When I started Indie Insights, I knew I had to have Misha Penton on! As you’ll see through this interview, she’s a true artist in every sense of the word, pushing boundaries and redefining what it means to be a multidisciplinary artist. Her work is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. She’s a true inspiration.
She was a pleasure to work with and an even bigger inspiration to draw from. In this interview with Misha we delve into her creative process, her fearless embrace of technology, and the delicate balance between artistic vision and practicality in the music industry. Enjoy!
Hi Misha, thanks so much for taking the time to chat with me! You’re coming off a brilliant new release called “Earthshine” which you celebrated with a truly one-of-a-kind art show. It’s one of the most unique, interactive ways I’ve seen an artist do a release. Can you tell me about it?
Thanks so much! For the release event, we created a beautiful and immersive music and dance environment. The performance was part of an open arts studio happening in Houston’s arts district. My new music video, “Earthshine” was a visual backdrop for our show. We performed short sets throughout the evening as the audience enjoyed our performance in a come-and-go fashion. In-between sets we socialized and the music video played. I also set up an art table where people could play with markers and crayons and leave guest book notes; plus, there was a social media photo-op area.
Because the music I make has experimental and avant-garde influences, it works well as a sound installation — people can experience it in different ways: they can sit and listen or wander through the performance like an exhibit. I was joined by guitarist George Heathco and laptop musician Chris Becker, and dancers from choreographer Toni Valle’s 6 Degrees Dance Company. We performed as the Misha Penton Collective.
Something I admire about your work is how you don’t just make music, but you’re involved in so many other artistic endeavors, like dance and painting, and installations and film. How do you meld all of these together into one cohesive brand?
It’s very natural for me to meld my interests. My work is multidisciplinary and lends itself well to theatricalization, meaning that I easily combine music, video, dance, costumes, and art with live and mediatized performance — this approach is built into the way I think of music.
My journey as an artist has had a lot of challenges because I have big ideas: like if I want to make music videos, I better learn how to do it myself! The same with recording. I’m not a one-person show — I collaborate a lot and I’ve worked with pro studios, engineers, and cinematographers — but now I do most of the music and video production myself and I love all the technical details of what it takes to bring a work to fruition.
How do these different streams of artistic expression contribute to your overall creative vision?
My work usually begins with lyrics that I write inspired by mythology or fairytale — so right there I’m starting down a road that becomes multi-layered quickly. I’m embodying a character or storyteller as a singer and I begin to imagine the world this character inhabits — where does she live? What does she wear? This often leads to creating a film world for the song. I know this sounds elaborate but it can be done beautifully and simply. I filmed the video for “Earthshine” myself, in my living room with one light and a fabric backdrop. Part of being creative is recognizing the constraints I work with and using those limitations to my advantage.
One of the things I so enjoyed about working with you is how creative you are. We’d be talking strategy on the new music video or mapping out your release show and you’d come up with all these truly whimsical, one-of-a-kind ideas. Can you elaborate on your creative process, from conceptualization to the final realization of a project?
I begin with a theme and lyric ideas. Then I do a lot of vocal improvisation and movement: connecting the voice and body. From there, I usually craft what I think of as the lead vocal and I record that and then I add vocal track layers. The lead vocal, which is often very dramatic and neo-operatic, weaves in and out of lower voices that are more avant-pop sounding. Once those vocal tracks are solidified, I work on the instrumentation and underlying sound world. Recording and mixing are part of my compositional process. It’s a backwards approach, in a way, writing the vocals first rather than chords and melodies, and recording while I’m writing, but it creates interesting music with many layers and unexpected harmonies. By this time in the process, I have a vision for the look of the images, cover art, video, and what I want to do for a live performance.
I’m also a painter and I like to incorporate visual art into my work. For “Earthshine” I made limited edition watercolors with handwritten lyrics and I always make a beautifully designed PDF liner note booklet to go with a song, EP, or album — so, graphic design is also part my process; and I work with a mastering engineer to finalize the music. Once I reach this point, a lot of the non-musical work takes over: streaming release file prep, PR planning, the social media campaign, copyright, PRO registration, and live performance planning…
It was super helpful to work with you on this release! You helped me craft a focused narrative about my work and articulate my vision, and you gave me a zillion ideas about how to engage my audience on social media and in live settings. Our process made it easier to share my work because I got very clear on how I communicate about my music.
For the “Earthshine” music video, you dabbled in AI to enhance the videos textures, and really bring it to life in a new way. I think a lot of musicians are nervous about AI, but you found embracing it to elevate your work. Can you share more and offer advice to artists who may be on the fence about AIs role in their music?
I ran my video clips through an AI video generator. I used the altered clips as an overlay (composite) with my original video, so the resulting effect is a subtle animated look. Overall, I’m excited about AI in the arts. I think it’s a powerful tool that artists can use creatively. It’s here and we can’t stop it, but we can learn to use it. It is (and will be) easy for AI to generate generic music, images, and video. So, be creative! AI is in its infancy — I’ve spent a ridiculous amount of time trying to get good results from it — it’s just not that smart (yet!).
Based on your experiences and achievements, what advice would you give to indie musicians looking to carve out their own niche?
Get out into your community and build real-life connections, a real-life audience, and a niche for your music. Social media is a wonder and it’s an important component of every musician’s work, but music is most powerful in person. I see many friends and colleagues become discouraged because they’re not making a big impact on social media — but how are you interacting with and reaching people in your town or city, IRL? There are so many ways to do this: from house concerts for ten people, to giving workshops, to festival stages.
Start where you are and go from there. And seriously, ask yourself why you’re doing this — any answer that feels right to you is the right answer but be honest about your motivations.
I think you do a great job balancing creativity with the business side of the music industry. How can artists navigate the balance between creative expression and the practicalities of the music business?
Be resourceful and creative with your limitations, ask for help and collaborate, but learn to do things yourself — it’s part of being an artist.
What’s one piece of advice that’s always served you that you’d like to pass on?
Do your own thing and ignore everyone else. Keep an eye on what’s going on, understand your market and niche, but don’t get sucked into the abyss of comparing yourself to others.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Surround yourself with positive friends, collaborators, and mentors who are also out there doing their thing.
____
“Earthshine” music video on YouTube
“Earthshine” release party live performance excerpt (Vimeo)
Misha Socials
Website: https://mishapenton.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mishadiva
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/misha.penton
Spotify: Misha on Spotify
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/misha-penton/622676817
Bandcamp: http://music.mishapenton.com
Streaming: Links to streaming platforms