STOLI TRIES TO FIND OUT WHO TIM MILLER REALLY IS

If you have been following Skoped Out you know that I love all music. I am a sucker for male singer/songwriters. From Dave Matthews, John Mayer, Jack Johnson, Peasant, Rob Thomas, Matt Costa, Brad Nowell, Bob Marley and the list goes on. My next guest I caught after seeing his animated video for “Who I Am” on Youtube. The video and the song are unique and Tim has found a new fan. Also check out his new EP “Sessions Lamar” out next week on September 22!

Stoli: What events & experiences led you to pick up your guitar and begin your journey into a music career?

TM: Broadly speaking, it all goes back to my parents. They were always so great about exposing me and my brothers and sisters to music and the arts.  It’s really only because of them that I developed such a strong appreciation and love for music. 

Now, if I were to focus in on a certain event that led me to pick up the guitar, it would have to be when it came time for me to pick an instrument to play. It was in fifth grade and I chose the flute. After a year of lessons in school, it became pretty apparent that, if I wanted to survive the sixth grade, I should consider changing instruments.  With this realization, I switched to guitar and have been hooked ever since.

Stoli: Your new EP “Sessions Lamar” is coming out this month. Why are so many artists opting to put out EP’s as opposed to full albums?

TM:  I suspect it’s all related to the shift in the distribution model. We’ve returned to a scene dominated by singles and with an EP as compared to an LP, it seems artists can more regularly release their music into the new distribution channels offered by iTunes etc.  That being said, I love albums – there is something about taking the time to listen straight through an LP that really resonates with me.  Often times, the album as a whole tells a story that you won’t get from a single. I’d like to continue making them – I hope other artists do as well.

Stoli: With an EP you only use a few songs. How did you decide what tracks you wanted to include?

TM: I just sat down and thought about the songs I really wanted to present in a stripped down manner.  Say Hello, Man Overboard and The Point made the short list.  I then tossed the idea out to those who came out for my shows to see what they thought about it.  They seemed to like the idea so I recorded them.

Stoli: How has being from the Dallas, TX music scene helped you advance as a musician on a local & national level?

TM:  Dallas has a vibrant local music scene with some great club owners that really support it.  Pascale Hall from Opening Bell Coffee and David Card over at Poor David’s Pub are just two of the many.  For travel, it’s pretty convenient in that it’s centrally located in the country.

Stoli: Your website is one of the coolest sites I have seen for a musician in a while. With so many options these days like Twitter, Youtube, Sonicbids, how do you manage all these entities to help reach new fans?

TM: My main priority is to keep my website up to date and interesting for people to visit.  Once that is taken care of, I tackle the rest of the sites I am on.  That being said, I typically try to allocate only a certain amount of my time to social networking sites – I find they are notorious for taking as many of your waking hours as you’re willing to give to them.

Stoli: It is very clear to me that you play music for the love and you are an incredible musician. How does it make you feel when you see mainstream radio push a mediocre musician just because they were on American Idol or on TMZ?

TM:  There’s a lot of great talent out there and I try not to get caught up in who is being pushed and who is not. I really just aim at keeping my head down and doing my thing.  I’m very lucky in that the Internet provides me with a way to connect with people out there who are genuinely interested in finding music that, by industry standards, is flying under the radar.

Stoli: You play shows all over the US very frequently. How do you manage your home life and still play your heart out night after night?

TM:  Simply stated – my wife rocks.  She’s my biggest fan and the biggest believer of what I do.  That makes it very easy for me to give my all at every show regardless of where I am.

Stoli: How did you grow as a songwriter & musician from putting out ‘Out of the Box’ to ‘Adelaide’?

TM:  I think most importantly, between Out of the Box and Adelaide, I grew as a person just like everybody else.   At the time it came time to write Adelaide, I had a deeper well of experiences to dip into.  My outlook on some things evolved and I was able to bring a more mature perspective to the songs.   After writing the songs, I spent a lot of time developing them through live shows.  I wanted to be sure I was effectively communicating what I was trying to say.  In this regard, I really let them breathe for a while before taking them into the studio.  Another difference between the two albums is that with Adelaide, the producer (Chris Bell) and I spent some time with scratch versions of the songs. We mapped out where we wanted to go and planned out ahead of time as much as we could. This really helped us hone in on what our vision was in terms of a final product.

Stoli: I have watched various live videos of you. What is your favorite part of playing live & what techniques do you use to connect with audience?

TM: Connecting with the audience is definitely my favorite part of playing live.  As a songwriter, there is nothing more satisfying than someone in the audience who has let one of your songs into their life.  I’m not sure as far as techniques are concerned. I just be myself and try to leave it all out there.  At that point when you’re on stage – let it go – it just is what it is. 

Stoli: These are scary times we are living in with the recession, H1N1, war, etc. How can music help the people cope through tough times?

TM:  By tapping into the human condition, the right song has the unique ability to connect to both the individual and the masses. In this regard, music penetrates on a number of different levels, consciously and subconsciously.  Among other things, it can provoke thought and reflection. It can provide inspiration and hope. It can be therapeutic. It can spark realizations and awareness. I know of no other medium that can do this and, it is because of this that in my opinion, music can help people cope through tough times.

Stoli: What is the perfect time and mindframe that you must be in to record & write new music?

TM:  Every morning I make some coffee (or get some depending on where I am) and pick up the guitar.  I usually know pretty quickly whether or not I have a song in me.  I really just try to feel it more than anything.  If it doesn’t feel right, I’ll put down the guitar and come back to it later.

Stoli: It has been said that women love a man with a guitar. Has this been true for you & how much does your love life play into your lyrics?

TM:  Well, I think it’s more true for a man with a guitar than a man with a flute (unless you’re Ian Anderson of course).   My love life, past and present, has found its way into some songs.  Other times, I am making observations or putting myself in particular hypothetical situations and writing from that perspective.

Stoli: What is coming up for Tim Miller & where can readers get more from you?

TM:  I am currently writing for my fourth release and will be posting new songs for you to check out on my website in the TimTV section.  I am hoping to have the new release out by summer 2010. Also, we just released an animated music video for Who I Am, a song off the second album.  Feel free to visit me anytime at www.timmiller.com – it’s always open.