Miranda Lee Richards 'Light Of X' album

Miranda Lee Richards’ story has taken a lot of twists and turns to get to this place and time. How many artists would mention members of Metallica, Brian Jonestown Massacre and the Jesus and Mary Chain just to explain the path they took to end up making the music they do?

“Courtney Taylor from the Dandy Warhols calls my genre ‘Pixie Fairy Dust Chick Music,’” says singer/songwriter MIRANDA LEE RICHARDS with a laugh. “But I think another fitting description for Light of X might be ‘Psychedelic Chamber Folk Rock’.”

A revered singer and songwriter, MIRANDA will release her Nettwerk debut LIGHT OF X on February 10, 2009. For her new album, MIRANDA composed all of the material, string arrangements, acoustic guitar, piano and Hammond B3 on the disc. It’s an album that shimmers with folk, country, psychedelic and even a slight classical influence, balancing her beautiful, close to the heart vocals, with music that has the wide open, spacious feel of a desert sky or an empty church. LIGHT OF X is an album full of love and loss, desolation and salvation, both moody and comforting.

MIRANDA teamed with producer/engineer/mixer Rick Parker (Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, The Von Bondies) who also contributed the electric and twelve-string guitar arrangements. RICHARDS and Parker assembled a top-notch group of players including Eva Gardner (Mars Volta, Tim Burgess) on bass; main drummer Keith Mitchell (Mazzy Star); Ben Peeler (Wallflowers, Shelby Lynne) on pedal steel; and Josh Schwartz (Beachwood Sparks) on guitar. The 13-song offering is highlighted by its first single “Early November” as well as preview track “Life Boat,” released last year in England as a vinyl single via Sonic Cathedral and which subsequently received airplay on Indie 103.1 FM in Los Angeles.

RICHARDS grew up in San Francisco, the daughter of Ted and Teresa Richards, stars of the underground comics revolution. Her bohemian background led her to play in school bands, but she never considered music as a profession until her senior year of high school. Fate offered a very unique hand when an older best friend started dating Kirk Hammett of Metallica, and Hammett soon taught RICHARDS her first few guitar chords.

MIRANDA recorded her first demo in the basement of Hammett’s studio. Dave Deresinski, the then manager of the Brian Jonestown Massacre, passed the tape along to BJM singer Anton Newcombe, who asked her to join the group. During that time, friend Ondi Timoner was filming the BJM for her seminal documentary DIG! (2004). RICHARDS was only in the movie briefly, but did provide some of the film’s memorable sound bites.

Shortly thereafter, MIRANDA moved down the coast to LA in search of a record deal. “I played clubs and open mics and worked day jobs while I made demos. A mutual friend introduced me to producer/musician Rick Parker and we’ve been working together ever since.” Because her debut The Herethereafter received huge exposure in the film and television worlds--its songs were licensed over 40 times for film and television--it allowed RICHARDS the freedom to continue to explore her musical path full time. She collaborated in the studio with Tricky, Tim Burgess (Charlatans), Neil Halstead (Mojave 3), and The Shore. In addition to opening for Neil Halstead on tour earlier this year, she joined The Jesus and Mary Chain for the West Coast leg of their 2007 tour, singing the duet with Jim Reid on "Sometimes Always" and "Just Like Honey."

biography
“Courtney Taylor from the Dandy Warhols calls my genre ‘Pixie Fairy Dust Chick Music,’” MIRANDA LEE RICHARDS laughs, from her home in Los Angeles. “But I think another fitting description for LIGHT OF X might be ‘Psychedelic Chamber Folk Rock’”.

RICHARDS grew up in San Francisco, the daughter of Ted and Teresa Richards, stars of the underground comics revolution. Her father created The 40 Year Old Hippie, and was a core of the now infamous Air Pirates; her mother was one of the founding editors and contributors of Wimmin’s Comix, (the first all female artist publication), and High Times magazine in the 1970’s. “Growing up, I got the message that if you do what you love to do, money will follow...just not a whole lot of it,” MIRANDA chuckles. It was a very Bohemian upbringing to put it lightly.

RICHARDS played in school bands, but never considered music as a profession until her senior year of high school. Fate offered a very unique hand when an older best friend started dating Kirk Hammett of Metallica, and Hammett soon taught Richards her first few guitar chords. “As soon as I knew how to play, I started writing songs and everything just clicked. Eventually I got a piano to expand my musical vocabulary.”

RICHARDS recorded her first demo in the basement of Hammett’s studio. Dave Deresinski, the then manager of the Brian Jonestown Massacre, passed the tape along to singer Anton Newcombe, who asked her to join the group. During that time, friend Ondi Timoner was filming the BJM for her seminal documentary DIG! (2004). Richards was only in the movie briefly, but did provide some of the film’s memorable sound bites. In one scene, a hiker observed the all white-clad members of The Brian Jonestown Massacre and friends gathered on a mountain top location. “Excuse me,” he asked, “is this a cult or a photo shoot?” MIRANDA then candidly replied, “Honestly sir, I don’t know the answer to that question.”

Shortly thereafter, MIRANDA moved down the coast to LA in search of a record deal. “I played clubs and open mics and worked day jobs while I made demos. A mutual friend introduced me to Rick Parker (producer/musician who went on to work with BRMC and The Von Bondies) and we’ve been working together ever since.” After recording a few sets of demos, she signed with Virgin, and began work on her debut The Herethereafter.

After its release, The Herethereafter was licensed over 40 times for film and television, allowing Richards the freedom to continue to explore her musical path full time. She collaborated in the studio with Tricky, Tim Burgess (Charlatans), Neil Halstead (Mojave 3), and The Shore. She joined The Jesus and Mary Chain for the West Coast leg of their 2007 tour, singing the duet with Jim Reid on “Sometimes Always” and “Just Like Honey.” In the fall of 2007, a vinyl single was released in the U.K. on Sonic Cathedral called “Life Boat” which appears on her full-length sophomore effort, LIGHT OF X, due February 10, 2009 on Nettwerk.

LIGHT OF X is moody and introspective, the kind of music to play while you’re getting dressed up at night, sitting by the phone, and waiting for it to ring. The album fairly shimmers with folk, country, psychedelic, and even classical influences. RICHARDS and Parker assembled a top-notch group of players including Eva Gardner (Mars Volta, Tim Burgess) on bass; main drummer Keith Mitchell (Mazzy Star); Ben Peeler (Wallflowers, Shelby Lynne) on pedal steel; and Josh Schwartz (Beachwood Sparks) on guitar. Rick Parker produced, engineered, mixed the record, and contributed most of the electric and twelve string guitar; RICHARDS composed all the material and string arrangements, and played acoustic guitar, piano, and Hammond B3.

RICHARDS has an uncanny knack of finding the diamonds in the dust of every day life and the relationships within. She’s able to look at an average moment and describe it in a way that transforms it into something much more powerful, a talent evident on every track of LIGHT OF X. “Breathless,” a gentle piano dominated song opens the album with a languid, pastoral feel. RICHARDS describes “Savorin’ Your Smile” as a polite kiss off to an ex or an old friend. “We all know people we love, but can’t be around anymore. You savor what you can, wish them well, and let them go.”

“Hideaway” is a slow, mesmerizing song with a romantic, sepia tone vibe. MIRANDA’s soothing vocal and swirling, repeating piano line join Parker’s shimmering, echoplexed guitar to give the track its hypnotic quality. A mournful pedal steel highlights “Lifeboat,” a cosmic country tune that salutes the joy and sorrow of self-discovery. “Early November” is about the self-inflicted misery you feel when you’re in the throes of an obsessive relationship. The rhythm section pumps up the drama with its relentless pulse, while MIRANDA’s B3 and Parker’s eerie guitar add to the song’s mysterious aura. “That Baby” is the one ‘protest song,’ on the record, but achieves its strength by delivering a human truth that does not discriminate or blame.

LIGHT OF X balances RICHARDS’ beautiful, close to the heart vocals, with music that has the wide open, spacious feel of a desert sky or an empty church. Call it Ambient Americana, or RICHARDS’ self coined term ‘Psychedelic Chamber Folk Rock’ if you like, LIGHT OF X is an album full of love and loss, desolation and salvation, both moody and comforting.

Even the darkest shadow is cast by the light.

Do you also would like to share your opinion? If so, please register or login here.

Details

Popular Songs

New Songs

Tracklisting

Miranda Lee Richards - Light Of X