Mia Borders

I am falling in love with Mia Borders but I’ve never even met her.  The young 20-something singer/songwriter seduces me with her music and earthy good looks.  When I listen to her music, I am drawn into another world, one where raw emotion, honesty, and a river of desire flow freely.

I’m not the only who has taken notice of this gifted young artist.  In June of this year, Marga Lincoln of the Independent Record in Helena, MT described Borders’ music as sensual, fresh, and intelligent.  Keith I. Marszalek at NOLA.com has said that “Borders is one of those rare young talents that can sing about life, love, and loss and make listeners feel it.”  He has stated that her lyrics are “personal” and “mature.”  According to Marszalek, Borders is “an artist to watch.”

There is no doubt that people are watching and listening to Borders.  Her CD “Magnolia Blue,” which was released earlier this year, was nominated for Best Emerging Artist from the Big Easy Music Awards.  In April, her performance at Jazz Fest was broadcast across the nation.  According to John Writ of the Baton Rouge Advocate, “Media attention for her has grown, too.  Recent press coverage includes mentions in USA Today and The Times-Picayune and reviews in Offbeat and New Orleans Living.”  It’s no wonder she has almost 1200 Facebook fans.

Although young and gifted, Borders is not an overnight success.  She grew up in New Orleans and has always been surrounded by music.  In the late 1990s when she was still just a kid, she began to play the guitar and write her own music.  In early 2006, when she was still a teen, Mia, along with a few talented friends formed a Funk-Rock & Soul group that was quickly hailed as “New Orleans’ hottest buzz band” by the city’s own, Where Y’at Magazine. The band made an instant impression on the local music scene, playing legendary New Orleans stages like Tipitina’s, Howlin’ Wolf, Blue Nile, Carrollton Station, and The Parish at the House of Blues, to name a few.

The sassy Mia Borders walked out onto the Gentilly Stage around mid-day with enough attitude to kick butt the New Orleans way – with her voice, her guitar playing and her very-capable band beside her. Starting things off with “Walk On By”, the lady proceeded to wake everyone up who were unfamiliar with her brand of bluesy-smoke rock & soul. She is one of the guys and is never hesitant to let them know she can run with them full throttle. “Try Me On”, “Somethin’ Burnin’” and the excellent “Use Me” propelled Ms Borders to another level. She can definitely be the next big thing in kick ass blues-soul-funk-rock. With a new CD just coming out, don’t be surprised if she gives popular ladies Gaga, Katy and Nicki a swift kick in the tail and eventually take over their reign, returning the rock throne to it’s proper sound.

With a tight band featuring guitarist Kyle Sclafani, bassist Pablo Gonzalez, and drummer Nick Hingel, Mia has the confident comfortability to do whatever she wants whenever she wants on that stage. They hold down the fort with fat sounds and rock steady rhythms that inspire shouts from the crowd to keep playing. They fit her well.

The smaller stages were where you found the music with a lot more heart and soul. Anders Osborne playing with the Stanton Moore Trio caused the hair on your arms to stand straight up. Shannon McNally, the husky-voiced singer-songwriter, and Chrissie Hynde, performing with JP Jones and their band The Fairground Boys, kicked ass during their sets, proving women know how to rock, often harder than their male counterparts. Add New Orleans hometown girl Mia Borders to the club when she snarled out a throbbing NIN “Closer To God” like it was meant for a woman to sing, and caused all the men in the Voodoo crowd to perk up their ears.

On the second day, one of the city's brightest stars, Mia Borders, stood against the heat of the sun during her early afternoon set on the main stage. Borders, a native of uptown New Orleans, has received great praise in the last few years for her soulful voice, heartfelt lyrics and mellow blues-funk sound, even receiving a nomination for "Best Emerging Artist" at this year's Big Easy Music Awards. 

She said this was her first time at the Voodoo Experience with her band, whom she met through her older brother, and performing on the main stage for her debut was "pretty surreal."

"I didn't know I was playing until September," she said. "It was kinda crazy, but exciting."

Borders' set included songs from her latest album, "Magnolia Blue," as well as covers of Robert Johnson's "Crossroads" and a surprisingly-fitting blues interpretation of "Closer" by Nine Inch Nails.

Borders said in the future she wants to record a cover album with proceeds benefitting the restoration of the gulf. She said she wanted to get people together for a fun project while also helping keep the oil spill in the public mind.

"It tends to happen with disasters; they eventually get out of the public eye," she said. "We're still recovering from Katrina and we need to remind people they need to continue to care; we can remind them with music."

Local artist Mia Borders had only dreamed of days like this. The thought of performing here alone seemed like a high aspiration, yet Saturday afternoon, Borders took to the main stage. A local artist, Borders’ musical journey primarily started due to a physical setback. Rheumatoid Arthritis forced her out of sports, so she switched teams to music, first picking up the guitar at age ten. Like Fitz and the Tantrums’ Noelle Scaggs, Borders had sung plenty of times in public, but never considered making a career out of it. With the help of her brother and a family friend, she started her first band. Borders’ powerful voice contrasted perfectly with her staccato guitar playing; at this point, there is no way her strong set went without notice.

Lagniappe is one of those great vernacularities of the Louisiana Gulf coast. It’s a Cajun term of French and Spanish origin — all is multi-derivational in New Orleans. It means “a little extra.” Like the gal at Krispy Kreme throws in an extra donut to the dozen you buy.

Yesterday at the festival was what I’ve termed It’s All Lagniappe From Here Kind of Day. (Which is the equivalent of what elsewhere would be termed “the rest is gravy.”)

I don’t know what you were doing at half past noon, but I was experiencing the incredible, energetic talent of budding superstar Mia Borders. With her crack band of New Orleanians, the soul sister dazzled an adoring throng at the Gentilly stage.

The question is why isn’t this hot singing gal and guitar slinger a superstar?

When she and her group ripped through a neworleansified funk version of Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth,” my pal Mark turned to me and proclaimed it a Top 10 JazzFest moment. Who am I to disagree?

We were not the only ones in the still arriving crowd up and on our feet.

She acknowledged an empowered female in the audience, wearing a “What She Don’t Know” t-shirt, the term a reference to a Borders tune. But admonished the lass, “Understand, I don’t endorse cheating around.”

She finished her triumphant set, as she often does, with a redux of Bill Wither’s “Use Me.”

When I mentioned to my krewe that it wasn’t a bad thing to be doing at 1:30 on a Friday, my pal Judy added, “The Good Friday.” Indeed.

So blissful was Mia Borders, I knew the rest of opening day’s 5 1/2 hours would be lagniappe.

Mia Borders, "Try Me On" (2010)

Dominated by a dreamy wah-wah from guitarist Kyle Sclafani, Mia Borders’ “Try Me On” initially brings to mind all of the big-hat-wearing, too-tall-bootsy joys of 1970s funk. When her lyric, which starts out sexy and tough, gives way to Adam Matasar’s throwback turn on the Fender Rhodes, the lava-lamp lightning is juuuust right. Yet “Try Me On” — found on her 2010 release Magnolia Blue, from Blaxican/Hypersoul Records — never falls into caricature. Reason: the New Orleans-based Borders has a jazz singer’s cadence, but she writes (and she vocalizes, for that matter) like a blues singer. That extra dash of grit, a flinty sass leavened by the lingering pain of an old heartbreak, gives the tune a dollop of real drama. “I know I’m not what you’re used to,” Borders later purrs, “but I know what you’ve been through.” There’s no questioning her aim, as the drapes are pulled, but at the same time, we get these glimpses of a worldly lover who’s seen a lot — and has the scars to prove it. A memorable twist.

Mia Borders is only 22, but this sultry-voiced singer is creating a lot of buzz in New Orleans.

She’s already caught the ear of an admiring national press.

Her 2010 release “Magnolia Blue,” was nominated for Best Emerging Artist from the Big Easy Music Awards. And her recent debut performance at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival was nationally broadcast.

There’s more than a few predictions that this rising star is destined to shine forth on the national stage.
So you’ll want to be there at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, when she and her band play their unique blend of funk, rock and soul at the Mount Helena Music Festival.
Borders is hesitant to attach labels to her music.

“People have concrete ideas about New Orleans music,” she said in a phone interview from the Big Easy. “But we don’t fit any of those categories.”
Sensual, fresh and intelligent are just a few of the adjectives that spring to mind when describing her lyrics. Add her compelling voice, and Saturday’s concert should make for an unforgettable evening of music.

The Wolf Magazine, describes Borders’ album “Southern Fried Soul” as “pure New Orleans; it’s infused with soul and sex appeal and it oozes musical talent.”
“With emotions as varying as hers, this CD is full of surprises,” wrote Offbeat Magazine. “There’s no telling what Mia Borders will come up with next, and that’s half the fun.”

“Borders is one of those rare young talents that can sing about life, love, and loss and make listeners feel it. With lyrics so personal, so mature, and so direct she established herself as an artist to watch,” writes Keith I. Marszalek at NOLA.com, of Borders’ new release, “Magnolia Blue.”

A native of New Orleans, Borders can’t point to one particular moment that drew her to music. She was surrounded by it all the time and began writing lyrics and playing the guitar when she was 11.

During her high school years, she attended a boarding school in Connecticut, but returned to New Orleans the spring before Hurricane Katrina, and has since made it her home.
She began performing about four years ago.

After Katrina “the music clubs were all struggling for performers,” she said, so there were suddenly opportunities to get gigs.

Through her brother, she hooked up with a band, and they’ve been playing together ever since.

A recent graduate of Loyola University in New Orleans with a degree in English, Borders has been pouring her energy into song writing.

“I’m constantly writing new material,” she said. She will likely have a couple of new songs to share by the time she comes to Helena.

Inspiration for songs comes from reflecting on a truth in her life, she said, or sometimes it’s a word she likes or a turn of a phrase — such as “I keep your picture in my frame of mind.”

This is the band’s first trip to Montana.

“We’re all real excited to come to Montana, especially my drummer,” Borders said. “He’s really into nature.”
“We don’t go out for long stretches of time on tour,” she added. All the band members are married with kids and hold day jobs — as lawyers and a child psychologist.

The band includes Borders doing vocals and rhythm guitar; Nick Hingel, drummer; Pablo Gonzalez, bass; and Kyle Sclafani, lead guitar/vocals.

Translated from German:

Mia Borders is one of the emerging songwriters from New Orleans. With her band, she plays funky rhythm & blues with everyday lyrics. Her current album, "Magnolia Blue" was released in April 2010 and has now been published on Jamendo.

The keyword "RnB" is for me something like garlic to a vampire. As a huge fan of Rhythm & Blues, for me, the very existence of Blues and Soul as a genre permits for the nuisance of recent pop music. However, if under this label the music of Mia Borders is marketed, then I gladly give in.
 
The songwriter from New Orleans doesn’t fit in the corner of the polished pop starlet. If you look at her latest album, "Magnolia Blue," it feels more like being transported to a Blues pub rather than something on the TV screen: Here, a rocking band sings songs that radiate not the least bit glamour, but tell the stories that we encounter in the evening with friends at the bar. It is clear, because life and love are in question and also loss. This will not solve the world's political problems. But one feels that one’s own experiences are recognized and taken seriously. With the simplicity of the song fits the sympathetic, unpretentious voice of Mia: Here is not the celebrated drama-queen posturing of Amy Winehouse, but a woman who is just as aware of her strength as of her vulnerability. And that seemed no longer necessary, though it is.

Musically it is absolutely Funk-Rock or soul RnB. And the high level. “Magnolia Blue” is already the fourth disc of Mia Borders. And hopefully the album brings her a little more attention outside of the States. Singer and band are definitely worthy. A really nice release on Jamendo!

Mia Borders is a new voice from New Orleans, the city that produced so many wonderful voices. Now that’s she’s gotten her degree from Loyola University, the young singer-songwriter is free to devote herself to music.

“I had that normal uncertainty,” Borders said recently about completing her English degree. “But I’m feeling confident about the musical direction that we’re going in, so this is my full-time job now.”

Borders’ second full-length CD, Magnolia Blue, appeared in April, shortly before her New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival debut. She wrote 11 of the CD’s songs and co-wrote a 12th track with her band’s lead guitarist, Kyle Sclafani.

Borders also produced Magnolia Blue. The disc ranges from the title song’s funky blues to the soul and rhythm-and-blues of “Fly” to the classic-rock of “Yesterday.”

In addition to her performance on the Jazz Fest’s Gentilly Stage (the festival’s second-largest venue), Borders’ other recent appearances in New Orleans include a March performance for 5,000 at Lafayette Square and a New Year’s Eve show in Jackson Square for 4,000.

The latter appearances in front of thousands were a huge jump from such atmosphere-rich but small venues as the Maple Leaf Bar, Carrolton Station and Frenchmen Street’s Blue Nile.

“It’s a totally different experience because there’s so much energy to feed off of,” Borders said.

Media attention for her has grown, too. Recent press coverage includes mentions in USA Today and The Times-Picayune and reviews in Offbeat and New Orleans Living.

Playing more often beyond New Orleans since her college graduation, Borders makes her Baton Rouge debut tonight via the Sounds of Summer concert series at 5 p.m. downtown at Galvez Plaza.

Playing Jazz Fest, especially, was a milestone for Borders and her band. The group’s membership — Borders, Sclafani, bassist Pablo Gonzalez and drummer Nick Hingel — has remained constant for nearly five years.

“They’re all about 10 years older than I am,” she said. “They’ve been in and out of bands for longer than I’ve been alive, so it’s nice to have that stability with them.”

Growing up in Uptown New Orleans, Borders seemingly was born for the stage.

“My mom told everyone that I was an Academy Award waiting to happen,” she said. “I was always putting on shows and showing off. I was always singing and acting and being dramatic.”

Borders played piano during childhood but soon found herself drawn to the guitar, the instrument she’s played since she was 11. After getting a full high-school scholarship to a prestigious boarding school in Connecticut, her studies there included classical music and theory.

“It wasn’t really that big of an adjustment,” Borders said of the boarding school in New England whose population included international classmates.

“But it made me realize so much more about New Orleans because people always asked me about my hometown. I started to realize how special being from New Orleans is.”

Borders chose to major in English at Loyola rather than music.

“I didn’t want to be an opera singer, which so many of Loyola’s musicians end up becoming,” she said. “Loyola doesn’t really cater much to ‘popular’ music, so I decided to go my own way.”

Going her own way included forming her own label, Blaxican Records. The label released Borders’ Southern Fried Soul, partially recorded in Nashville, in 2009, as well as this year’s Magnolia Blue.

“I started a record label when we went to Nashville because I wanted to protect myself,” she said. “I’m interested in expanding the label to other artists but that’s more a long term thing. I have to establish myself before I can bring anybody else along.

“For the most part, I think I’m doing what I need to be doing to build the career that I wanna have.”

In the short time between Southern Fried Soul and Magnolia Blue, Borders’ songwriting took a more rootsy route.

“I was in an age group when bubblegum pop was big and so that influenced me a lot,” she said. “As I got older and I listened to more of the older stuff. I don’t necessarily think about going in any specific direction, but the stuff that I’ve written recently is much more in that R&B, blues vein.”

Despite the progress they’ve made, Borders and her band are not yet at a place where they exclusively play original music.

“One-hundred percent original bands are hard to come by in New Orleans,” she explained. “So we throw some Bill Withers and Stevie Wonder in, stuff that people can dance to and recognize and sing along with.”

A specific description of singer/songwriter Mia Borders' music would be "adult contemporary R&B/pop." But the more applicable term, at least according to my dad, would be deck music.

Deck music is a term of my dad's creation, and it includes anything you would want to listen to at sunset or after dark while sitting on a deck overlooking the beach or, in the case of my parents' Lafayette home, a river -- really any body of water -- with a drink in hand.

Deck music doesn't overpower the breeze or crickets, and it's got a groove to get your head nodding and feet tapping, but not so much to compel you to all-out dance. Examples of deck music include Stevie Ray Vaughan, Van Morrison, Bonnie Raitt -- and, as it turns out, Mia Borders.

Wearing a T-shirt that said "MUSIC SAVES LIVES," Borders delivered laidback R&B-tinged rock/pop to a poncho-clad Gentilly Stage audience that included a noticeable number of dedicated fans. Borders even had a pint-sized fan in the audience, prompting what may be the first shout-out to a baby I've ever seen at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival presented by Shell.

"Hi Noah," Borders called out. The kid looked confused as his mother pointed at Borders.

"I'm trying to give a shout-out to a child," Borders said, laughing. "Hi Noah! It's Mia."

The baby [recognized] her, and waved back.

Borders' set was similarly sweet and good-natured, as she and her band spun good vibes, including a great cover of Eric Clapton's "Crossroads," in the face of worsening rain. By the end of the set, though, the rain had stopped, the jams were flowing and everybody in the audience was doing a little grooving, deck music-style.

Get a taste of these great artists at Jazz Fest, then see them live in local clubs later

Ahh … springtime in New Orleans. That means only one thing for many people: Jazz Fest is here! This year marks the 41st anniversary for this world-renowned festival that celebrates the music, food and culture of our wonderful city. Hundreds of musicians, food vendors and artisans will make this seven-day festival the biggest one ever.

While most music aficionados will sample the various musicians during the day at the Fair Grounds, many will pack our diverse music clubs to feast on the full shows of the various artists. Among the best acts to catch in our famous music halls are some of New Orleans’ own funk/blues/jam fusion artists. Their high-energy shows, electric sounds and cool grooves are best seen with a more intimate crowd of dancing crazies. It is in these more cozy clubs where the artists truly shine.

Here is a list of some of the best local musicians to check out this year, both at Jazz Fest and in the clubs:

Mia Borders

Finally, take the time to catch the up-and-coming funky soul singer Mia Borders. Her amazing voice and guitar play reverberates through the clubs she plays. Backed by her high-energy band, her shows are experiences you won’t soon forget. You can see Mia Borders at Jazz Fest on Sunday, May 2, at the Rusty Nail on April 30 and Tipitina’s French Quarter on May 1.

Not since the Spice Girls era has a woman embraced the “Girl Power” mantra and added her own cholesterol building goodness.

Mia Borders’ album Southern Fried Soul is pure New Orleans; it’s infused with soul and sex appeal, and it oozes musical talent.  The album taps into every emotion, making it relatable to the listeners.  Borders ventures into tales of infidelity, lust, and heartbreak, all with her sensual vocals and alluring confidence.

“Sustenance” is a passionate track, mixed with provocative lyrics and a hip-grooving beat that couldn’t be any sexier.  Borders pulls at the heart seams with “The Very Best Part of Me,” singing about reluctantly letting her love go – the perfect break up song.  In “Scream,” Borders brings out her claws after her lover has been unfaithful and challenges his decisions with bold and almost arrogant statements: “You’ll wish [you’d] never done it/You’ll pray it’s all a dream/You’ll start to question/Was it worth it just to hear her scream?”

The album takes so many twists and turns, it’s hard to tell what kind of Borders you’ll get.  Overall, with Mia Borders’ strong, sultry vocals and talented backing band, Southern Fried Soul is finger lickin’ good.

Mia Borders... A Tasty Treat

With an album title Southern Fried Soul, you know Mia Borders has got to be serving up something tasty. Strong-willed, tenderhearted, sharp-tongued, and damn sassy when she needs to be, I’ve always found her sound resonated in the vein of Bill Withers… a compliment I don’t hand out lightly. But don’t just take my word for it; peep the tracks below (including a cover of the aforementioned legend’s classic “Use Me”), and check out this video of Mia playing outside of Jackson Square on New Year’s Eve.

Mia Borders

Southern Fried Soul (Independent)

Following the release of their first E.P., New Orleans buzz band MNSKP brings their soothing soul sounds to Carrollton Station on November 10. The 6-piece band plays cool jazz and funk, but it’s the sultry vocals of lead singer Mia Borders that takes the main stage. The band’s chops are displayed fuller on tracks like “Let Me Know,” but it’s still Mia’s voice that demands full attention. At times naturally soothing, her voice is heard best as it peaks in deeply passionate cries. MNSKP is a young band that demands attention.