Breakups continue to inspire some of the world’s greatest songs. Our fragile human hearts need all the comfort we can find during those painful times. And there’s no greater comfort than melody and rhythm. And Miranova provides us with a heavy dose of both on their newest single “Demons.”

Started as a solo project by She Bears guitarist Alex Douglas, Miranova has blossomed into a four-piece adrenaline-chasing rock band. After releasing two home-recorded records, the band decided to partner with John Fintel of Relay Recording to help expand their already developed sound. What Now? is the culmination of hard-work and experimentation, with the album ranging from garage rock to alt-country while still maintaining Miranova’s personality.

“Demons” is a big, emotive anthem in the vein of Desaparecidos or Cursive. Beginning with urgent acoustic strums and Douglas’s plaintive voice, the song abruptly transitions into a fervent, scorching alt-rock banger. With horns and guitar leads waiting around every corner, the song is a melodic feast. Douglas recalls, “This is a song about acknowledging the self doubt that can creep in after a relationship ends. You can start to blame yourself for why it failed, put everything on yourself and attack your self worth.” Between the lyrical themes and melodic excursions, “Demons” encapsulates that yearning for connection that has become so emblematic of these roaring 20s so far.

Miranova has given us a lot to be excited about with “Demons.” I have no doubt that the forthcoming What Now? will feature some of the same stirring subject matter paired with a wide range of genres and styles. Stream the single above, and keep reading for an exclusive interview with Miranova!

Q&A

How has the band’s output been able to remain so consistent even with a rotating cast of players?

It really is a product of luck honestly. I continue to write songs and I have always managed to find the right musicians to be a part of it at the right time. Each album we have put out has coincided with a lineup change. After “Idle” we needed a new drummer and guitarist.

After “Closing Door” we needed a new bass player and guitarist. I have always managed to find someone who was available to play and collaborate. I will also say having the consistent collaboration with Chris, our drummer, has been a big help. He has really helped establish our sound and really stepped forward when working on our new album adding other instruments like piano and organ. 

What was it like arranging and recording “Demons?” Did you have this structure going into the studio, or did it shift as producer John Fintel got involved?

I would say the core of the song was there before we got into the studio. The verse, chorus, and bridge largely stayed the same. Jon really helped with a lot of textures of the song and adding instrumental parts that we didn’t think to add.

We didn’t have backing vocal parts for the song and he wrote some for us. Jon sings like an angel so he tracked them for us too. It’s nice to have another voice in your songs backing you up. Jon really helped the song come alive where it started to sound like a single.

You’ve talked about this being a breakup song. What do you hope listeners take away from “Demons” lyrically?

I suppose this song is less about the actual breakup and more about dealing with the emotional aftermath of a relationship ending and figuring out how to move on. The “Demons” in the song were all of the thoughts that keep you rooted in the past. At the time I wrote the song I think it was at the point that I started realizing that my emotional health wasn’t going to improve until I started thinking differently. I started realizing that I needed to answer the question of who I am now and not think about who I was.

I have other songs on the album about sitting with your grief and trying to understand yourself and how you got there. This is a song about constructing a new version of yourself and looking toward the future. I think the thing I want listeners to take away from the song is that if you are going through something similar, that healing starts with you and not to let the “Demons” in your mind hold you back. At least that is what helped me.

You’ve mentioned there’s a lot of genre shifts on What Now?. How did you manage to keep the feeling in tact? Or, is it meant to be a sonic whiplash from song to song?

I think we embraced the sonic whiplash. Most of these songs were written during the pandemic alone in isolation. The one positive thing I can say about that time period was the amount of free time I had to experiment. I used to write songs with the idea of performing them live in mind and making it somewhat cohesive.

Because I had no idea when that would ever happen again, I think we decided to go in whatever direction the song was taking us and do things differently. If it had a country vibe, maybe we could throw in some pedal steel? Maybe this solo could be on trumpet? I own a few synthesizers so I felt like using them. Chris introduced the piano to our sound. Though we added a lot of elements to our sound on this record, I think at the end of the day the overarching theme still ties it all together.

What are Miranova’s holiday plans?

Well we are throwing a holiday party at Rumba Cafe in Columbus Ohio on December 9th aka our album release for What Now?. Other than that we are going to drink some eggnog, spend time with family, and maybe watch some Holiday movies.

LINKS:
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