Singer and songwriter, Miya Folick, sat comfortably on stage accompanied by her two bandmates on either side, Jill Ryan and Jacob Ungerleider, setting the scene for an intimate performance opening for Faye Webster on the Underdressed at the Symphony tour. The audience quietly anticipated Miya’s set — already locked in to the approachable, campfire-esque atmosphere she had curated that night. With the first strum of her guitar, the crowd was captivated and they happily embraced the laid-back, no-frills act. While the set was paired back and simplified, Miya’s performance was anything but.
Born and raised in Santa Ana, California, Miya was ready for the stage from a young age. Taking off to New York University to study acting, she later finished her degree at the University of Southern California with a B.A. from the School of Theatre. During a gap year, an old friend taught her how to play guitar which led her to eventually release her debut EP titled Strange Darling, in December 2015. Soon after the release of her EP, Miya followed up with two singles, “Pet Body” and “God is a Woman” before releasing her second EP, Give it to Me, in November 2017.
Most recently, her latest album, Roach, was released in 2023 complete with 23 songs that effortlessly blend elements of synth-pop, indie-rock, and folk to create an album that feels both painfully intimate, and relatable. On September 13, 2024, Miya released her latest single “La Da Da” — a track that feels like a raw confessional highlighting a firsthand experience of reclaiming your identity in a world that forces us to conform and people-please.
During the show, Miya’s SoCal roots shined through in her soft, indie-rock approach to music that takes listeners on a vulnerable journey, ripe with personal anecdotes and honest lyrics. She pointed out that she loves performing live shows, “because we get to connect,” stating that she “doesn’t want it to feel like a one-sided conversation,” and encourages people to express how her songs are reflected in their own lives. The musical talent was abundant on stage with Jill on saxophone and flute and Jacob on drums, keys, and guitar. Songs played included a handful of the singer/songwriter’s ambient indie-rock tracks like, “Bad Thing”, “Alaska”, and, of course, “La Da Da”.
Her stripped-down performance was a hypnotic, soul-led experience sprinkled with sentiments from her own life that gave listeners an inside look into what inspires Folick’s songwriting and inspired the audience to continue their deep-dive into her music after the set finished. You can stream her latest single, “La Da Da” on Spotify and check out upcoming tour dates on her website.
