Setting the mood with earthy music and sultry vocals, the music of Mia Doi Todd can be the perfect music for a romantic first date. Her sound has been known to aid in blossoming relationships both with others and oneself.
On Wednesday, Todd will be performing at Bootleg Theatre. The performance will feature some of her songs from her 2008 album “GEA,” as well as some of her newer music that’s in the demo-recording process.
With her past albums being more focused on a folk sound, “GEA” shakes things up with jazz influences, though the sound still reflects her almost primitive-sounding rhythms. Todd branches away from her standard instrumentation of guitar and vocals to include a multitude of brass and wind instruments ““ as well as drums. Her performance at Bootleg will reflect those changes, with a percussionist and bass player joining her on stage.
For drummer Andres Renteria, performing with Todd requires him to be as sensitive with his drumming as Todd is with her emotions.
“I only play with people when I love their music, and there’s no one like her,” Renteria said. “I don’t really play how I would play with a salsa band. I have to be much more conscious of dynamics. When we perform live, most of the time it’s just her and I, so we’re both very exposed. It’s … teetering on the edge. It’s this dance between falling apart and rising to the expectations.”
Renteria was introduced to Todd through mutual friend Carlos Nino, who recorded “GEA” and is currently working with Todd on producing her new demos. As old friends, it was only natural for Nino and Todd to form a collaboration.
Nino’s job is made easier by Todd’s knowledge of exactly what she wants from her recordings.
“Her songs are developed and very profound,” Nino said. “There’s a direction that comes from her that is laid out in the songs, and I think that’s different from working with other artists who might be more oriented to having people sculpt and arrange their pieces because they’re not fully developed. (The songs) need to be in order to be produced.”
Todd’s directional approach comes from drawing from her personal experiences. She keeps a journal and pulls her thoughts from there, fitting ideas to chord progressions she finds harmonious. Though each of her songs stems from a direct personal experience or voyage of her own, she said she finds that many people have had similar experiences.
“People have written to me that have been going through loss of a family member or a relationship, and they say my music has helped them get through the experience. I think when people can identify when someone else has been through something similar, it helps them not feel alone in their suffering,” Todd said.
The intense emotionality and richness of Todd’s voice also offer something that sparks a sensual experience in the listener.
“It’s not really party music. Usually it’s something people listen to on their own or with their girlfriend,” Todd said. “People write to me who have taken someone to a concert of mine and their relationship is still going after two years. It’s good date music.”
College students are a prime audience to be involved in the dating world, and their experiences with love and relationships often are supported by music like Todd’s.
“I feel like the college environment is one that sort of fosters a lot of folk and rock and acoustic music,” Nino said. “No matter what modern music people are listening to, no matter how it sounds or what it feels like, there’s always going to be this place within the college community for artists like Mia who really have something profound to say, who sing beautifully and who are really compelling and captivating and daring. I think the college environment is actually perfect for her.”
Tomorrow’s concert could be the beginning of a beautiful relationship.