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| The Rainmaker Media Group Adds Miriams Well to Their Roster Hailed by one local radio host as "one of the most exciting bands to come out of Portland in a long time", Oregon-based singer/songwriter duo Miriams Well draws deep inspiration from the classic rock era of the late 60s and early 70s-when artists were bold and free to make sweeping social statements-while bringing a much-needed ragged edge of truth into the indie music world of 2010. Though vocalist Mir German and her co-writer, guitarist and producer Mark Bowden are popular on the blues festival circuit in the Pacific Northwest, they're the change-up-the rocker relief in between the blues. Their highly anticipated full length debut Indians and Clowns features collaborations between Mir and Mark, as well as songs co-written by them with renowned songwriter Lee Garrett ("Signed, Sealed, Delivered"). The Big B.A. on KINK radio 101.9 in Portland said it all about the powerful impact Miriams Well makes and the way they rise above the soundalike clutter in today's crowded independent rock market: "When you listen to hundreds of new releases every year, it's refreshing to hear one that has soul and lots of feeling to it. Miriams Well hit that spot for me." Wonder if B.A. knew when he said this that they probably could have been just as big a phenomenon in another time on another coast. Long before the two met up in Oregon through a Craigslist ad and began working on their first session, Mir's war protest driven single "Not Coming Home" in 2008, they were Boston-based musicians working on the edge of each other's musical circles. Mir was performing as a solo singer songwriter, doing her fair share of "busking" in Harvard Square until she left New England to pursue the same path in Portland in 1996. Mark was the "go to" guitarist for many local singer/songwriters before he moved there in 2006. Though Mir originally wanted Mark to join her band as a guitarist, she quickly realized they were onto a deeper collaboration. She began playing her songs for him and he instinctively came up with ideas that took them to exciting new heights. She wanted to borrow his acoustic guitar for "Not Coming Home" and the more ideas he threw out, the more she realized he should produce the track-a truly accidental "audition" that developed into one of Oregon's great ongoing indie rock success stories. Mir also introduced Mark to Garrett, whom she had co-written numerous songs with over the past few years, and the guys formed an instant friendship and creative partnership. Garrett co-writes three songs on Indians and Clowns: "War No More and "Waiting On A Plane" (with Mark) and "Big House" (with Mir). Over the past few years, Miriams Well has performed at numerous Portland hotspots, including Doug Fir Lounge, Someday Lounge, McMenamin's venues, White Eagle (a rock venue at the Kennedy School) and the Roseland Theatre. The blues promoters fit Miriams Well's gritty, irony free, classic rock vibe perfectly into their lineups at such annual events as Portland's Waterfront Blues Festival (the largest festival in the West), the Untapped Festival in Washington, the bi-annual Sunbanks Festival near Grand Cooley Dam (MW was the first band ever to be asked back twice in one year) and the Remember Jerry Festival in Sandpoint, Idaho, which commemorates the legacy of the late great Jerry Garcia. When they perform in L.A., they are regulars at Life on Wilshire, a songwriter showcase venue run by Grammy Award winner John Jones. Writing and recording the kind of songs artists created in a time when "you could write as if your your heart was on your sleeve, " Miriams Well on Indians and Clowns creates a nine song collection that is, according to Mir, "the album I always wanted to make, one that is quintessentially me." A few examples: the passionate ballad "Big House" was written late in the Bush era about her desire that the dark political culture of the time would just fall apart so that we could start fresh. The raw, organic "Diamonds" has a political undercurrent-with Mir saying she can't wear jewels that were obtained through deadly mining processes-but it's also about asking ourselves if we dare take the plunge into love. CD released September 2010. The Rainmaker Media Group is an indie PR agency servicing unsigned bands and artists nationwide since 1995. write your comments about the article :: © 2010 Jazz News :: home page |