We have all experienced loss, displacement, and lack of control. However, should we succumb to these feelings? No, we should acknowledge them and move forward. Miski Dee Rodriguez of City Mouse inspired these thoughts by asking, “What would any of us have if we didn’t have hope?” This sentiment forms the central theme of City Mouse’s latest album, So Far Out, out now on It’s Alive Records.
The tale of City Mouse begins with Miski working in the cold, bleak world of the 9-to-5 routine. She felt a profound loneliness as each day seamlessly merged into the next. Everything changed when she took time off to visit an old high school friend in Lexington, KY. During this visit, she experienced a community setting filled with laughter, making music with others, and a profound sense of liberation. Upon returning to L.A. and continuing her job, the feeling of loneliness returned, prompting her to ask herself, “Why am I here?” and, “Why do I do this?” These questions led to her quitting her job, buying an old beat-up van, packing up her belongings, and heading straight back to Lexington to start a new chapter and eventually forming the band City Mouse.
From their beginnings, City Mouse have endured the setbacks and limitations of being an independent punk band. They have encountered limited studio access, financial obstacles, and a relentless tour schedule. Because of this, their recording process would often be rushed, leading to Miski and her bandmates not being fully satisfied with the results. This notion of freedom and immediacy resonated deeply with Miski, inspiring her to rethink how they approached their music production. She realized they needed to take full control and remove any barriers that had previously held them back, allowing them to create music on their own terms. Things are different this time around. For So Far Out, they had the resources to take their time to create an album exactly how they wanted it to sound. Miski handled the production along with Davey Quinn and Dean Reis at Singing Serpent Studios, focusing on maintaining the same sense of immediacy and creative freedom that had initially inspired them. They put together an album with a heavy influence of early 1990s female-fronted alternative bands, such as Throwing Muses or Liz Phair.
Since their 2017 album Get Right, Miski’s songwriting has become more in tune with the person she has become. Opting not to be stuck in the distant past, she writes about the losses and grief she has had in recent years. “Loss is like an extension of love and grief is the other side of the coin,” she observes while contemplating the intermingling of love, loss, and grief in her daily life, concluding that, “The pain you feel is love.” Philosophical statements like these can be felt throughout each song on So Far Out.
From traveling to find the perfect location to film a music video to receiving a degree in music industry recording arts, Miski’s passion and drive shine through what she does to make City Mouse a well-oiled machine. All the hope and all the love she has goes into the music and life she creates. Because, as Miski says, “No matter how many times you get hurt, you can’t not love a hundred percent, you can’t not be a hundred percent hopeful.”
So Far Out is out now, and you can order it from It’s Alive Records via Bandcamp. Follow City Mouse on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for future updates.
Photo courtesy of Dave Decker
