Miesha Louie (right) and Sean Hamilton are bringing their two-piece band, Miesha & The Spanks, to Saftas on Thursday, February 25th. Photo submitted/>
By James Rose
Special to The Pioneer
Miesha Louie is coming home. Not for good, but just long enough to leave a reminder that the valley has the means to produce outstanding musicians.
On February 25th, Mieshas two-piece garage rock n roll band, Miesha & The Spanks, will be rocking Saftas with their signature blend of originally composed, high octane rock and roll. The show is part of a mini-tour taking place throughout B.C.
Audiences can expect a show with lots of energy, colourfully described as a swirl of punk chords emerging from a shambling old garage down some twisting back alley.
Miesha grew up in Invermere and graduated from David Thompson Secondary School. Bruce Childs, local musician and school teacher, was a big influence on Miesha. He taught me ukulele (I was in the Silver Strings for three years), and then guitar, and always pushed me to write and perform. I think a lot of what Ive accomplished is due to his encouragement, which led me to believe that I absolutely could do anything. Ive never looked back from choosing music, and I cant imagine that I ever will!
After high school, she then went to live in Calgary and has been rocking the city ever since. After playing in a number of different bands through the years, Miesha appears happy at the moment performing in the duo format. She only started performing with her current bandmate, Sean Hamilton, this past November, but the two have known each other for the past decade. They also work together at a breakfast diner.
For reference, the bands music has been compared to The Runaways, Karen O (of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs), and White Stripes. Well-known Calgary Herald music writer, Mike Bell, has nothing but strong reviews. Shes only getting badder and better, writes Mr. Bell of Miesha, (and) only going to get more powerful in her preaching. But for now, bow down for Calgarys reigning rock goddess.
The band is in the midst of writing, recording, and booking performances for a busy 2016. The band also has an upcoming album to be called Girls Girls Girls coming out soon. The spring, summer and fall will focus on touring and playing festivals both in Canada and overseas, and promoting singles from their forthcoming record.
As far as her songwriting goes, Miesha uses love as the primary influence for her musical expression. I write a lot of love songs and stories, sometime based on my own experiences and sometimes what I see around me, she says. Love is sort of a broad term though, and almost every song ever is a love song anyways.
This will be the first time Miesha brings her latest band to the area and she is super excited at the opportunity.
I havent even been home for a few years so Im not sure what pals are still kicking around, but Im looking forward to seeing some familiar faces and catching up on whats been happening in the valley.
The show gets underway at 7 p.m and there will be no cover charge. For more information, visit their website at www.mieshaandthespanks.net.
