Soulful…Powerful…Edgy…Enchanting…

The stage consisted of an extraordinary drummer, a six string bass guitarist, a golf cap wearing keyboardist and an electric guitar player assisting all of the evening’s performers with background music. As the fourth act approached the limelight, I don’t know if it was her bright smile that lit up the stage or if it was the blonde hair. Either way the crowd gathered anticipating something special. As the music began, Midian closed her eyes and a soulful sound flowed out of her lips and into the hearts of the listeners. The up-tempo beat with the boldness and power of her voice along with lyrics set the lounge on fire.

Check out the behind-the-scenes look DMV Unplugged got from the opportunity for a quick sit down with Midian, an artist everyone in the DMV needs to hear:

Trying to gather some simple background info, we wanted make sure that the DMV understood exactly where Midian hailed from and what she had been up to…

I was born and raised in Virginia. My family pretty much bounced around the state and eventually ended up in Northern VA. A little while ago I also used to do some modeling here and there. In New York, I did some runway modeling yet strayed away from that due to some extreme pressures. Pretty much, I got the chance to dip and dabble in it enough to know that I did not want to get very deep into the business at the time.

Influential people? Where does this talent originate…

My grandfather was a Jazz Pianist and my father played the guitar player. I grew up listening to Etta James, Nirvana, Stevie Wonder, and Lauryn Hill. I absolutely love The Fugees. I was always intrigued with the way rappers wrote and the feelings/emotions put into their words.

Growing up I was always around some form of music but really never knew I had a voice. The first time was actually just around some friends and Alicia Keys – “Fallin’” came on and something came out that had my friends saying “what the he**”. After that really, a friend introduced me to Scotty Beats and it was then I began working with a vocal coach. Things were in motion and I was able to figure out my musical identity working with Treasure at Night Flight and he has played a very big part in helping me figure out my sound and style. I give him a lot of credit with helping develop as an artist.

Future projects to be released for the DMV … What is next for the listeners out there …

Oh yes! I am currently working on a mixtape of all my older recordings. I think that artists create so much music and do not get a chance to release it. I don’t want to just let it sit, I want to give people a chance to hear me from the beginning; A chance to experience my growth. The CD will be titled “La Di Da.”

Collaborations with other artists from the DMV…

I just recorded some music with K-Beta and Kingpen Slim. Umm..I would really like to do a song with Terrance Cunningham. Please, quote me on that one!

Paint a picture for the DMV of yourself as an artist…

My style is really a fusion of sounds. You will hear some soul, pop, rock, an influence of many different musical aspects. I play with so many different styles of music which have all been working very well for me. I would say my distinctiveness; it comes from the unexpected sound which comes out of my mouth. There is that factor since many will look at me and do not expect me to sound the way I do.

Are we missing out on anything in the DMV when it comes to music…

Oh no nothing at all! In terms of talent, this area is definitely overlooked. This an untapped market, way too much to choose from in this area. Others are missing out.

Any last words…

I try to take an honest approach and hope people can relate to it in some way. I just want to speak the truth to people and explain the story of my life experiences and what I have been given.

Check out some of Midian’s music on DMV Unplugged:
Midian – Love Won’t Let You Leave
Midian – La Di Da
Midian – Heart Beat
Midian – Breathe