Arts
Jeff Miller and I go way back – back to the days before cell phones, when MTV played music videos, before the Matrix, before YouTube and the internet as we know them were invented. Back in OUR day, all we had were trumpets and trombones and marching band trips. And we liked them! The best way I can introduce you to Jeff Miller and his work is, I think, through the lens of how I re-introduced myself to him over the years as lots of high school friends do, by liking precisely one facebook photo of the other person per year, just enough for it to not be creepy. I’ve seen for the better part of the past two decades what Jeff is as a singer-songwriter – touring, putting in the work, playing for intimate crowds, releasing albums steadily. What I didn’t understand before our conversation I do now, or at least I think I do a bit better. Jeff is a multi-instrumentalist primarily playing looping guitar, which will make more sense as a concept once you’ve listened to our chat. I am an unbiased journalist when I say he’s quite good at what he does. He’s Nashville-based and hits the road seasonally across the eastern US as he books, tours, plays, and loops. What follows is a refreshing and super fun conversation – yes – between two old high school buddies who are playing catch up after decades, but it’s a lot more than that. Jeff Miller has really put in the work and through a lot of exploration and tenacity has found a version of success that’s on his terms, by his own hand, grown-up workable, and allows him to keep producing the art he’s passionate about. Stay tuned at the end of the episode for a sample of Jeff’s music as we outro to a song from Jeff’s 2016 album Loops, titled Cinquantuno. I got a lot of encouragement and wisdom from this conversation and am glad to share Jeff Miller’s verse. #VerseShow comprises conversations that give voice to creators, their process, their struggles, and the celebrations of their work. It's an interview podcast with a bend toward curiosity about the creative process.