Sc Mira

Halloween night. A vacant warehouse. Music blasting. Ms. Mia Wallace, a woman with a needle in her chest, meets Mr. Planet Hollywood, a man in a tacky red suit. Pulp Fiction meets feigned pomp. Sc meets Tyler Wagar. The unorthodox union, born of fake blood and abandoned asylum lighting, would become Winnipeg-rooted indie-rock outfit Sc Mira.

Originating first with Sc and a handful of her songs, Sc Mira officially became a duo when Wagar was tapped to lend his producer’s touch to the material, but instead found himself magnetically drawn to it and, more importantly, its potential. “It was that voice,” he says, citing Sc’s unmistakable delivery – quivering, delicate, simultaneously sweet and sinister. Their bond as artistic outcasts has since become unbreakable.

Sc Mira’s musical tapestry is a seamless weaving of folk, alt-country, rock, and indie pop. Their upcoming debut EP, Waiting Room Baby, showcases simple but savory instrumentation framing and keeping focus on Sc’s voice and poetry. The overall product on record is sweet but haunting, bold but brittle. Live, though, those same songs are injected with energy and rise with the fervor and ferocity of Frankenstein’s monster.

With the recordings that would eventually comprise Waiting Room Baby in hand, Wagar and Sc travelled to Montreal earlier in 2014 to work with acclaimed producer and engineer Howard Bilerman (Arcade Fire, Basia Bulat). Originally recorded in an old bank vault in downtown Winnipeg, the six tracks would benefit from Bilerman’s co-production at his hotel2tango studio. “He drew out everything we wanted to emphasize and really brought out the best in those songs,” Sc offers.

The lyrics are richly emotive and pair perfectly with Sc’s voice. “I like to tell stories, I guess,” she says shyly. The incredibly hooky lead single “On My Own,” an atmospheric and upbeat modern folk offering, harkens back to the singer’s several-year-long struggle with her health. While it’s often considered a means of healing, at times, music can be pain. “Sometimes, writing songs and drawing from some of those experiences made things a lot worse,” says Sc, reflecting on countless hours spent in hospital beds and shut in from the world round her – an experience with which Wagar can relate. “Motel Honey,” on the other hand, is more narrative in its approach and explores the politics and morality of sex and prostitution.

Despite the fact that their debut album has yet to see the light of day, Sc Mira has been able to draw accolades and attention through their energetic and electric live performances, where drummer Jed Desilets, Justin Delorme on keys, and bassist Mario Lagassé round out the outfit. “Our sound gets a bit heavier on the stage,” Wagar shares. “We make sure people get a show – not just live music.” That sentiment has yielded impressive showings at the Winnipeg Folk Festival in addition to slots at NXNE and the Mile of Music Festival. They’ve performed to thousands at Winnipeg’s MTS Centre and shared bills with the likes of Islands and Escondido in recent months. With a live show that boasts the urgency and intensity of a thunderstorm and a fresh take on fiery folk rock – dark, dazzling, eerie, elegant – Sc Mira is a shot of adrenaline, straight to the heart. Fitting, isn’t it?