Lisa Miller
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Current revision
- For the fictional As the World Turns character see Lisa Miller Grimaldi
Lisa Miller (born 1961) is an Australian singer/songwriter known for her clear, bitter-sweet voice and poignant semi-biographical songs.
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Biography
Miller grew up in the Melbourne suburb of Chadstone, the daughter of social realist painter Peter Miller. Her elder brother Lewis Miller, is also a painter, and won the 1998 Archibald Prize.
She started writing songs at 14 and has memories of being in a folk music duo with a friend: "I played flute, she played guitar and sang, and we wore matching paisley dresses that went to the floor, and played at coffee houses where people drank hot chocolates with marshmallows."
Her first serious musical outing was as vocalist of the rock group The Hepeleptics in the 1980s (while working as a secondary school teacher), then as vocalist and guitarist in The Whole Shebang. In 1989 she took an extended trip to the USA to see friends and hear as much music as possible in legendary locations (Memphis, Nashville, Austin, New Orleans, San Francisco, Hawaii). She returned to Melbourne and formed her own roots rock band, The Trailblazers (later known as Truckasaurus) with Mark Ferrie (ex-The Models and Sacred Cowboys). They favoured original material by Miller or Ferrie. She also sang in the trio The Everlovin' O'Sheas. Of these early ventures only The Whole Shebang and Truckasaurus issued any recordings.
In 1995 Miller released two independent EPs as a solo artist: Do That For You and All Worked Out. Her debut album, Quiet Girl with a Credit Card, followed in 1996 and was produced by Graham Lee (ex-The Triffids). It was also issued in the U.K. on Demon Records, to date her only release outside of Australia. It was three years until her second album, As Far as a Life Goes (produced by Barry Palmer. She was nominated that year for the Best Female Artist ARIA Award - a remarkable achievement given the lack of major label backing and the mainstream nature of the ARIA Awards.
After sorting out troubles with record companies, Miller released an album of cover versions in 2002 for the fledgling Melbourne label Raoul Records (run by her husband). The album, Car Tape, found Miller in a country-soul vein and was a critical success. As on earlier recordings, Miller's choice of cover songs leant heavily towards U.S. male singer/songwriters. Miller's profile - while still small outside Melbourne's inner-city suburbs - began to grow. A new backing band contained seasoned session musicians, she received further ARIA nominations, and Car Tape has gone on to sell over 10,000 copies.
In 2003 she released her fourth album, Version Originale, a CD of original compositions, that was also warmly received by critics.
With her band (featuring guitarist and producer Shane O'Mara), Miller has been a sporadic live performer in and around Melbourne, with forays up the east coast of Australia. She has played with Billy Bragg and toured Australia with Neil Young. She has also appeared on recordings by Australian musicians David McComb, Tim Rogers, Tex Perkins, Andy Baylor, Barb Waters, Doug Mansfield, Amanda Brown (of The Go-Betweens) and David Chesworth. At one time she was managed by the late Mick Geyer, but is now self-managed.
Her latest release is the EP, Pushover, which features five songs recorded live on the 2003 Neil Young tour. She was again nominated in the Best Female Artist category at the 2004 ARIA Awards, at which - once again - she was beaten by Kasey Chambers.
Lisa collaborated with composer Amanda Brown on a number of songs for the award winning film Look Both Ways but only one song (entitled Eleven) made the final selection.
In 2005 she recorded a version of the Split Enz song I Hope I Never for She Will Have Her Way, a compilation of female Australian and New Zealand artists peforming the works of Tim and Neil Finn.
She plans to commence recording her fifth full-length CD in early 2006.
Discography
Albums
- Quiet Girl with a Credit Card - 1996
- As Far as a Life Goes - 1999
- Car Tape - 2002
- Version Originale - 2003
EPs and Singles
- Do That for You, EP - 1995
- All Worked Out, EP - 1995
- Hang My Head, single - 1996
- Wipe the Floor, single - 1999
- Pushover EP - 2004
Compilations
- She Will Have Her Way - "I Hope I Never" - 2005
Film Soundtracks
- Mullet - Various Artists - 2000
- Dirty Deeds - Various Artists - 2002
- Look Both Ways - Various Artists - 2005
Awards & Nominations
- 2002 Nominated for ARIA awards: Best Female Artist (Car Tape); Best Independent Release (Car Tape); Best Adult Contemporary Album (Car Tape); Best Original Soundtrack Album (Dirty Deeds)
- 2004 Nominated for ARIA awards: Best Female Artist (Version Originale); Best Adult Contemporary Album (Version Originale)