Richards grew up in San Francisco, the daughter of Ted and Teresa Richards, stars of the underground comics revolution. Her father created The 40 Year Old Hippie; her mother was one of the founding editors and contributors of Wimmin’s Comix in the 1970’s. “Growing up, I got the message that if you do what you love to do, money will follow, just not a lot of it.” It was a very Bohemian upbringing to put it lightly.
Richards played in school bands, but never considered music as a profession until her senior year of high school, when fate offered a unique hand. Her best friend began dating Kirk Hammett of Metallica, and Hammett taught Richards a few songs on guitar. “As soon as I knew how to play, I started writing and everything just clicked. Eventually I got a piano to expand my musical repertoire.”
Richards recorded her first demo in Hammett’s basement studio. Dave Deresinski, the then manager of the Brian Jonestown Massacre, passed the recording along to singer Anton Newcombe, who asked Richards to sing with the group. Shortly thereafter, Ondi Timoner began filming the BJM for her seminal documentary DIG! (2004). In one scene, a hiker observed the all white-clad members of The Brian Jonestown Massacre and friends gathered on a mountain top location. “Excuse me,” he asked, “is this a cult or a photo shoot?” Miranda ------then candidly replied, “Honestly sir, I don’t know the answer to that question.”
Richards had since moved down the coast to LA to further pursue a music career. “I played clubs and open mics while I worked odd jobs and made demos. A mutual friend introduced me to Rick Parker (producer/musician who went on to work with BRMC and The Von Bondies), and we’ve been working together ever since.” After recording a few sets of demos, she signed with Virgin, and began tracking her debut, The Herethereafter.
The Herethereafter (credits include Jon Brion and David Campbell) enjoyed critical acclaim, and over 40 film and TV licenses that allowed her to continue playing music full time. Since it’s release, Miranda has collaborated in the studio with Tricky, Tim Burgess (Charlatans), Neil Halstead (Mojave Three), Joe Firstman, and The Shore. She joined The Jesus and Mary Chain for the West Coast leg of their 2007 tour, singing duets with Jim Reid on “Sometimes Always” and “Just like Honey.” In the fall of 2007, she toured the UK in support of a vinyl single called “Life Boat” on Sonic Cathedral; in early 2008, she supported Tim Finn (Crowded House), and in late August she supported Neil Halstead, both on solo acoustic tours. The Early November EP was released digitally November 4, 2008 on Nettwerk Records; the full-length sophomore effort, Light of X, is due for worldwide release February 10, 2009.
Light of X is moody and introspective, the kind of music to play while you’re getting dressed up at night, sitting by the phone, and waiting for it to ring. The album fairly shimmers with folk, country, psychedelic, and even classical influences. Richards and Parker assembled a top-notch group of players including Eva Gardner (Mars Volta, Tim Burgess) on bass; main drummer Keith Mitchell (Mazzy Star); Ben Peeler (Wallflowers, Shelby Lynne) on pedal steel, and Josh Schwartz (Beachwood Sparks) on guitar. Rick Parker produced, engineered, mixed the record, and played guitar; Richards composed the material including string arrangements, and played acoustic guitar, piano, and organ.
As a songwriter, Richards has an uncanny knack of finding the diamonds in the dust of every day life and the relationships within. She’s able to look at an average moment and describe it in a way that transforms it into something much more powerful, a talent evident on every tack of Light of X. The album balances Richards’ beautiful, close to the heart vocals, with music that has the wide open, spacious feel of a desert sky or an empty church. Call it Ambient Americana, or Richards’ self coined term ‘Psychedelic Chamber Folk Rock’ if you like, Light of X is an album full of love and loss, desolation and salvation, both moody and comforting.
“Courtney Taylor from the Dandy Warhols calls my genre ‘Pixie Fairy Dust Chick Music,’” Miranda Lee Richards laughs, from her home in Los Angeles. “But I think another fitting description for Light of X might be ‘Psychedelic Chamber Folk Rock.’”
First Light Of Winter
Miranda Lee Richards Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Down a dark road,
Going places
That no one knows.
Now I'm reveling
Across the Basin
Trying to get back,
But no one′s waiting.
Brace yourself
For the first light of winter.
Grab the line
Before you hit the bottom.
There's a hunger
That's deep inside.
It′s got the light,
It won′t apologize.
It's a wild beast
That has a grin,
And it won′t let go.
I've made peace with it.
Brace yourself
For the first light of winter.
Grab the line
Before you hit the bottom.
When the storm arrives,
It′s got a crazy eye.
It has no mercy
Until it dies.
Now I'm heading north
To Baton Rouge,
Where the ground is dry,
And the sky is blue.
Brace yourself
For the first light of winter.
Grab the line
Before you hit the bottom.
And the levee′s holding fast.
They said it would last
They promised.
Sanding in your darkened bed
Beneath the swell
Looking for solace.
But you had been down so long
You knew it was wrong,
You felt helpless.
And as the pressure starts to rise,
It's a matter of time
You arrive,
At the bottom.
Feeling bad,
Feeling better.
Gonna stop.
Write a letter
To the government,
Powers that be,
I've been fighting wars
In the name of peace.
Brace yourself
For the first light of winter.
Grab the line
Before you hit the bottom.
And the levee′s holding fast.
They said it would last
They promised.
But you had been down so long,
The pressure was strong
′Til you release it.
As your spirits start to rise,
Make your way toward the light
At the surface.
And now you're coming up for air,
The coast it is clear,
You will survive this,
Now you′re lawless,
Now you're fearless.
The lyrics of Miranda Lee Richard’s song ‘First Light of Winter’ start by describing an individual who has been traveling down a dark road, going to places where no one knows. The line ‘now I’m reveling across the basin’ refers to the singer reveling at the prospect of returning home, but sadly no one is waiting for him/her. The lyrics symbolize the struggle of an individual who has been traveling down the wrong path, but finally manages to ‘grab the line before hitting the bottom.’
The lyrics continue, describing an inner hunger that is deep inside of the singer, which won’t apologize. The wild beast that has a grin represents the singer's inner courage to face the world, and not to succumb to the lowest depths of despair. The storm arriving with a crazy eye is a metaphor for the struggles and challenges that comes with life, and the possibility that sometimes it can hit 'without mercy until it dies'.
Overall, the lyrics suggest that life is full of challenges and hurdles, but we need to brace ourselves and grab the line to rise to the surface during tough times. The song ends on a positive note, with the singer feeling lawless and fearless.
Line by Line Meaning
I’ve been traveling
I have been moving from one place to another
Down a dark road
Through a difficult and uncertain path
Going places
Visiting different locations
That no one knows
Unknown to others
Now I'm reveling
I am currently enjoying myself
Across the Basin
Across a flat area of land with no trees or hills
Trying to get back
Attempting to return to a previous state
But no one's waiting
No one is expecting or waiting for my return
Brace yourself
Prepare yourself
For the first light of winter
Prepare for the beginning of a difficult and challenging time
Grab the line
Hold on tightly
Before you hit the bottom
Before you reach the worst point of your situation
There's a hunger
There is a strong desire
That's deep inside
Located within my innermost being
It's got the light
It has the power to illuminate dark places
It won't apologize
It does not feel sorry for itself
It's a wild beast
It is like a fierce animal
That has a grin
That takes pleasure in causing trouble
And it won't let go
It refuses to release its hold on me
I've made peace with it
I have accepted its presence and made peace with it
When the storm arrives
When trouble comes
It's got a crazy eye
It appears out of control and dangerous
It has no mercy
It does not show compassion or forgiveness
Until it dies
Until it has run its course
Now I'm heading north
I am traveling in a northern direction
To Baton Rouge
To a specific location named Baton Rouge
Where the ground is dry
Where the land is not affected by flooding
And the sky is blue
And the weather is favorable
And the levee's holding fast
And the structure built to hold back water is strong and not collapsing
They said it would last
They promised that it would hold up
They promised
They gave assurance
Standing in your darkened bed
In a place where you feel trapped and powerless
Beneath the swell
Below the rising water
Looking for solace
Searching for comfort
But you had been down so long
You had been in a difficult situation for a long time
You knew it was wrong
You realized that it was not a good situation
You felt helpless
You felt unable to change the situation
And as the pressure starts to rise
And as the situation becomes more difficult
It's a matter of time
It will soon reach a critical point
You arrive
You will reach
At the bottom
At the lowest point of your situation
Feeling bad
Feeling negative emotions
Feeling better
Feeling more positive emotions
Gonna stop
Going to stop
Write a letter
Write a message
To the government
Addressed to the government
Powers that be
People who hold considerable power
I've been fighting wars
I have been struggling through difficult times
In the name of peace
In order to find a peaceful resolution
The pressure was strong
The situation was very stressful
Til you release it
Until you find a way to cope
Make your way toward the light
Move towards hope and positivity
At the surface
At a better point in the situation
Now you're coming up for air
Now you are beginning to feel better
The coast it is clear
It is safe to move forward
You will survive this
You will get through this experience
Now you're lawless
You are free from fear and constraints
Now you're fearless
You are unafraid of what comes next
Writer(s): Miranda Richards
Contributed by Jacob R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
ThatMadCat
Very powerful song! One of my favorites but still not the best from the album, outstanding.
Ambrosious E.
This song is freaking amazing!!!!!!
Rastko Mladenovic
Brilliant song, one of the best in the last 10 years. I've been playing it on repeat ever since I heard it
I.
WHY THIS IS NOT IN SPOTIFY!!!!!!!!!!!
BDJDI
If only all the people who loved great writing could catch onto this album. I love the vocals and the sheer atmosphere.
Albert Araujo
This song touched my soul and reminds me of my recovery from severe depression episodes. I have been listening for years. Thanks! It provides me with hope that depression will pass with time. ❤
namelsess93
This is weirdly extremely my music vibe...wow, thank you for giving me a push and life with this one.
Åsmund Svensson
Excellent song - from beginning to end!! A modern classic:-)
Rodney Wayne
its 2018 and i still can't get enough of this song
bobocpe
4.000 views? WTF? This song is brilliant...