Turn on your light; I need it on tonight…
F rom physical hugs to inspiring landscapes, paintings, songs and sound waves, comfort and catharsis come to us in many forms – and no matter how they initially manifest, when we feel them, we hold them tight. Achingly intimate and hauntingly beautiful, Jackson Mico Milas’ latest single is an exceptional source of tender warmth and tranquility: A soft, smoldering, and sweetly stirring musical blanket, “The Bay Fire” comes to life as a beacon of strength and security that resonates deep down inside.
Atwood Magazine is proud to be premiering the music video for “The Bay Fire,” out now via Apollo Records. Jackson Mico Milas’ third single release of the year sees the London-based artist (and former High Highs frontman) dwelling in the depths of a fragile, soothing sonic soundscape. Following this past June’s emotionally potent, harmony-rich “Lost in Seasons” and July’s smoldering minimalist uproar “White Noise,” “The Bay Fire” is at once stunningly intimate and undeniably vast: A visceral moment of isolation and inner reckoning orchestrated through a deeply nuanced, pacifying soundscape. Muted pianos, gentle harp and woodwind flourishes, heated brass blows, and Milas’ own up-close and personal voice help make this song the sonic equivalent of a warm, knowing hug. Intense and all-encompassing in the very best of ways, this is the kind of music we take with us as a musical companion for both the best of times and the worst of times.
“This song arrived right after walking in the door from the long flight to Australia,” Milas tells Atwood Magazine. “Arriving in an empty apartment at 9 AM, sitting on the edge of a couch in a silent room alone with an acoustic guitar. I find inspiration striking in such an environment to be very rare as a writer. Initially the lyric was about being in an airport hotel, but it changed. This was the song that gave me the confidence to write and finish an album.”
Reminiscent of artists like American singer/songwriter Gregory Alan Isakov, Toronto’s Mappe Of, and Tom Iansek’s solo project #1 Dads, Jackson Mico Milas delivers an alternative brand of folk that is at once colorful and subtle, calm and turbulent, expansive and insular. Through it all is a resounding ray of humanity that shows up in the artist’s poetic lyricism, his arrangements, his performance, and his silences.
The music video for “The Bay Fire” evokes the introspective nature of the song itself, featuring Milas performing the song alone in a secluded warehouse. Interspersed throughout this main visual are home video-recorded scenes from the past, creating a sense of nostalgia and appreciation for all those not present with Milas (and in turn, with us) today.
Whether they are separated from us by time or physical distance, we carry our loved ones in our hearts wherever we go. “The Bay Fire” is an expression of longing and yearning; of comfort from afar; of the tranquility and serenity of knowing there are those around us who are there for us, even if they cannot be with us right here, right now. Stream Jackson Mico Milas’ beautiful song and music video exclusively on Atwood Magazine.
Atwood is a digital music magazine that seeks out visionary artists and fresh voices with the goal of promoting the arts. The Atwood team is made up of individuals from all over the world that are passionate about art and innovation. We aim to showcase not only incredible creation, but also the stories behind them.
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