Mia Joy Announces 'Celestial Mirror' EP, Shares New Track "More Green"
Mia Joy “might be the next venerated sleep-rocker in the game” (FLOOD). Today, Joy announces their new EP, Celestial Mirror, out November 10th on Fire Talk Records, and presents its lead single/video, “More Green.” Celestial Mirror sees the Chicago-based musician move from one stage to the next, as she delves further into her explorations on identity, self expression and the people who have touched her life. The first new music since 2021’s dream pop master class, Spirit Tamer — which saw them tour alongside the likes of Sharon Van Etten, Squirrel Flower, Triathlon and more — Celestial Mirror showcases more of Joy’s trademark ethereal indie pop, enveloping listeners in a shroud of gentle, personal hymns that both intimate & warmly inviting.
Lead single “More Green” is quietly stirring, exploring intimacy in all its shapes and forms. “What does it mean to hold a tenderness without a name?,” Joy asks atop a silk bed of instrumentation. “‘Cuz your eyes keep changing colors // every time I see them. // A little more green // every time I see them.” The accompanying “More Green” video — directed by David Hagen — was filmed around Joy’s homebase of Chicago. An earnestly sweet accompaniment to Joy’s lush track, the “More Green” video sees Joy sporting butterfly wings and a genuine smile, surrounded by a cast of her real-life community, including Joseph Farago of Joey Nebulous, Ella Williams of Squirrel Flower and more.
Joined by band members Michael Santana (lead guitar), Michael Mac (bass), and Jake Stolz (drums), Celestial Mirror was recorded straight-to-tape (and mostly in one take) at Santana’s home and Chicago’s Bom Bom Studios. You can hear the homespun touches across the EP, from the barely-there subtle melancholy of intro “Alive” to the delicate harmonies of “Fourth of July,” which refracts into a vulnerable, engrossing lullaby. “Time is a teacher // so teach me how to love // without the fear of cost,” Joy sings, a concise declaration of intent. Celestial Mirror gradually peels back the layers of what it meant to open yourself up to love again. The gleaming instrumentals which make up the backbone of closing track “That’s a Lie” tie any loose threads together, while acknowledging the necessity of human connection. To Joy, that’s the beautiful in endings: that they allow for newfound potential to take shape, a reminder that we’re never quite as alone as we think.