Miller leans on her Catholic faith to confront her fears in her upcoming independent album. Marie Miller, the Catholic singer/songwriter/mandolinist, is back in action with a brand-new single from her upcoming 2020 album, Little Dreams. The work will become her second full-length album when it releases on March 27, and it will mark her first release as an independent artist.
Miller debuted the title track, featured above, in late January. The tune is driven by a gentle, pumping guitar line that is accompanied beautifully by a small chamber orchestra. The bridge is especially nice as she builds the sound with an accordion synth that quickly fades out to a tender moment where Marie’s gentle vocals perfectly mesh with long-held chords from the orchestra.
The lyrics of “Little Dreams” touch upon the uncertainty that Miller experienced when she made the decision to leave her long-time label of 10 years. Once she made her choice to strike out on her own, Miller says she felt liberated, but soon became troubled by self-doubt. In a press release, she said of the work:
“The songs are about being afraid, but taking that first step even when you’re scared,” she said. “It’s about believing in yourself even when you don’t feel like you can do it.”
The album, which explores this theme in many aspects of the artist’s own life, clearly shows the influence of her faith in overcoming these feelings. Little Dreams contains several tracks that overtly express her Catholic faith, such as “Don’t Look For God,” “Homeland,” and “More Than What I See.” The album will also contain a bluegrass/gospel rendition of “Wayfaring Stranger,” in which Miller displays her exceptional mandolin skills as well as a splendid belting voice to be reckoned with.
Miller was raised in the Catholic faith, but she was inspired to bring it to her music after reading Pope St. John Paul II’s 1999 Letter to Artists, which taught that, “Beauty is a call to transcendence. It stirs in us a hidden nostalgia for God.” JPII’s letter inspired Miller, who came to realize that her music and lyrics could “potentially invite listeners to come into contact with their heart’s deepest longing — the longing for God and Heaven.”
Marie believes that of all her music, this album comes closest to that goal. She said:
“‘Little Dreams’ is a song about trusting in your abilities and believing in what you can accomplish even when you feel small and insignificant,” stated Marie. “I knew I wanted to name the album Little Dreams almost as soon as I finished writing the now title track, because I believe each one of us has a unique quest, something only we can do to make the world more beautiful, more humane, more fraternal.
“If it feels like we’re too small, it’s a mistake. The video for me is a dream come true! Director Joel Robertson created the perfect world of dreamy colors and textures. It begins with a quiet feeling of hope which grows throughout the video to perfectly capture the emotion of the song.”
Little Dreams is set to release on March 27, 2020. To keep up with the many updates that are sure to come between now and then, visit Marie Miller’s official website.
