Mitski
The singer-songwriter’s latest album, Be The Cowboy, debuted at No. 4 on Billboard 200 chart. She’s been working on it since 2016.
She told Rolling Stone she began writing songs about her life while she was still living in Brooklyn. After moving away from New York City, she moved into a house in Los Angeles where she wrote more music.
Her debut full-length record, Puberty 2, came out in 2017. Her sophomore effort, Bury Me At Makeout Creek, dropped earlier this month.
Early life
Mitski Miyawaki was raised in Kentwood, Washington, where she attended Kentlake High School. She began playing piano at age five and became interested in music while listening to her father play guitar. At age seven, Miyawaki moved to Seattle, Washington, where she lived with her mother, stepfather, and younger sister. In 2007, Miyawaki graduated from Garfield High School in Seattle.
In 2008, Miyawaki enrolled at Cornish College of the Arts in Portland, Oregon, majoring in songwriting and vocal performance. While attending school, Miyawaki performed in several bands including the band The Griefers, whose members included fellow future musician Jack Antonoff. After graduating from college in 2010, Miyawaki relocated to Los Angeles, California, where she worked as a waitress and bartender.
Miyawaki later returned to Seattle, where she formed the indie rock band Painted Shut and recorded three albums. Her debut album, Puberty 2, was released in 2012; it received critical acclaim and earned her comparisons to artists such as PJ Harvey and Kate Bush. In 2013, Miyawaki signed to 4AD Records, releasing her second studio album, Be the Cowboy, in February 2014.
Miyawaka’s third full length record, Shrink Dust, was released in 2016.
Career
After enrolling at Hunter College in 2011 to study film, Mitsuki decided to pursue music instead. She switched schools twice during her studies, eventually transferring to SUNY Purchase College’s Conservatory of Music, studying studio composition. There, she met Patrick Hyland, whom she had known since high school. He convinced her to move to Brooklyn, where he lived, and suggested that she record some songs for him. Mitski agreed, and soon enough, she was recording demos for what would become her debut solo album, Lush.
Lush was released in 2012, and it received critical acclaim. Pitchfork called it “a gorgeous collection of lovelorn pop,” while Rolling Stone described it as “an artful blend of heartache and beauty.” In 2013, Mitski signed to 4AD Records and released her follow-up LP, Retired From Sad, New Career In Business. This album too received rave reviews, with NPR calling it “a masterpiece of emotional vulnerability.”
In 2014, Mitski moved to Nashville to write and record her next album, titled Puberty 2.0. She wrote most of the material herself, and co-produced the album with producer John Congleton, who had worked with artists like Fleet Foxes and Bon Iver. The album was released in April 2016, and it debuted at number one on Billboard 200 chart.
Mitski toured extensively throughout 2016 and 2017, playing sold out tours across North America and Europe. Her live performances are often accompanied by visuals projected onto screens behind her. She performed at the Governors Ball Music Festival in June 2017, and headlined Lollapalooza in August 2017.
She played at the 2018 iHeartRadio Music Awards, where she won Best Alternative Album. She also played at the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards, where she was nominated for Artist to Watch. At the ceremony, she performed her song “Your Best American Girl”, which features rapper Lil Wayne.
In October 2018, Mitski announced via Twitter that she was pregnant with her first child. On January 24th, 2019, she gave birth to a daughter named Birdie Rose.
