Miku Daza — 10 April 2019 on Rocket Shop Radio Hour

Miku Daza joined host Tom Proctor on ‘Rocket Shop‘, Big Heavy World’s weekly local Vermont music radio hour on 105.9FM The Radiator. Catch up with them at facebook.com/mikudaza

On Wednesday, April 10th, Big Heavy World headquarters got to experience a night of nightmare pop with Miku Daza on Rocket Shop. Miku, the lead singer and ringleader of the band, owned the “creepy yet cute” aesthetic with her fully pitch-black eyes, dog-collar spike necklace, snake earrings, and guitar strap held together with bullets. The band also consists of bassist (and sound engineer) Chris, guitar player Mike, and drummer Jeremy. Each band member comes from a different musical background. Miku has performed with a wide variety of musical groups, from a Costa Rican Cumbia group, to a Bulgarian A Cappella group; Chris grew up with a draw to punk music, so the music he plays with Miku Daza strikes a personal chord with him; Mike is strongly influenced by Jimmy Hendrix and metal; and Jeremy has a background of metal and jazz. One commonality that they do share, however, is their fascination with the things in life that make us go, “Wait a second...what?”

Miku has always had an interest in horror. Growing up, she found herself critiquing the things that she was taught to believe and to fear — in regards to existence and the human experience. She coped with this fear instilled in her by asking herself why she was feeling that way, and then deconstructing it. She initially began deconstructing her fear through poetry, and then she began adding self-taught guitar chords to her poems. This quickly “became [her] whole life.” She claims, “This is the only time I’m ever understood, the only time I feel like I can connect to people.”

This idea of accepting the absurdities and horrors of life and “rolling with it” is what makes Miku Daza such a unique group. Miku explains that “we have so much fear in the world, and we need to see through it.” Essentially, fear is something that everyone must come to terms with; Miku Daza has just chosen to navigate their way through it via music.

While the word “nightmare” does imply sleeping, Miku Daza certainly will not put you to sleep. During their live shows, they incorporate carnival sounds into their music, and they have a large clown doll on stilts (whose name is Sugar). They even have a name for their fan base: nightmare babies.

To become a nightmare baby, check out their EP titled “It’s a Fairytale” that came out last year. Also, keep an eye (and an ear) out for their upcoming single titled “Sicko.”

Text by Marisa Iannitto

Photo by James Lockridge.