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.’”
Hidden Treasure
Miranda Lee Richards Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The ones so golden, the ones beholdin'
The fondest memories of yesteryear
And I will follow you
You know I won't fear, I'm growing up my dear
And starting to hear my own direction
Finally, there's something I can hold onto that isn't broken
It's in my hand, the smallest grain of sand
Becomes a Hidden Treasure
So write me a letter
One I'll save forever inside these broken drawers
The ones that I find that make me smile
And don't file me away
With things forgotten, things old and rotten
'Cause I was the one you could really talk to
Here in the now
Finally, there's something I can hold onto that isn't broken
It's in my hand, the smallest grain of sand
Becomes a Hidden Treasure
Why are we severe
To the one's we hold dear and closest to our hearts?
Always biting the hands that feed us
When here in the now
Finally, there's something you can hold onto that isn't broken
In your hand, the smallest grain of sand
Becomes a Hidden Treasure
The lyrics to Miranda Lee Richards's song, Hidden Treasure, speak to finding meaning and purpose in life. The first verse describes walking through the hills, which symbolize the past and memories. The singer says they will follow someone they trust, as they begin to hear their own direction. It seems that the singer has been searching for something to hold onto that isn't broken, and they have finally found it in the smallest grain of sand, which becomes a hidden treasure. The second verse speaks to the importance of connection and communication with loved ones. The singer asks to be written a letter that they will save forever, emphasizing the value of memories and sentimentality. The singer pleads not to be forgotten, and asserts that they were the one who could really be talked to.
Overall, the song underscores the importance of holding onto meaningful connections and experiences, even in the face of difficulty or loss. The repeated line, "finally, there's something I can hold onto that isn't broken," suggests that the singer has struggled in the past to find stability and purpose, and that they have finally found it in the simplicity and beauty of everyday life.
Line by Line Meaning
Walk through the hills
Take a walk through the hills
The ones so golden, the ones beholdin'
The hills that are so beautiful and rich with memories
The fondest memories of yesteryear
The most cherished memories of the past
And I will follow you
I will go with you on this walk through the hills
You know I won't fear, I'm growing up my dear
I am not afraid and I am becoming more independent
And starting to hear my own direction
I am finding my own way in life
Finally, there's something I can hold onto that isn't broken
I have found something valuable and whole
It's in my hand, the smallest grain of sand
Even something small can be valuable
Becomes a Hidden Treasure
What I have found is a precious treasure
So write me a letter
Please write to me
One I'll save forever inside these broken drawers
I will keep your letter safe in these old, worn drawers
The ones that I find that make me smile
These drawers are dear to me because they hold things that bring me happiness
And don't file me away
Don't treat me as something to be forgotten
With things forgotten, things old and rotten
Don't put me away with things that are old and no longer useful
'Cause I was the one you could really talk to
I was the one you trusted to listen and understand
Here in the now
In this moment
Why are we severe
Why are we so harsh
To the one's we hold dear and closest to our hearts?
To those who are most important to us?
Always biting the hands that feed us
We hurt those who care for us the most
Finally, there's something you can hold onto that isn't broken
You have found something valuable and whole
In your hand, the smallest grain of sand
Even something small can be valuable
Becomes a Hidden Treasure
What you have found is a precious treasure
Contributed by Anthony J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.