Mia Sheard
Country of origin:
Canada
Type of music generally:
Edgy alternative pop/rock
Status:
Most recent release, anemone, 2002
See also:
The Official Mia Sheard site
Comparisons:
a brassier-voiced Jane Siberry, sometimes Katharina Franck of Rainbirds
Covers/own material:
Own, cowritten, occasional covers
General comments:
She reminds me of a brassier-voiced Jane Siberry. Really. She has the same sensibility and kind of sound, in her approach to songs and lyrics, though her voice makes it sound much rougher and her arrangements also are rougher-sounding. Her voice when she's pushing it sounds rather like Katharina Franck of Rainbirds (in fact there's one song that when it suddenly came into my head I was sure was a Rainbirds song, but it was Mia's). (Neile)Mia Sheard is the Discovery Of The Year here at the House O'Muzak. (meth@smoe.org)
i agree with the katharina franck comparison--there's one song on reptilian where she is a dead-ringer for ms. franck. not sure about the jane siberry thing though. strangely, the other two artists mia reminds me of are men: roy harper (again, only at times) and, more generally, martin tielli. the latter is not too surprising since mia seems to be a protege of michael phillip wojewoda, who is heavily involved with martin tielli's primary band, the rheostatics. so, a female martin tielli is how i'd described mia in a nutshell. (woj@smoe.org)
I love her kind of choked-back second soprano voice. I would compare her more to Veda Hille than to any of the other female singers already mentioned. (Riphug@aol.com)
Recommended first album:
reptilian or anemone
Recordings:
with love and squalor
Release info:
1996--self-released--CD 62464
Availability:
See website for availability
Ecto priority:
Recommended
Group members:
Mia Sheard--vocals, mellotron, tambourine, handclaps
Guest artists:
Gavin Brown--drums
Michael Phillip Wojewoda--bass, guitars, organ, tambourine, handclaps, shortwave manipulations
Martin Tielli--guitars, unidentifiables, ambient guitar, sonar
Randall Cooke--drums, oral spoons
Iain McNally--guitar, tambourine, halyards
Andy Creeggan--piano
Danny Michel--guitar
Produced by:
Mia Sheard, Michael Phillip Wojewoda, Iain McNally
Comments:
Edgy, creative rock that always catches me when I give it a listen. The songwriting is unusual and interesting, and walks that fine line between being experimental and being melodic. I'm not sure her cover of "The Story in Your Eyes" was such a good idea, but it certainly is a different take on it. I prefer her own songs, like "Call Me", which is a knock out. This is strong stuff. (Neile)
reptilian
Release info:
2000--Perimeter Records, Suite 1400, 1791 Barrington Street, Halifax, NS B3J 3L1, Canada--81003 0005-2
Availability:
See website for availability
Ecto priority:
Recommended
Group members:
Mia Sheard--vocals, acoustic guitar, keyboards
Guest artists:
Gavin Brown--drums
Michael Keith--all electric guitars, boomerang
Jason Mercer, Maury Lafoy, Peter Murray--bass on 3 tracks each
Kevin Hearn--keyboards on 3 tracks
Kurt Swinghammer--omnichord, mandoguitar, storm noises, treatments
Michael Olsen--cello
Andrea Bettger--violin
Ellen Jung--violin
Daniel Trinh--viola
Michael Phillip Wojewoda--percussion, keyboards
Sjanie McInnis--string arrangements
Produced by:
Michael Phillip Wojewoda and Mia Sheard
Comments:
Like with love and squalor, this is a strong and creative collection, and is perhaps a little stronger. The songs are all individual and powerful and whenever I listen to it I love it--I wish I remembered about it more often, because it deserves more plays than I give it. The overall sounds is like a slightly muddied Katharina Franck singing more mournful songs that the usual Rainbirds fare. The songs are dramatic and strong and with a lot of range but take a while to come into focus--they're just not exactly hook-laden (though "Cover Girl" and "Call Me," a song that appears on both of her albums, certainly are). Despite the fact that it takes a while for the songs to come into focus, this isn't by any means difficult listening hour and they certainly have grown on me. Her vocals are good, and her voice unusual. There's another similarity that I can't quite pick out, besides the Katharina Franck resemblances. There are some Jane Siberry-like resemblances in her creative, unusually literate songwriting. "Call Me" should be a big hit. (Neile)
anemone
Release info:
2002--self-released--P231 51004
Availability:
Canada, or see website for availability
Ecto priority:
Highly recommended
Group members:
Mia Sheard--vocals, electric guitar, acoustic guitar
Dan Goldman--electric guitar, loops
Chris Gartner--bass
Ryan Granville-Martin--drums, piano on 1 track
Guest artists:
Karen Graves--violin on 1 track
Mike Olsen--cello on 2 tracks
Ford Pier--French horn on 1 track
Ron Sexsmith--piano on 1 track
John Sheard--Rhodes on 1 track
Kurt Swinghammer--u-boat, harmonica on 1 track, orcana on 1 track
David Travers-Smith--f-16 on 1 track
Produced by:
Mia Sheard and Howard Redekopp
Comments:
Mia Sheard's third cd is hardly immediate, but once you let it sink in it won't let go. Her songs are strong and her lyrics poetic. A song like "Back in the 70's" is melodic and subtle. It unfolds slowly to a strong chorus and a rockin' feel. The gentle "Sunday" has me thinking about Jane Siberry. It's something to do with the way the vocals are layered, it's done in a very artful, very Siberry-ish way.
It's a lovely album and a worthy follow-up to Reptilian. (stjarnell@yahoo.com)
Further info:
Email mjs@interlog.com or write Missing in Action Music, P.O. Box 65152, 358 Danforth Ave, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4K 3Z2
Thanks to Anna Maria Stjärnell for her work on this entry.
