: “Oh my gosh - playing in like big arenas?” Miller asks, “Probably a band called Nickle Creek. They’re my favorite! Brandi Carlile and The Lumineers? That sounds like a good combination of people.”
BC: On the same subject of this, what would be your dream venue to play with this line up?
Miller: “Well my dream venue is called Wolf Trap and it’s in Vienna, Virginia. It’s a beautiful amphitheater. It’s the place where I see my favorite artists.”
BC: Who is a dream collaboration for you?
Miller: “There are so many people I would love to perform with. I think it would be really fun to do a duet with Justin Bieber. I love him, he’s my workout music. His new album, “Justice,” is what I like. He has such a dynamic personality.”
BC: Lastly, what can fans be expecting from you next?
Miller: “The release of “Sweet Baby James,” coming out July 23rd, and we have another cover coming out in early September. I’m just going to be performing around the country, anywhere I can with things starting to open up again. I’m now ready for a new project which will probably come out Spring of 2022.”