Miah Summers: Analogue Warmth, Right Out Of Utah
"Analogue warmth," by definition, refers to the character sound that recording equipment paired with a medium creates. This specific term for enhancing a sound was the most ideal title for Miah Summers latest project. The album starts with a mix of percussion instruments, creating a mild flow that transitions into a rhythmic pattern. Each track has a different melodic vibe that transitions nicely while listening to the project in full. With this project being released under the genre of house music, the hip-hop heavy flow from the features mesh extremely well.
Speaking with Miah Summers, he explained how he became the expanding musician he is today. Being based in Utah, and what inspires him to make music. His first project Oh, Diana is mainly him singing over self-produced beats. With his new project, Analogue Warmth balancing out his house production skills and catchy lyrics.
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What are the origins of your unique stage name?
Miah Summers comes from TJ, my first name. The J stands for Jerimiah. So I just take the Miah from Jerimiah and throw on Summers. I went with Summers because thats the type of music I like to make. Around that time and vibe. Miah Summers is a character. Definitely like a vulnerable-ass dude. Somebody who is trying so hard to be themselves in a place where nobody wants you to be yourself.
How long have you been making music?
Since the sixth grade... 2007 for me. Believe it or not, at the time there was a show on Cartoon Network that Andre 3000 was in charge of. On Cartoon Network’s website they had like a game version of it and just play the hell out of it. That’s what got me into music.
What is the first instrument you started playing, and have you learned any since?
Definitely piano. I feel like a lot of people’s first would be that. Just because my dad played. So he put me on. I’m pretty comfortable on the keys. I’m trying to teach myself guitar. I’m struggling. I can play the Uke and jumping from four strings up to six strings is like mind-boggling to me.
How long have you been producing and making beats?
Making beats was probably the first thing I was doing. Up until literally 2019. Then I said “I kinda want to try this singing thing.” Making beats is definitely when it started. I got my first laptop (in) like 2010. (I) got a torrent version of Fruity Loops.
On streaming services the name of your "label" is listed as “Maybe So, Maybe So." Where does this come from?
It’s something I made two years ago. Like 2018. Me and my buddies tried starting a collective and things just did not click. We were all on different pages. I decided I needed like a home of some sort. So I just went out and found a sweet name. “Maybe So, Maybe So” is just me and Elan Blase. You probably saw him on the album.
Who is Elan Blase? He seems to be the most prominent person featured on your tracks.
Elan Blase, that’s my boy Mcky Jones. His middle name is Elan, and that’s where he pulled that from. I met him like my sophomore year, like 2014-2015. This dude would be like rap battling out of lunch. He told me he rapped, and I trusted he could bar out. So ever since then I’ve just been making beats for him.
What’s your opinion or position in the local music scene of Utah?
I love it, man. I want to do more for it, as much as I can. I feel like it’s very competitive. And that’s amongst every facet of design. I know very few artists from Salt Lake that I’ve personally interacted with. Most of the time I’m with people in the Ogden area... this side of Utah.
What does it take for you to want someone to hop on your beats? Or when someone wants to work with you, what do you look for?
I get very picky with what I want, and how I want it to sound. I need them to do something that I can’t do on my own. Be able to add on your creative input. As long as you can make it beneficial in that way, I think it would be a good collaboration at the end of the day.
Have you only worked with people in Utah? Or are you working with people outside of Utah?
It’s like abysmal, bro. There is nobody outside the borders of Utah that I have created with. And it’s a damn shame. I think it’s very hindering to my progress. I set my expectations insanely high with those I want to work with. It’s kind of a curse. I feel like that’s what’s preventing me. It’s mostly myself preventing me from not networking further out.
What are some of your inspirations you pull from. Or what musicians do you look up to?
I am a huge Kevin Abstract fan. I don’t know. I’m just a sucker for that mad vulnerable, soft, shit. I’ll listen to a three minute song, and if I hear a verse that’s like ten seconds that’s fire enough to move me, I’ll create a whole song based around those ten seconds I just heard. Like damn, they captured that so well in such a short amount of time, I want to give it a new light. I begin off of that. I’ll hear a BROCKHAMPTON song, maybe a Bearface verse, and think its gorgeous. I want to recreate that. Maybe a Flume beat. It begins with listening to music.
Now that Analogue Warmth is out, what’s next?
I’m working on a project that I’ve named “Over Heaven." Still working on it lowkey. I want to reverse-engineer it. Like shoot the cover first. Then make songs that draw from that image.
Stream Miah Summers here