Print
E-mail
Comment
Rate
Singer seeks 'much more'
By Jeremy Styron News Editor
Following in the footsteps of Sarah McLachlan and other singers who seem to find catharsis in performing without shoes, Julie Mize of Clayton bares her feet on stage and her soul on her debut album, "So Much More."
"I just sing things that are heartfelt and attack your heartstrings," Mize said. "I sing songs more if I feel them. If I can't feel them, I can't sing them as I should."
Mize, 29, lists artists like McLachlan, Janis Joplin, Jewel and Natalie Merchant on her most influential list. She was 8 years old when she first grabbed her father's six-string acoustic and began plunking away.
"He used to take her when she was just a little girl and hold her in his lap while he played, and she strummed. It was good," said Mize's mother, Debbie.
As a teenager, Mize sang and played in numerous bands and began writing poetry and songs. She has also sung in the choir at Chechero Baptist Church.
Mize began working in August 2004 as an assistant manager at Powerhouse Vacation Homes under owner Julia Mather, who is also the marketing and promotions director for Maysville-based Rogue Enterprises Inc.
"She kept mentioning to me, you know, I sing a little bit," Mather said of Mize.
"She sat down in my kitchen, and I honestly thought a chorus of angels had gone off in my kitchen," Mather added.
Upon hearing Mize's voice, Mather sought out record producer M. Lee Davis Jr. and arranged a meeting between Davis and Mize.
"He listened to her voice, and he said, 'Well, you sure can sing'," Mather said.
In late 2006, Mize and Davis co-wrote the album, recorded and produced in nine 14-plus hour days. Mize admitted working the long hours was a physical challenge.
"It's just all the time, and you've got to stay on your toes, and then, you sleep really well once the day is done," she said. "You just crash out."
The album, which is interspersed with a mix of rock, pop and folk, is set to be released April 25.
Perhaps the most heart-tugging song on the album is the track, "Gone To the Angels," which tells the story of an angel sent to tell a mother that her son was killed in a war.
"There's a poignancy to that song," Mather said. "It just puts you for 4 minutes of just receiving the news that someone is gone."
"It doesn't matter what nationality you are, you are always someone's son," she added.
"And someone cares about you," interjected Mize.
"Gone To the Angels" then fades to an instrumental piece, called a "hidden track" in the music business, which will have lyrics added and appear as the first song on Mize's second album. Though much of the second album is already written, Mize is currently concentrating her efforts on promoting the current album.
Mize recently appeared on a program called "Living Life With Style" on Winder-based WCTV. The show aired April 2-6.
She is slated to perform at 7:30 p.m. April 28 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. Tickets cost $25 and can be purchased at the FAITH Thrift Store on Main Street.
Mize will also perform May 26 at the Chattooga Conservancy building on Warwoman Road. Other local concerts will be scheduled at a later date.
The album is available locally from the FAITH Thrift Store, Radio Shack, Jones Music and Greenleaf Gallery & Gifts.
For more information on Mize's music, visit http://myspace.com/juliemize.
"I just sing things that are heartfelt and attack your heartstrings," Mize said. "I sing songs more if I feel them. If I can't feel them, I can't sing them as I should."
Mize, 29, lists artists like McLachlan, Janis Joplin, Jewel and Natalie Merchant on her most influential list. She was 8 years old when she first grabbed her father's six-string acoustic and began plunking away.
"He used to take her when she was just a little girl and hold her in his lap while he played, and she strummed. It was good," said Mize's mother, Debbie.
As a teenager, Mize sang and played in numerous bands and began writing poetry and songs. She has also sung in the choir at Chechero Baptist Church.
Mize began working in August 2004 as an assistant manager at Powerhouse Vacation Homes under owner Julia Mather, who is also the marketing and promotions director for Maysville-based Rogue Enterprises Inc.
"She kept mentioning to me, you know, I sing a little bit," Mather said of Mize.
"She sat down in my kitchen, and I honestly thought a chorus of angels had gone off in my kitchen," Mather added.
Upon hearing Mize's voice, Mather sought out record producer M. Lee Davis Jr. and arranged a meeting between Davis and Mize.
"He listened to her voice, and he said, 'Well, you sure can sing'," Mather said.
In late 2006, Mize and Davis co-wrote the album, recorded and produced in nine 14-plus hour days. Mize admitted working the long hours was a physical challenge.
"It's just all the time, and you've got to stay on your toes, and then, you sleep really well once the day is done," she said. "You just crash out."
The album, which is interspersed with a mix of rock, pop and folk, is set to be released April 25.
Perhaps the most heart-tugging song on the album is the track, "Gone To the Angels," which tells the story of an angel sent to tell a mother that her son was killed in a war.
"There's a poignancy to that song," Mather said. "It just puts you for 4 minutes of just receiving the news that someone is gone."
"It doesn't matter what nationality you are, you are always someone's son," she added.
"And someone cares about you," interjected Mize.
"Gone To the Angels" then fades to an instrumental piece, called a "hidden track" in the music business, which will have lyrics added and appear as the first song on Mize's second album. Though much of the second album is already written, Mize is currently concentrating her efforts on promoting the current album.
Mize recently appeared on a program called "Living Life With Style" on Winder-based WCTV. The show aired April 2-6.
She is slated to perform at 7:30 p.m. April 28 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. Tickets cost $25 and can be purchased at the FAITH Thrift Store on Main Street.
Mize will also perform May 26 at the Chattooga Conservancy building on Warwoman Road. Other local concerts will be scheduled at a later date.
The album is available locally from the FAITH Thrift Store, Radio Shack, Jones Music and Greenleaf Gallery & Gifts.
For more information on Mize's music, visit http://myspace.com/juliemize.
 |
 |
|
| Vet: Avoid wet pet food | Public voices sewer concerns |
Article Rating
Reader Comments
The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of theclaytontribune.com.
