MIVA’s latest EP, High Priestess, doesn’t ask politely to be understood. It pulls you into a beautifully warped world where distorted saxophones snarl like electric guitars, vocals bend out of shape, and sounds that shouldn’t coexist somehow lock together. Beneath all that controlled chaos lies MIVA’s sharpest instrument: poignant songwriting rooted in heartbreak, hard-won clarity and an almost defiant belief in hope.
We tapped in MIVA for a quick conversation about turning overthinking into creative fuel, Billie Holiday’s influence, extreme blind hope, and more.
1. What sparks a song for you? Is it a sound, the production, a lyric, a mood?
Part of my creative process is to live as much life as possible. Actually experience life in its entirety, including heartbreaks, wins, existential doom and glimpses of hope. As the visual aspect is a big part of what I do, I often get inspired by photography, movies, long walks and moments from life I tend to dwell on or maybe even unnecessarily romanticize a bit too much, but I’ve come to the acceptance of that part of me a long time ago, so I kind of learned how to alchemize unnecessary overthinking into something fruitful and creative.
my creative process is to live as much life as possible. Actually experience life in its entirety, including heartbreaks, wins, existential doom and glimpses of hope.
After that I kind of start connecting dots, what certain things make me think, in terms of sounds let it be a certain bass pattern, a synth that eludes an exactitude of a feeling and later on a particular instrument, I’ve been obsessed with brass instruments this past year so you hear it pretty much all along the High priestess EP .
As for the lyrical part, I started as a writer, writing was my safe place in some very dark-tough times starting my childhood, so that is always an extremely cathartic moment, it comes very natural to me to dive and dissect my inner world, state of mind or a certain moment and interaction I’m trying to conduct a song about.
2. What’s something outside of music that shapes your creativity?
Well, I’m almost 3 years sober so my journey into my spiritual, mental and physical health unbeknownst to me became a huge drive and force of my creativity. I meditate a lot which was something I despised deeply as I always thought that I had better things to do hahaha. Little did I know, it became one of my most powerful tools nowadays, I’m able to see, hear and create more clearly. My mind became more sharp and less preoccupied with outside noise, let it be social media or things maybe I have absolutely no control over.
I also got into weightlifting a couple of months ago and as I was already a high-achiever and sometimes an annoyingly driven person now I’m like 10 times more of that. It showed me that as long as you show up everyday and put in work you will 100% see results, regardless if one day is better than the other one, you showed up for yourself, and sometimes that is all it takes , which is extremely inspiring to me.
3. What do you hope people feel after sitting with your new tracks?
I think the first thing that comes to mind is that the High Priestess is an extremely emotional but powerful piece of art. I go in depth about today’s climate of relationships. People are scared to be loved, to be vulnerable, literally to feel anything besides internal gain and prioritization of things that might not even matter in the long run. Where we are right now, we more than ever lack human connection while having apps and ways of interacting and finding people that share our values and morals.
It’s also a project of extreme and blind hope, I refuse to be a callused human being, I believe that hope and love starts with each and every one of us, I decided not to be an asshole despite things that happened to me a long time ago and I highly advise it to others; there’s just so much more on the other side of the spectrum, trust and believe.
It’s also a project of extreme and blind hope, I refuse to be a callused human being
4. Was there a line or a sound that just kept coming back to you?
I listened to an obscene amount of Billie Holiday while making this project, so saxophones would always be roaming around my ears on a daily basis. Hence why I used so many throughout the project but of course stylized in my way. On (“Do You“) as I wanted to make a very sultry but almost metal infused R&B song it took me a couple of months to figure out how I can make a sax sound like an electric guitar, almost driving myself crazy but I did it. That’s the type of insanity I choose in my life hahah, and I’m okay with that. Producing my own music is a gift and something I’m proud of especially in todays climate where music resides.
5. Is there a particular moment from your recent releases that people should take a second/third/fourth listen with?
Honestly all 4 tracks are an entity and ecosystem in themselves. It’s a constant myriad of sounds that shouldn’t go or work together but they somehow do, it reminded me of Frank Ocean a lot in some ways, somebody I admire a lot, because he was never boxed in when it came to production. But, if I had to choose, I’d say “Witch Doctor” and “Do You” are definitely the ones.
6. What does being fearless in your craft mean to you right now?
I love this question so much, you have no idea hahaha! The reason being is because the phrase: “Fear is the killer of creativity”, is almost like a mantra that comes to my mind so much. I think for me, most importantly, is to be unapologetically, almost disgustingly yourself. You are you, and I am me for a reason, we all have to contribute something into this world, so why be afraid of my own voice and ideas. Ideas are a gift, and the reality is that if you won’t do it someone else will.
Essentials
