About Mia
A storyteller at heart, Mia Stegner views music as an avenue to ask questions, seek answers, and ponder both personal and collective pieces of the human experience. In her mind, no topic is too big or too small to explore, from the risks of treasuring a newfound friendship to the ethereal appeal of bath time.
Mia’s songwriting experience is extensive and eclectic; growing up, she gained a musical foundation from singing in choirs, listening to music, taking piano lessons, and teaching herself guitar and ukulele. She first began writing songs in middle school, as a way to express herself and grow skills as a musician and writer. In high school, she began sharing her work on YouTube, and shortly after released her debut album "Play."
In addition to creating her own music, Mia also loves opportunities to help bring other artists’ visions to life, and works as a freelance lyricist, songwriter, and backup vocalist — from podcast theme songs to informal birthday gifts, she has completed 200+ projects for various clients. Between her personal and freelance work, she’s written hundreds of songs.
She’s also the founder of Cléo's Collective, a creative services & sync company, and the writer/director of Rabbits Under the Shed, an animated musical series.
Recently, she began the music project Germinates (an anagram for "Mia Stegner") to write music with her listeners. Follow along on Instagram or join via Ko-Fi.
"...musical theatre blended with the grit of indie rock...rhythmically engaging and fearlessly self-reflective.”
-Rebecca Cullen, Stereo Stickman
"Consider putting her on your playlists as an act of self-care."
-Amelia Vandergast, A&R Factory
"Mia Stegner is both creatively astute and musically talented, harmoniously voiced and a true storyteller."
-Robin Mumford, The Indie Plug / Our Sound
only some of the roses are red
May 8, 2022
Cover art by Leonie Präsoll
Mixed/Mastered by James Palko
Click here to check out all the cover art entries!
Apples to Oranges, Dust to Dust
October 23, 2021
Written amidst grieving the end of a friendship, coming to terms with moving home due to the pandemic, and navigating an ADHD diagnosis, Apples to Oranges, Dust to Dust wrestles with the aftermath of broken trust, the effects of isolation, and a turbulent sense of self.
"Apples To Oranges, Dust to Dust, is a sensational album – the music speaks for itself. Everything from the lyrical intelligence and purity to the structure, the superb musicianship, and Mia’s own meandering, faultlessly compelling vocal delivery." -Rebecca Cullen, Stereo Stickman
Scribbled Pleas on Yellowed Keys
January 23, 2021
I’m no stranger to introspection, but Scribbled Pleas on Yellowed Keys has felt like the deepest dive into my own thoughts and feelings yet. In this chapter of life, my world has somehow felt both numbingly unchanging and terrifyingly fragile, and I don’t have much of a clue what I’m doing, where I’m going, or what I want.
These twelve songs are a direct response to the way my constant, desperate attempts to understand what’s going on in my mind and heart have intensified over the past few months. The first song, Scribbles, attempts to explain how I visualize this process in my brain; the rest of the album is filled with examples of the internal monologues, questions, and conclusions the aforementioned process has resulted in; and we end with Into Music, a slightly disjointed ode to songwriting as my preferred method of exploring, expressing, and externalizing all of this.
"A quirky, personal indie pop album with stream-of-consciousness lyrics and fantastic fluid songwriting" -@musicimobsessedwith
Painting the Bathroom Green
August 1, 2020
Written over the summer of 2020, Painting the Bathroom Green showcases my experience of trying to find connection in isolation, turn boredom into peace, and manifest comfort amidst fear. Lyrically, I relentlessly search for reasons to be grateful despite feeling stuck in a brain - and in a world - that feels broken. I beg for attention, wonder if it's safe to treasure a newfound friendship, and paint a bathroom green. Musically, the songs range from gentle and dreamy ("Stay Inside My Dreams," "Duck Encounter") to upbeat and angsty ("Crave," "Envy the Trees").
Indebted to Blue
May 1, 2020
I view this album of an exploration of the way my struggle with mental health has fueled my art. If I was a little happier and a little healthier, would my art be better? Or would it be worse? Would it even exist at all? My art, the person I am, the world we live in - is it all indebted to blue?
As much as I want to use my life to spread positivity, the negative feelings are often the ones I feel the need to express. And as much as I don't want to romanticize the struggle or paint mental illness as a creative superpower, I do think talking or singing about it can be cathartic for both myself and those who listen.
In this album, I continue to make lemonade out of lemons, but I also try my hand at some other drinks. I look outward, instead of just inward. I sing about demons, and fear, and overthinking, and loneliness. I also sing about a spelling bee, a peach tree, tattoos, cold weather, and a kid making art with sidewalk chalk. It’s anything and everything, pieces of me and pieces of the world I witness, all wrapped up in 26 alphabetized tracks.
Purple Door
September 7, 2019
Purple Door explores various aspects of my teenage years — stress, fatigue, my cellphone, coming out as bisexual, and struggling to make friends, to name a few. Lyrically, it’s filled with themes of anxiety, identity, and uncertainty. Musically, it’s influenced by the worlds of indie, folk, rock, broadway, and pop. Compared to my first album, Purple Door is just as much of a learning process, but it brings in more sounds and collaborators.
"The thrill of creativity is apparent here, and this music sounds very innovative. However, there is also a very familiar element to it, bringing such a relatable listening experience to the table. The set-list is long enough for the record to be extremely diverse, making for a really amazing flow of music" -thebandcampdiaries
Play
February 17, 2019
Play is comprised of previous work I had shared on YouTube throughout middle and high school. It includes a semi-frightening tune about self-destruction and self-construction, an exploration of agnosticism on guitar, a joyful nod to childhood, an experimental a cappella defense of sensitivity, and thirteen other diverse tracks.
In addition to being a nod to “More Like Children,” part of the reason I called this album "Play" was because these songs were my first playground as an artist. I was just messing around, exercising my songwriting muscles, figuring out how to put all the pieces together, and growing in the process.
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