For the second edition of our Down in the Valley Sessions – shot at the first ever Down in the Valley festival in Napa, California, earlier this year – we return to the picturesque panoramas of Napa’s Hills Family Estate to hear two songs by indie- and folk-pop singer-songwriter Miya Folick. “Nothing to See” and “Get Out of My House” are both tracks on Folick’s most recent release, Roach. But here, backgrounded by Napa County’s iconic rolling, pastoral hills, she trades in the angered, energetic, and gritty rock and pop production elements for a tender guitar duo – with collaborator and bandmate Jacob Ungerleider accompanying with background vocals and guitar.
The most compelling singer-songwriters, regardless of genre, are able to command with their lyrics and melodies in any context, whether full, studio album production or quiet, simple, solo accompaniment on guitar or piano. Great songs will always shine through, no matter the musical trappings. Of course, Folick is right at home in these contexts – she’s even toured supporting Down in the Valley hosts and curators The Head and the Heart – but this setting somewhat surprisingly highlights the folk and down home underpinnings to her fully realized sonics of her albums. This is a fact she leans into in many more scenarios than our Down in the Valley Sessions – she’s even released an acoustic cut of “Get Out of My House” as a single, anticipating listeners craving a version of the above performance they can return to again and again.
Our Down in the Valley Sessions series was shot by Brad Wagner and recorded by Juan Soria of I Know We Should. Watch for a handful more weekly installments from our shoot.
Video Credit: Brad Wagner, I Know We Should
Audio Credit: Juan Soria, I Know We Should
