Mija: Prime Example of People who Produce for Pure Love of the Music and Nothing Else

Amber Giles (Mija) was preparing for her early morning set at Bonnaroo Music Festival, when Sonny a.k.a. Skrillex, approached the DJ booth. Before it even hit her, she found herself up on stage playing back to back with him. This was totally unplanned and it completely blind-sided their audience; after all, it was about 6 a.m.! I personally was not there, but after listening to their crazy set (link posted below), I didn't find it hard to imagine myself at Bonnaroo, physically witnessing them absolutely KILLING IT on stage. As a listener, I can guarantee you'll want to get up and start shuffling or do some other sort of funky dance. Their set made headliners across the EDM community a few months ago, which definitely helped get Mija's name out. It's not hard to recognize her amazing potential when listening to her tracks, so I have no doubt in my mind that she's got what it takes to succeed in this predominantly male sector of the music industry.

• Where are you from and what influenced you to start producing electronic music?

"I was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona. Just moved out to LA a few months ago. I have been a DJ for about four years, and producing for less than one. I was always interested in producing, but I became really inspired after I played my first festival, Bonnaroo. That was when I realized that if I wanted to keep playing big festivals, I would need to produce original music. Plus creating my own music is much more personal and resonates with my fans."

• What were you thinking/feeling when Skrillex agreed to play b2b with you?

"It was actually his idea! I remember him saying "We should go b2b sometime" and not even five minutes later it was happening. The whole thing was really surreal. I didn't think too much in the moment, I was just so excited to play. It wasn't until the following day that it really sank in. It was a game changer for sure."

• What has been your most fulfilling moment so far as a producer?

"This most recent release "Crank It" which we just put out on OWSLA has been the most fulfilling. It has been in the works for months, but was well worth the wait. The amount of support Ghastly and I have received from the label and our fans is unreal."

• Being a female in a predominantly male sector of the music industry, have you found it more difficult to get your name out?

"I don't think so. Even when I first started, I was getting a lot of gigs in Phoenix and went on to develop my own weekly night. I think that people only take you as seriously as you take yourself. If you mean business, others will reciprocate that. I never had to do anything silly like use sex appeal to get myself out there. Just do [you]."

• Do you think this makes you more motivated as a female to prove that girls are just as capable of producing high quality bass music as men?

"I just wanted to have fun making music with my friends. There was never any expectations or anything to prove. It's really cool though that I can be an influence to other females out there that may feel at a disadvantage. It IS a male dominated industry, but male/female stats aside-- if you're good, then you're good."

• If you had one goal you hope to achieve in the upcoming 2015 year, what would it be?

"I have a lot of goals for 2015, but I think my main one would be to sign with an agency of my choice and travel as much as possible. I want to see the world and draw inspiration from different places."

• Do you have any specific people/things/events in your life that have helped you spiritually to grow and strengthen your desire to become a renown EDM producer?

"Definitely. There's always the people from the very beginning that believed in and motivated me to keep doing what I was doing. I would give a mega s/o to the Kalliope crew. They brought me to Bonnaroo and Burning Man, both of which have been massive growing experiences not only an artist, but as a person too. Working with the OWSLA squad these past few months has also helped me grow tremendously. I've gotten the opportunity to meet/seek advice from insanely talented producers, not to mention the rest of the crew who are really making shit happen right now. Seriously some of the most genuine people I've ever met, straight up. They inspire me to stay in the game for all the right reasons."

• Do you hope to set an example or send a message as a role model to your fans? If so, what is it specifically that you hope to resemble?

"Of course! That's the best part, I think. In my mixes, I try to tell people that you don't have to conform to one particular genre or style. We all like different kinds of music, and when I'm performing I want my fans to know what I'm all about-- not just a fraction of it. I also want to set an example for anyone who's trying to ride this same wave. It's bumpy for sure, but it really just comes down to continuous hard (and smart) work, surrounding yourself with real people, and taking yourself seriously. Make music for YOU. People feel that."

It's obvious that Mija knows what she's doing. If you haven't heard of her before, now you do and she's only going up from here. She is heavily supported by OWSLA which is an amazing accomplishment on her part. Her badass repertoire is evident by the way she carries herself in a professional yet spunky fashion driven by independence and ambition. Her desire to produce sick beats and share it with the world is all the motivation she needs to succeed in this industry. Get used to hearing about Mija because I am fully confident in saying that her name is one you'll be seeing on many festival lineups and shows throughout this next year, and nobody will be left disappointed.