It’s a wonderful day when I get to write about an artist that lives in my neck of the woods! Seriously, it has been crazy how many Pennsylvania and Ohio artists seem to be coming through these days. What is going on out there? Nevertheless! Today the PNW is in the house. Micki XO is an eclectic indie artist from Portland, Oregon. She is back with her brand of dark, synth-heavy bedroom pop in the form of an infectious new single entitled, “Fake Gold,” released last Friday, October 21st. She’s also performing live at the American Legion Post 180 in Milwaukie this Saturday, October 29th.
An introspective writer, Micki XO lyrically covers an array of topics in her songs. From mental health to self-love to relationships. In doing so, her ultimate goal is to make a deep and artistic connection with her audience. She has performed at a number of venues across Oregon and has aspirations of touring more, regionally and internationally. A true artist, she has expressed that the ultimate goal, however, would be for someone to connect with her music in a way that helps them through a dark time, just as music has done for her at different points in her life. This very concept is effectively the basis of the new single “Fake Gold,” as it is about the feeling of being stuck in a cycle. Always ending up back at square one. The lyric “fake gold” is used metaphorically regarding a desperation she felt to appear outwardly normal, while struggling internally. “Shiny on the outside, cheap metal on the inside,” as she at one time concisely described it. She explains further:
This song is deeply personal to me. I have bipolar disorder, and I was misdiagnosed for years with depression. I would break down about once a year, and it always came down to one thing: that I felt utterly hopeless and that I felt like no matter what I was doing, I wasn’t getting better. I was stuck in this prison that my mental illness had trapped me in. With the help of therapy and a proper diagnosis, I am doing much better now. In fact, I’m happier than ever! But this song was written when I was in a dark place. Music is my therapy, and I use it to get all the dark parts of my life out, so that I can focus on the good and positive aspects of life and be my bubbly self as much as possible.
“Fake Gold” is a soothing, yet powerful song intended to make you feel seen and heard. Intended to make you feel like you are not alone, and you most definitely are not! I hope that it will invoke the feeling of being held in a warm hug of understanding for you, just as it has done for me. Micki XO also offers her entire catalog on Bandcamp at a ridiculously low price, $4.20 (I see what you did there young lady). So, if you are a Bandcamper like me, this is a fantastic find and a great way to show your support for the arts and an independent artist. Till next time!
Don’t forget to support this project and to follow on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, SoundCloud, YouTube, and Spotify. You can also visit her linktr.ee. If you enjoy her music and are able to provide monetary support, you might consider downloading it on Bandcamp; for virtual concerts, you can go to songkick “Live from their sofa to yours”.
It also helps to stream and share their music; you can obviously find it in the following Playlists: Fresh Singles, Indie Only, Female Rising Stars, 12 New Songs This Week, and Unknown But Essentials!.
Remember that you can always find me here AMS Radio for all my social media and collaborations.
P.S. If you enjoy discovering new artists and fresh new music you can subscribe to this blog Less Than 1,000 Followers and follow the Playlist with all the artists that we have presented here!
This coverage was created via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
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