Compare The Miaccats....
Swansea ska band Miacca are somewhat different to the average outfit. Ska is quite the underrepresented genre in our city. So how did this four-piece come together? Tia (guitar) explains: “(Vocalist) Smash decided to form a band around herself by asking around and finding the members she wanted,” she said. “None of us really knew each other before Miacca.” Drummer Joe elaborates: “We were kind of milling around the local ska scene with me and Tia in other bands and we were all kind of friends of friends.” Bassist Damon completes the band, saying he came out of nowhere.
So how does ska fit into the city? Smash believes that the smaller size is an asset, rather than a drawback: “There’s a lot of rock going on in Swansea, which is cool. I’m into Ska and Reggae but I love a bit of everything and the lack of Ska in Swansea has given me a chance to branch out,” she says. “I’ve found some lush rock bands. The fact that it’s not that big a city definitely means there is a community vibe to some extent.” Joe has a different view: “Some bands are lovely and there’s some really nice vibes and people who just want to help you out through no benefit to themselves,” he says. “Then there are others that are only interested in themselves. Just like everywhere, there are nice and nasty people.”
Before Damon joined the band, they supported the King Blues at Sin City. “That gig was good because it gives us a chance to play to people who’d never normally come to see you,” says Tia. “A bigger audience and to see how bigger bands handle themselves on stage and how they perform.”
Those in attendance may have seen Miacca for the first time. So what can be expected when they hit the stage? Tia says it’s all about fun: “We don’t take ourselves too seriously. Smash writes lyrics about things that are important to her and to all of us, but a gig is a gig, not a lecture.” Damon agrees: “Punk can be quite political, but you put politics in music to make it more accessible, not to drain the fun from a gig.”
They wrote their initial EP almost a year ago with plans for a full-length record on the horizon: “We’re going to focus on writing the album next year so we’ll see how that goes as to when it’s released,” says Tia. “The EP was so well received that we don’t want to disappoint people. We want an album that’s the best we can possibly do, 100 times better than the EP!”
So with the King Blues joining their growing legion of fans, what does the future hold for Miacca? Damon wants to go full-time: “I’d love to get to a stage where the band is all we did work wise.” Smash has different goals: “Whenever me and Joe are driving to a gig we’re going on about all the huge things we want to do,” she says. “I go from ‘let’s be sensible about this’ to ‘I REALLY WANT TO SUPPORT MADNESS AND MEET SUGGS!”
As well as inviting Suggs, Miacca are playing their unique brand of ska in the Uplands Garage on the 16th September as well as organising a short tour. To hear their music, head to their Facebook page or their Myspace.
Photos: Emily Frances Foot
