Sophomore disk from Esterhazy artist

There’s no doubt that listeners will hear a difference in this album in hearing the vocals stand out more with all those little nuances which really let the lyrics and song writing stand out.

— Musician Katie Miller

Esterhazy musician Katie Miller is about to release her sophomore recording.

Miller said her ‘A New Day’ disk will be a bit different from her 2015 debut ‘Silverflower’.

“There’s no doubt that listeners will hear a difference in this album in hearing the vocals stand out more with all those little nuances which really let the lyrics and song writing stand out,” she told Yorkton This Week. “I also made a conscious decision to have a couple of songs on the album that are just me with my acoustic guitar, which is what listeners would hear if they were to see me perform solo.”

The new album really grew out of the experience gained with ‘Silverflower’.

“After many live shows of promoting the release of my debut album, ‘Silverflower’, released in February 2015, I knew that I had to come up with a new stripped down approach to my next album and making it sound truer to my live sound,” said Miller. “So in lieu of session musicians, I played all the acoustic guitar on the album, along with harmonica, and I had the musicians that play with me for my live shows record the remaining instrumentation: Kathy Travis (bass), Shaun Bleich (cajon, electric guitar) and Thomas Roussin (mandolin). Music producer, Jared Robinson also made musical contributions with piano, cello and percussion …

“It’s been quite the learning experience from the first album to this one, in addition to learning the ropes of radio play, and who I am as a songwriter. My hopes are for this album to reach out to people, especially with my platform on mental health, as it has become a passion of mine and a topic that fortunately, is losing its derogatory stigma of the past.”

The song writing behind the CD has also taken a step in Miller’s mind.

“These songs are more personal than ever: I share a piece of my soul in the songs on this album,” she said. “From songs that touch on teen suicide and battles with depression to finding light amongst the darkness to my passion for the environment and prairie landscape, these songs are all a part of who I am and what I believe in.

“I couldn’t be more honest in the songs that made this album. It was through the recording of this album, that I knew I needed to make a difference with my music and decided to make this album a platform for mental wellness with half of my album sales being donated to the Canadian Mental Health Association …

“My favorite song is the opening track of the album, entitled, ‘What You See’, which is about overcoming self-doubt. I wrote it for my husband, my rock, who has always believed in me, especially during the times when I didn’t believe in myself. I probably would have never followed my music career if it wasn’t for him.”

Miller said the new CD is exactly what she was hoping for.

“I couldn’t be more pleased with the way my second album turned out,” she said. “I was a huge part of the production, working side by side with music producer, Jared Robinson, on many of the decisions and it always came down to Jared asking, ‘What do you want, Katie?’

“So it meant many road trips to Moose Jaw where Jared’s studio is, but it all paid off in the end, as the sound of the album is exactly what I was aiming for: honest, pure and powerfully personal.”

Miller chose Nebulus Entertainment in Moose Jaw for the recording sessions, with producer Jared Robinson.

“Not only is Jared a talented music producer, but he is also known for his design work and photography. Jared did the photography and design for my debut album, ‘Silverflower’. I was really impressed with Jared’s talents and decided to have him work on the entire project with my sophomore album, on both the studio production and album artwork,” she said.

The new album will be officially released March 25, upon which it will be available for purchase on-line via bandcamp.com, iTunes and through Miller’s website, katiemiller.ca. The website will also list local store locations where her music can be purchased including locations in Esterhazy, Churchbridge, Saskatoon and Yorkton at Fuzztone Music.