Accomplished roots outfit Mipso will be embarking on a UK/EU tour this fall. To celebrate, the quartet recently released their entrancing animated video for single People Change via AntiFragile.
People Change once again showcases Mipso’s undeniable ability to write beautifully poignant indie-Americana with otherworldly instrumental flourishes throughout. The video is equally stunning, with the art and animation created by Jake McBride. Talking about the single, frontman Jacob Sharp elaborates, “a lot of what I write is centered around articulating loss. My mother died when I was young and I’ve had a normal amount of romantic relationships end… People Change is a different angle on loss, that of a friendship fading away. In some ways it’s a lot more difficult to process, because the loss feels more within your control – the situation less futile – but the impact of the absence is pretty much the same.”
In this interview spotlight, I chat with Mipso about the new project, challenges, technology and more.
Full Q&A along with links and music below.
Let’s dive a little deeper into You, the artist and your music. What attracted you to this genre(s) or style(s)?
We are all from North Carolina. There’s a long history of music and storytelling in our state. Bluegrass, folk and old time, jazz – I mean a lot of those musicians found a deep well in the communities we were raised in and had a big early influence on honing our ears. But we were growing up in the late ’90s and early 2000’s and were certainly tuned in to what was currently popular. A big piece of getting to know each other when we all first met was reevaluating our identity as North Carolinians and trying to learn more about the history of the music of our state. We kind of found a shared love for it together – and wanted to make it our own.
What led you into this journey with music? And further, what drives you to push it out to the public?
A lot of our journey with this music has been driven by each other. We have a deep bond in the band – supporting each others’ musical and just general life growth. I think there’s a healthy belief we share that we wouldn’t be making any music now had we not found each other at the critical time of late adolescence that we did. Life was wide open and we helped each other find our voices – both on our instruments and as writers. We learned we love connecting with people through our songs and shows. It can be such a joy. And now we have this community across the world that’s been built around a shared connection to what we are saying and the music we make. It’s a heavy privilege, you know? And we feel like we have a lot more to learn, and a lot more experiences to share. So I think that’s why we keep answering the call to record and take it out on the road.
Who or what influences your creativity? Have your tastes in music changed over time?
I mean in some ways my tastes haven’t changed – I’m still drawn to music that moves me emotionally and has a unique and solid sense of groove, regardless of the genre. But aesthetically I think I’m in a different zone than I used to be. Minimalist or verrrry specific. Those have been key touchstones lately. Julia Jacklin, The Growlers, Sandro Perri, Lucinda Williams, Elliot Smith, and Kacey Musgraves – they’ve been on heavy rotation these days.
Were you trying to accomplish anything specific on this new project? Creatively or otherwise?
We recorded ‘Edges Run’ in January of 2016 in Eugene, Oregon. It was dark and cold, Trump had just been elected… I was depressed. I think we wanted to embrace that space and heaviness and be real with ourselves in the making of the music. And also we wanted to dive into some deeper musical depths. Todd Sickafoose was producing the album and was a great guide on both of those paths.
What was the last song you listened to?
“Stay High” from Brittany Howard’s new album.
Which do you prefer? Vinyl? CDs? MP3s?
I prefer vinyl when I’m not on the go – both at home and when possible at bars and cafes. MP3’s feel like a necessary evil. I mean, they definitely don’t sound great. But I live in Brooklyn, and a crucial crutch for me when moving about town and dealing with trains, crowds, and the NYC energy is access to all my favorite albums a click away on my phone.
How about this one…. Do you prefer Spotify? Apple Music? Bandcamp? Or something else? Why?
I’ve landed at Apple Music for my basic streaming needs, but if I’m buying the tracks Bandcamp is a no-brainer. They just treat artists much, much better than the rest.
Other than the digital era overwhelming us with access to an abundance of music, what is the biggest challenge you face when trying to connect with or find new fans?
Honestly touring creates a demanding structure within to live your life. I’m grateful that we’ve been able to do it – it’s often such a joyous and freeing experience to be welcomed into new communities across the world and see what makes people and places unique. But it’s been an intense ride and finding balance can take your full attention. Just taking care of yourself, maintaining relationships and a sense of home – I mean that’s a full time job on the road. So I would say with that in mind we often are overwhelmed with nature of access it the digital era too – and decide to live with a little less social media documenting than the analytic masters may like. I recognize true connection and meaning can be created online as well, but it can be a challenge.
Where is the best place to connect with you online? Discover more music?
We’re pretty much the only thing named Mipso in the world. So you can google that and find all things Mipso. Or @mipsomusic on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. All of our albums are online in all of the places. But come to a show! I promise that’s more meaningful.
Anything else you’d like to add before signing off?
I’m feeling really excited about the opportunity to see some new cities and play for y’all in Europe. We’ve known for a while we had people really connecting with our songs over there but haven’t been able to make the jump to a full on Euro-tour. I’m eager to be inspired by the crowds – we’re going to dial in some special shows for y’all.
