FEATURED IN TAXI NAVIGATOR January 12th 2008

TAXI NAVIGATOR DECEMBER 2007 ISSUE
Taxi’s membership has now surpasses 12,000, and some exceptionally talented bands and writer/artists are emerging from the ranks of the industry’s preeminent independent A&R service. Whenever we locate a particularly viable act, we give you the lowdown in this space; the rest is up to you.

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MISHA WILLIAMS
The stunning open-mic performance of 21-year-old Misha Williams at the TAXI Road Rally got us to thinking, who was the last young female pop artist to break without a big boost from American Idol or the Disney Channel? Avril Lavigne, maybe? Michelle Branch? Nelly Furtado (before she got the hip-hop makeover)?
OK, so we haven’t actually done the research, but it’s safe to say that this sector of mainstream music has been way under-represented during the last five years. Not only that, but former teen-pop princesses haven’t fared especially well as they’ve entered their 20s, and other young performers have had their vocal limitations exposed on national TV. It’s gotten to the point where we tend to view any attractive young woman who comes along singing a pop song with a ton of skepticism.
So, does young-skewing female pop not powered by TV or tabloids have a future? Of course it does. In fact, you might reasonably say it’s way overdue for a comeback. What this presently barren sector needs is an injection of fresh, genuine talent – a young female with the right combination of actual vocal chops, hook-laden, relatable material, beauty, presence and – most of all – class… Someone like Misha.
“Sometimes people tend to put you in a category based on assumptions that have nothing to do with who you are,” says Misha. “For instance, they might put me in the category of Britney Spears or a dance-pop artist, whereas my music is nothing like that. Because I’m so interested in the musical aspects of it, I decided that I wanted to go in a more sophisticated direction, where I’m playing with other musicians as well as playing by myself. So that’s the direction I’ve headed in, and I’ve found that people take you more seriously as an artist when you can do those things.”
In the songs on her first album, Take It Like It Is, written while she was still a teenager, Misha expresses the modern-day adolescent experience with clarity, authenticity and an underlying sense of affirmation. The lyric of “Condescending” could serve as her credo: “I may be young, but I’m not dumb… I may not know what I want, but I do know what I don’t.”
“I have a really soft spot for kids,” she says, “and I really want to be a good role model. So I’ve always tried to make sure that my lyrics come across as appropriate for kids, and hopefully inspire them as well, and let them know that you don’t have to just become the image of what everyone wants you to be. That’s a huge part of what I’m trying to do.” Misha, it appears, is an old soul.
The album is out on the U.K. indie Johnny Boy – a label formed by her producer, John Ravenhall (Kylie Minogue) specifically to launch Misha’s career there – and was picked up for Japan by the Avex Group. We can’t read the Japanese reviews, but U.K. online zine Music Entertainment Focus posted a rave, hailing Take It Like It Is as “a strong debut from a very promising talent. It’s refreshing to hear a young girl singing about actual issues and experiences rather than cooing inane lyrics over an R&B beat. To quote her own song back at her, ‘She’s got it. There’s nothing she can do about it.’”
Misha did a U.K. promo tour as well as playing a number of schools, inspiring the male students at one private school to take off their ties and swing them over their heads in response to one number, which she found particularly gratifying – “ridiculously awesome” is how she puts it. She also toured Japan, where she did her best to be accommodating to the local customs. “I ate some weird stuff,” she says with a laugh.
The songs Misha is writing these days are just as relatable, but in a more universally human way, showing a maturity beyond her years. Says Jason Blume, a Nashville-based veteran who has written songs for Britney Spears, Jesse McCartney and the Backstreet Boys: “Misha has the total package – the look, the attitude, the personality, the determination and the talent. She writes songs with everything they need to get on the radio, and she’s got the voice to deliver them. I suspect this young lady will be very successful.” No wonder he’s started co-writing with her.
“I want to be in the industry for a while,” says Misha, “and I want to make fans who’ll stay with me, so I don’t want to do anything that excludes people. I enjoy listening to fun dance music, but as a person with ideas and creative passion, I want to use my creativity to accomplish something that’s good for other people. People who are in the public eye sometimes don’t think about that , and I just want to be responsible.
“The thing is,” she continues, “I don’t want to make it all about me. I know that probably sounds funny in an industry that revolves around publicity, but I think it’s a good balance to kind of check yourself and say, ‘You know what? I’m not just doing this for me. I’m doing this so that I can give something good to other people. I’ve thought about that a lot.”
You’re probably thinking Misha’s too good to be true. So were we at first, but she’s totally for real, and we are not worthy. Neither are you, but with her help you can change – and keep you gig in the process. At this point you could use a guardian angel, especially one who’s destined for stardom. Consider this our holiday gift to you.

Written by Bud Scoppa

VISIT MISHA'S PRESS PAGE TO SEE THE PUBLISHED ARTICLE