MICA MILLAR is a new(ish) kid on the UK soul block. She hails from Manchester and her father is a seasoned session drummer who toured with the likes of Sweet Sensation while her mother was a Promotions Executive at EMI. Clearly music was always “there” for Mica and she debuted with two singles in 2017 and 2018 which won plenty of local support.
Mica’s third single was ‘The Defender’, (released in 2018) which was followed by 2020’s ‘Wait For Me” – featured on BBC Radio 4 Loose Ends and specialist shows across BBC 6 Music.
Right now Ms M is working hard on a debut album, ‘Heaven Knows’, due in June. We’re told that the LP “draws inspiration from a plethora of vintage soundscapes, most notably soul, blues, gospel and jazz with respectful nods paid to girl groups of the 60’s and 70’s and classic Motown, giving her songs a timeless quality that is both reassuringly familiar yet distinctively hers.”
That Ms. M has the strength and will to complete the long player is a tribute to her grit and determination. You see Mica has endured some tough times. Of course, she needed to adapt to the effects of COVID on the industry – shifting from studio sessions to remote recording but then in 2020 Mica’s world was turned upside down when she broke her back, narrowly escaping permanent paralysis from the waist down. In extreme pain and having to learn to walk again, all recording came to a halt and nine months on Mica found herself still recovering from her injuries which obviously impacted on her ability to sing. But instead of giving up, Mica decided to push through the challenges taking on rigorous rehabilitation and never losing sight of her vision for the album.
Hear what Mica has achieved via her remarkable single ‘Preacher Man’ – out today, January 28th. The song is the tale of a spiritual encounter that offers “a perspective on escaping from capitalism in pursuit of what it truly means to be human.” Sonically, the tune is big and insistent with an addictive chorus, all delivered in Mica’s smoky, soulful voice that betrays the influences that classic soul has had on her!
