ON THE RISE
Mia Rago is a classically trained opera singer who makes music that on the surface is completely unrelated to that genre: indie pop. However, there is more overlap than one might realize. On her new single “The Shower,” Mia challenges all sorts of musical norms by crafting a break-up song that’s not sad but upbeat and 100% uniquely written and composed. Written from multiple personal experiences, Mia describes the song as a “big run-on sentence.” Post break-ups can be wrought with emotions and Mia aimed to capture all of them in a song that remained pleasing to the ear.
“I kind of wanted to capture that craziness of how love can make us feel insane sometimes.”
This single comes from Mia’s upcoming album Wishing We Could Dream which chronicles multiple situations throughout her life. By reflecting on them through her lyrics, she was able to craft a song that she hopes is relatable for listeners who’ve been through break-ups of their own. Connections like these are one of her favorite things about songwriting because individual experiences actually become shared experiences. And, while the experience may not have been the best, there's a certain comfort that comes from not going through it alone.
“I want people to be able to sing along with it because it is an upbeat song.”
The music video for “The Shower” releases on August 19th. Directed by Lindsey Torres, the video is simplistic yet still concept driven. Conceptually crafted through a joint effort between Mia and Lindsey, they wanted to depict situations that one might go through post-break up. This keeps the relatability factor Mia was going for intact.
Sonically, Mia aimed to make the song “playful.” After bringing the melody to her producer Megan McCormick and working with musicians, they created a song with prominent guitars and just enough drumming to give the song a uniquely light tone. The verses are the highlight of the track, with uniquely written lines where what sounds like the end of a sentence is actually the continuation of one.
As surprising as it may seem, Mia’s background in opera singing helped her sing this indie pop song. The various vocal techniques she learned from one world still applied to this one.
“...I was able to experiment with some of my vocal training…it was a lot of fun to sing really high in the chorus…my technique has helped me to be able to sing that chorus much better than I would have a few years ago.”
Mia hopes to continue bringing her two worlds together through her music. In the future, she plans to incorporate more classical and opera based elements into her music and bridge the gap between the two to expose more people to the beauty of the genre of opera.
“It's really all around us and I just don't think people pick up on it all the time. I would want to kind of show it to people and then they could connect it with something that they've seen. And then it kind of becomes more relevant that way. I feel like everyone could enjoy it, they just aren't looking in the right places.”
Mia’s previous single “All of My Scars” is a deeply personal and vulnerable story and is also available on streaming services now. She’s got even more singles on the way before releasing her album, Wishing We Could Dream, in 2025.
You can keep up with Mia on the following platforms:
ON THE RISE
Imagine listening to a song that sounds like it should be in a movie. Now imagine listening to a whole album of songs like that. This is the shared experience of many who listen to Voltaire’s Ghost.
Their latest single, “‘Till The Break Of Day” is a hauntingly beautiful track that gives listeners another taste of the sounds they can find on the band’s album Black Petals Fallen. The album is available now exclusively on Bandcamp digitally and on vinyl.
Like other songs in the band’s discography,“‘Till The Break Of Day” was first conceived as a demo by guitarist/producer Magnus and transformed into something new through drumming from Josh Eggstaff and vocals from Ruby Juhl. The lyrics of the song Magnus wrote were not changed and he credits Ruby’s delivery of them for taking the song to the next level.
“It’s amazing how much phrasing makes a difference in a song. The way she approached it vocally and slid between the riff gave the song a totally different feel.” said Magnus.
The track echoes feelings of romanticism amongst chaos and captures these feelings through a cinematically immersive soundscape. Ruby’s angelic vocals take center stage and pave the way for a guitar led instrumental break that envelops listeners in the picture the band is painting.
“The song is about a fleeting connection. And people are connecting to it emotionally, more than they have with some of our other songs so that’s been a pleasant surprise.” said Magnus.
Voltaire’s Ghost’s music has been described as Dark Pop and Cosmic Goth as they blend elements of Rock, Gothic, and Classical. They know people are attracted to these elements as they see them as a form of escape from the real darkness that comes from living life. Fans of this will be happy to know they have another single coming on October 16th. Releasing in celebration of Halloween, Magnus described it as a “rock and roll ghost story.”
“Stuff like that is awesome. It’s cool and more dramatic.” said Ruby.
“You can’t just have darkness though. There has to be hope in it, and longing. We try to paint a more complex emotional palette than just darkness.” said Magnus.
This calls back to the subject matter of “‘Till The Break Of Day” and the bittersweet romanticism it captures. The song details how even with life circumstances and fate trying to intervene, love will still try to prevail.
“Love is human nature. It’s something we’re always going to be talking about and thinking about.” said Ruby.
Voltaire’s Ghost has more music, videos and surprises for their listeners on the way as the fall season sets the ideal backdrop for the lifting melodies and haunting imagery of love and loss flowing across their album.
“‘Till The Break Of Day” from the album Black Petals Fallen is available on streaming services now and the album is available for purchase digitally and on vinyl on Bandcamp.
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The Starlight PR Team thanks Voltaire's Ghost for taking the time to speak with us.
