Mihka Chee I Was Better Interview

Mihka Chee I Was Better Interview

NZ multi-instrumentalist Mihka Chee releases debut single, -I Was Better' featuring burlesque and string section at Record Crate, Sydney Launch.

A tongue-in-cheek breakup song about forcing the past to stay where it belongs, -I Was Better' is the debut single from NZ multi-instrumentalist Mihka Chee. An ode to getting off the couch, putting the ice cream down and switching off the rom-com, this track blends 60s girl group harmonies with bright surf pop riffs.

Hailing from the land of the long white cloud, Mihka now resides on Sydney's northern beaches where she's been nutting away at her upcoming EP, -Both'; a melange of pretty and personal indie pop with tiger-sharp teeth. -Both' was recorded over five days at Housefox Studios with Ryan Miller (Black Rheno) producing and Oscar Dawson from Holy Holy (Ali Barter, Alex Lahey) mixing. -I Was Better' is the first taste of the forthcoming 5-track EP.

In addition to a set at Housefox Fest, 22nd April amongst 16 other local and interstate acts, the -I Was Better' single launch show will be held at The Record Crate, Glebe on 29th April, including a special 60s-themed opening performance from burlesque artist, Rosie Rivette, and live orchestral strings.

Mihka is a self-described music nerd from way back; she attended her first music lesson when she was a day old as her Mum bundled her along to one of her sister's violin lessons, and happily spent much of her teenage years in smelly band rooms. Launching her solo project in late 2015, Chee has since acquired a strong local following, including at the fabled Newtown Social Club, and with a killer monthly residency in Manly.

Mihka Chee releases -I Was Better' single independently via iTunes, e-stores and streaming platforms worldwide on Friday 28th April.

Listen here

Interview with Mihka Chee

Question: What inspired the I Was Better, single?

Mihka Chee: I had just received an email from my ex after ages of not hearing from him and it brought up all these past feelings. It's a breakup song but is also about frustration at myself for not being able to let the past go. Writing the song helped me to process all of that and I hope it comes across a bit sassy and not overly serious, because that's what I was feeling at the time, but people can make of it what they want to.


Question: Did you have any pre-conceived ideas about the music industry?

Mihka Chee: I have had some experience of the industry, back home in New Zealand, so I think I am coming into the industry here with a little more awareness than I would have if I was just starting out. It can be glamorous at times but can also be fickle, so I've come into it with the mindset to enjoy every minute and make the most of every opportunity. I guess I try not to really think about the industry so much and to focus on continuously improving my craft.

Question: Do you write your own songs? What's your inspiration?

Mihka Chee: Yes - I get my inspiration from life experiences. The themes of my EP are centred around love, identity and relationships. More recently I've been writing about things like self doubt, fake people and what happened with my old band back in New Zealand; what it could have been, how I made a bit of a mess of the situation, but that how it turned out was probably for the best in the end.


Question: What music/artists do you listen to when you are not playing your own?

Mihka Chee: I listen to a lot of 90s rock/pop stuff like Incubus, Third Eye Blind, Everclear, No Doubt, Sublime and so on. I'm obsessed with Jeff Buckley (I have a tattoo of one of his lyrics) and Gary Clark Jr. There are so many cool Australian female musicians that I love too, like Ali Barter, Ecca Vandal and Meg Mac.


Question: What's next? Tour/Album/Single?

Mihka Chee: I'll be releasing my EP soon and hopefully take my band on the road for a bit. Then it'll be either the next EP or maybe an album. I'm going to New York at the end of the year so I'm really keen to collaborate with artists over there.


Question: Was there a moment you contemplated throwing in the towel?

Mihka Chee: I kind of did throw in the towel for a period of time (about 3 years) before starting this solo project - I took a hiatus from music, sold out and got a corporate job. I just wanted to see what my life would be like without music. Turns out it was really boring and I felt like I wasn't being true to myself.


Question: Do you prefer performing live or recording?
Mihka Chee: I really love both. With recording, it feels safer in a way, and there is so much magic that can happen in the moment when you're in the studio. Sometimes you can be stuck on something for ages and it feels like you'll never get it right, and then you finally get it and it's the best feeling. Playing live, everything is so immediate and you have to bring the energy because what you put out is what you get back. I get such an adrenaline rush from playing live. I wish I could do both all the time.


Question: What/who was your inspiration to go into the music industry?

Mihka Chee: I grew up playing violin and piano so I was the biggest music nerd. Picking up my dad's guitar was an act of rebellion because I didn't see violin as being a particularly rock star instrument. I used to see female musicians playing in rock bands and I just thought it was the coolest thing ever. Frontwomen in bands like Killing Heidi, No Doubt and Fur Patrol (NZ) inspired me and I've been in bands since I was about 14. I got hooked on playing live from that age and luckily my parents were incredibly supportive of my band activities - my mum used to wait in the car and do her university study while I had weekly band practice and my dad once drove my band 8 hours from Wellington to Auckland after a gig.


Question: What is the biggest challenge you have faced along the way to your musical success?

Mihka Chee: Myself. I have an almost crippling level of self doubt but my passion for music has carried me through the mental barrier. I used to get terrible nerves before gigs and they're still there but I feel like I mask it a little better now. I always get so awkward about showing people my music and I'm my own biggest critic which has held me back several times.


Question: What's a typical day like?

Mihka Chee: I get up just before 6am, go for a short run, shower, have breakfast and then practice for as long as I've got time for before work. It's a habitual thing, drilled into me from years of hour-a-day practice on violin and piano (an hour on each instrument). I hated it at the time but it gave me a lot of discipline. I practice for at least an hour again when I get home if I have a big gig coming up. Weekends are more for writing, when I have a bit more time.


Question: What has been your favourite part of becoming a music artist?

Mihka Chee: Meeting amazing people. I've been so lucky to work with people who are as passionate about music as I am, who are incredibly encouraging and supportive and lift my music to the next level, that I wouldn't have been able to achieve by myself.

Question: If you could collaborate with another artist, who would it be?

Mihka Chee: There are so many! Margaret Glaspy would be awesome, or Sia - she's an amazing pop songwriter.


Interview by Brooke Hunter