People (I generously include myself) have lots to say about M.I.A.’s latest song and video, “Borders.” I have no doubt this conversation will continue, at least until the argument about year-end lists kicks into high gear about this time tomorrow. An interesting side-effect of all the online action is the emergence (at least in Google’s search terms) of the New Orleans-based singer/songwriter/recording artist Mia Borders.
Mia Borders has been a professional musician for nearly a decade now, and though her work sounds nothing like that of Maya Arulpragasam’s, “Borders” or otherwise, it’s worth spending time with. The songs on her website move pleasingly around genres of pop, funk, soul, and rock in a distinctly southern mode. She has made six full-length albums and two EPs. Her most recent single. “Leave Me Alone,” is strong. She’s a skillful player, a smart writer, and a powerful singer.
But right now, she’s also the artist most likely to be the recipient of clicks that were intended for M.I.A. I wrote to Borders to ask her what she thinks about this current state of affairs, and she graciously responded. Our Q&A is below.
As an independent artist, do you keep close track of your web presence? Have you seen an increase in traffic or online streaming plays in the few days since “Borders” came out?
I try to keep track of as much of my web presence as I can. I run my major social sites myself (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, etc.) and my managers and I have Google alerts set up to see what other people are saying online. That’s how we came across the M.I.A. track. An alert popped up and we all laughed about what was bound to happen. It definitely increased traffic; I’ve heard from a bunch of new fans—as well as some frustrated people looking for M.I.A.’s music and not mine. Most people have been cool about it.
Have you heard the M.I.A. song or seen the video? Do you like it? Were you a fan of hers before?
I’ve been a fan of M.I.A.’s for a while. She’s a very politically-conscious artist and that’s something to be admired in the music business these days. I’ve seen the video and it’s very powerful. I dig it.
Do you find the coincidence of the artist name/song title to be annoying? Funny? No big deal either way?
I’ve been tied to her before because of the similarities in our names, but never like this. When I saw what her new single was called, I couldn’t help but laugh and prepare for a wave of mis-tags and confusion. With regard to my Search Engine Optimization, it’s a little frustrating, but for the most part, it just amuses me. It’ll die down eventually. In the meantime, I’m always happy to have new people discovering my work.
Aside from the show on December 19th at the Rusty Nail in New Orleans, what are your plans for the near future? Touring? Recording?
We’ll get back on the road early next year in anticipation of my new album that I’m currently writing and recording. I’m also continuing my non-fiction writing (miaborders.tumblr.com), which will eventually turn into a book.
Since the passing of Allen Toussaint a few weeks back, I’ve had your city on my mind quite a bit lately. Is it still the case that being a musician in New Orleans means you can make a go of things professionally without straying too far from home?
Allen Toussaint was a phenomenal man. He was such a sweet guy and a more influential musician than most people realize. My hope is to do what he did and keep New Orleans home. I know a lot of my contemporaries have made it big by leaving, but I really can’t imagine that. My family is here. I was born here. This is where I fell in love with music, so I sincerely hope that I can continue down the path I’m on and keep building up this momentum that I’ve had going for almost 10 years and bring more fans to this city. Plus, moving is a huge pain and I hate new social situations.
