Michaela Anne On Growing Up (Wed. at MilkBoy)

Although the touring season is basically done, there are still a handful of shows set for the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection before the official start of...

Although the touring season is basically done, there are still a handful of shows set for the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection before the official start of this holiday season that I would recommend checking out.  Perhaps most-worth checking out is Nashville-based Americana songstress Michaela Anne, who WXPN will be welcoming to MilkBoy this Wednesday, December 18th.  Michaela Anne is currently on an album release tour behind her third record, Desert Dove.  The album dropped this September and is her first on Yep Roc Records, seeing her join the likes of our good friends Aoife O’ Donovan, Dawn Landes, Eleni Mandell, and Mandolin Orange.

Last month I got a chance to chat with Michaela Anne from her parents’ house in Michigan, as she prepared to celebrate Thanksgiving.  When I ask her about the highlights of her musical career, she alludes to liking bringing her music to live audiences more than anything, but she also notes that her most recent live experience in Philadelphia made an exceptionally big impression: “A personal highlight is literally just still getting to do this, but also things like touring and getting to go to Europe or other places outside of the my home country and seeing people who know my songs. Actually, when I did my Free at Noon recently I was holding back tears.  It was sold out, but I just figured they always sell out, but people specifically knew my songs and that really means something to me.”

Desert Dove; which has received glowing praise from Rolling Stone Country, No Depression, and Brooklyn Vegan;  melds the retro country of Michaela’s earlier releases with some more contemporary influences of hers.

“I wanted to blend my influences of ‘90s pop country and classic country with other things that I love, like Rayland Baxter’s Imaginary Man and The War on Drugs… I personally feel like I’m just figuring out where I fit in the musical world.  I think this is the start of me coming into my own and figuring out who I am as an artist.  And I’m connecting with the truth and reality of life, more than an entertainer who just writes songs and puts on shows… I’m just pushing myself to be more honest and vulnerable in my songs. The most significant influence behind the album is just growing up and developing an understanding that things aren’t as simple and easy as they seem to be when you’re growing up.”

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During the day Izzy Cihak teaches transgression, subversion, and revolution at Temple University. At night he haunts Philthy's best venues to cover worthwhile acts for Philthy Mag. Morrissey is everything to him and, in their own heads, all of his friends see themselves as Zooey Deschanel.

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