Miya Folick talks ‘Erotica Veronica’ influences ahead of spring tour

Miya Folick released her new album Erotica Veronica earlier this year, and she’s about to begin her North American tour supporting it. On the eve of that, she told us about some of the inspirations behind the album. Read the list, and her commentary, below.

Miya’s tour includes a Brooklyn show at Elsewhere on April 30 with Olivia Kaplan. Tickets are on sale now, and you can see all dates below.

Erotica Veronica by Miya Folick

MIYA FOLICK’S EROTICA VERONICA INFLUENCES

1. Walking

I will sing the praises of walking to anyone who has the patience to hear it. Walking, specifically the kind that is done without music or podcasts (certain ambient music is permissible), is my most reliable conduit to the divine. Short walks are okay but long walks are better. Best with no backpack or purse. Put your house key in your pocket or tie it to your shoe. This is all you need. Don’t think to yourself “I’m walking in order to write a song,” just go walk. Allow yourself a bit of aimlessness, let your mind wander. That’s it.

2. Sitting at the counter at Bub and Grandma’s

Bub and Grandma’s restaurant in Los Angeles is popular with good reason. The sandwiches are delicious. The staff is friendly and talented. The staff is also hot (it’s a well known fact). If you go for lunch, there’s a line down the sidewalk, but my favorite time to go is when they open at 8 am. While working on the album, I was there first thing several times a week, sitting at the counter next to all the other morning regulars. I was reading my book and taking notes in my notebook. I was drinking black tea (on high anxiety days) or coffee (on low anxiety days) and eating their vegan yogurt and granola. This is where I did much of my thinking and dreaming, and it’s also where my ex and I would talk about what we thought the album needed to take it to the finish line (more on that at #7).

3. Magic hour, candlelight, filtered light

Someone asked me recently if I wake up so early because I have an anxious need to be productive. That isn’t it at all, actually. I wake up early because it is my favorite part of the day, and I’m genuinely sad if I miss it, like getting to a party right after your favorite person leaves. I like the way my brain feels fuzzy and new, and I like the way the sun filters through my blinds landing soft across my apartment. There’s something about the diffusion of light that finds me open and interested in writing. In general, I write best in a soft glow. Direct harsh light is no good, but rooms that are too dark are also no good. Maybe it’s simply about creating the right environment for me to be relaxed enough to enter a state of flow, but not so relaxed that I get sleepy. But I suspect that there’s something more spiritual going on with the quality of light.

4. Sleeping

This one is simple. I used to barely sleep (5-6 hours), and now I sleep more (7-8 hours). It’s better this way. So much better.

5. Swimming in London in June

I was in London in June. Everyone kept telling me that it was an unusually hot week and that I should go swimming in a pond. I tried to go to Hampstead Heath but something about the website stressed me out, and so I found myself at West Reservoir. Not a pond, but close enough. I rented goggles and a swim cap, and lingered on the deck, watching the regulars until I understood the system. You had to put on a tow float and wait your turn to enter the water. There are three routes of increasing length delineated by buoys. I chose the medium route, waited my turn, and slipped into the cold water. I was surprised at how different open water swimming felt from swimming in a pool. I didn’t realize how much I relied on the proximity of the pool’s walls to feel safe. Swimming through the open water, I felt a surge of fear understanding that there was nothing to cling to if I was in need of rest. The experience was exhilarating. Swimming in open water surrounded by the Woodberry Wetlands. To feel afraid but also like everything was exactly as it should be.

6. Davidia Involucrata (Richmond Park)

On another trip to London, this time to play some shows with Mitski, we ran to Richmond Park. A friend had recommended we see Isabella Plantation. We arrived sweating, accidentally entering through the wrong gate. We walked on unsure if we were trespassing or not. Then we saw people painting in the clearing. Couples out for strolls. It was a sublimely beautiful day. In my memory everything was green and glowing. We saw this tree that looked like it had white tissue crying down through its leaves, and I walked up to get a closer look. The Davidia Involucrata. I’ve never seen a tree like that tree and it made me weep.

7. Playing live with my friend Jacob

Last year, I played a lot of shows just as a duo with my friend Jacob Ungerleider. Out of necessity and ease we kept simplifying the set more and more until eventually it was just the two of us both playing guitar and singing. I think that influenced the writing process and the sound of Erotica Veronica a lot.

8. All my friends and their music

So many of my friends contributed to the sound of this record. I’m so deeply indebted to and grateful for the music community in Los Angeles. Watching my friends play is my greatest inspiration.

MIYA FOLICK: 2025 TOUR DATES
Apr 23, 2025 Amsterdam Bar & Hall Saint Paul, MN
Apr 24, 2025 Subterranean Chicago, IL
Apr 25, 2025 El Club Detroit, MI
Apr 27, 2025 Velvet Underground Toronto, ON
Apr 29, 2025 Brighton Music Hall Boston, MA
Apr 30, 2025 Elsewhere Brooklyn, NY
May 1, 2025 The Atlantis Washington, DC
May 9, 2025 Valley Bar Phoenix, AZ
May 11, 2025 Bluebird Theater Denver, CO
May 12, 2025 Kilby Court Salt Lake City, UT
May 15, 2025 Biltmore Cabaret Vancouver, BC
May 16, 2025 Madame Lou’s Seattle, WA
May 17, 2025 Holocene Portland, OR
May 21, 2025 Lodge Room Highland Park, CA
May 22, 2025 Cafe Du Nord San Francisco, CA
May 23, 2025 BottleRock Napa Valley Napa, CA