Jana Mila To Release Debut Album on August 30th via Nashville label New West Records
JANA MILA
DEBUT ALBUM: CHAMELEON
RELEASE DATE: AUGUST 30, VIA NEW WEST RECORDS
Amsterdam-based songwriter Jana Mila has announced the release of her debut album, Chameleon, for August 30, 2024 via New West Records. Produced by Todd Lombardo (Kacey Musgraves) and recorded in Nashville, TN. It draws from a wild array of sources, entertaining new ideas on every song: dusty Laurel Canyon folk, catchy Nashville country, and driving ‘70s rock.
Speaking about the album, Jana Mila (pronounced Yah-nuh MEE-law) says, “The album is a conversation with myself, a way of getting to know myself better. There are little fears woven into every lyric, but there’s also advice to myself. I’m writing to find a better part of myself that has some wisdom” She puts her stamp on every note, turning those fears into an album of remarkable confidence, eloquence, and power. Chameleon is a self-portrait rendered in vibrant detail.
Of the album, Holler said “Warm and truly lovely sounding, her songs have a touch of Laurel Canyon folk-pop mixed with the slacker folk of Courtney Barnett, while her sung-spoken conversational delivery sits somewhere between the deadpan cool of Faye Webster and Sheryl Crow.” Magnet Magazine said “...the fittingly titled Chameleon’s secret weapon is its wealth of ideas, whether it’s country pop, mountain folk, intimate acoustic storytelling or weighty piano ballads. There’s also Mila’s unwillingness to lose herself in it all.”
Mila previously shared the video for the album’s first single, “Somebody New.” She said, “There was a moment not too long ago when suddenly all these suppressed emotions came to light and turned my relationship upside down. I found myself trying to soothe the growing resentment towards me, even though I was the cause of it. A day later, this song seemed to almost write itself.” She also previously shared the album’s leadoff track, “Like Only Lovers Could,” stating, “The intense and sometimes tumultuous nature of romantic relationships means we can lose ourselves entirely. Love has a way of twisting and turning people around, feeling like the best thing or the worst thing that happened to you. I wanted to capture the turbulence of love."
Mila grew up in a household devoted to playing and teaching all kinds of music: her mother sings Brazilian music, her father plays saxophone in big bands, and her brother studies Indian music. After entering a local contest for young songwriters at 17 and playing shows around Holland for a couple of years, Mila caught the attention of Dutch country superstar Ilse DeLange, who took her under her wings and arranged a songwriting trip to Nashville in June 2022. They spent two weeks hanging out and swapping ideas while making new friends, including the veteran producer/songwriter/musician Todd Lombardo. Just a few months later, she was back in Nashville recording Chameleon at his home studio.
Now that she is taking these songs to larger audiences, Mila has realized how much songwriting has changed her as a person and how it has made her feel more at home in the world. She says, “Every time I play a song or even talk about a song, my perspective on it changes, and therefore the song changes. There are infinite ways to hear it and interpret it. I used to be so scared to ask questions about myself, but now I have more courage and I want to have people understand me through my songs.”
Jana Mila’s Chameleon will be available across digital platforms, compact disc, and “Crystal Blue” color vinyl. A limited to 200 “Rosie Red” color vinyl edition including a red 7” flexi disc featuring a demo of “Like Only Lovers Could” will be available via Rough Trade. Chameleon is available for pre-order NOW via NEW WEST RECORDS.
Chameleon Track Listing:
1. Like Only Lovers Could
2. Somebody New
3. Chameleon
4. Love Let Go
5. I Wasn’t Gonna
6. It’s True
7. Let Me In
8. In Between
9. Rosie
10. The City
