Born to a British father but born and raised in Los Angeles, it makes sense that B. Miles, born Brenna Miles, makes music that’s dark and poppy at the same time. She grew up listening to The Beatles and The Rolling Stones (“the true pioneers,” she says) but her music feels more rooted in Adele’s pop stylings and Massive Attack’s beats. Her debut single, “Nine Matches,” is now available for free download; with her music, B. Miles says she hopes to capture “the essence of melancholy and yearning, while finding beauty in the sadness and pain that all of us carry inside.”

Hometown and current residence: Born and raised in sunny Los Angeles, California. It's been home pretty much ever since. I've been toying with the idea of moving to New York. I think it might be time for a change of scenery.

Why do you call yourself B.Miles? Is that your real name?

My buddy Eric and I were thinking of names to call this project and we kinda just toyed with my initials. It rolled off the tongue well so we kept it.

I love your latest single! Why is it called “Nine Matches”?

“Nine Matches” is really about that dark place that you find yourself in, and you don't really see a way out of it. The song is so vulnerable because I think there's something beautiful about letting down your defenses, and  I knew this song wouldn't resonate with anyone if it wasn't personable. The "dark buffet" in the song is referring to the constant possibility of making the wrong or bad decision. That's kind of a lot of pressure sometimes, and I always had this vision of a cat with 9 lives making these poor decisions. "Nine Matches" was kind of a blend of that metaphor and just watching these decisions burn away at you.

How do you describe your music to people who haven't heard it before?

I think the B.Miles sound is dark pop. It's definitely pop, but there's a lot of dark themes going on, so I just call it dark pop. But I'm not really sure what it is. I'll let you guys be the judge.

What's your songwriting process like?

The songwriting process I go through is pretty collaborative. I write every song with my songwriting partner Eric Nizgretsky, and we usually start writing based on some sort of melody idea he or I might have and it will then take on a life of its own. It's a pretty organic way to work.

How did you discover music?

I vividly remember my dad throwing on Beatles tunes for me when I was younger. We would jam out to "If I Fell" and honestly those melodies just kinda took over for me and I just started randomly singing. It was pretty natural.

What about writing? What was the first song you ever wrote about?

The first song I wrote was in the 6th grade and it was a total Kelly Clarkson rip off. I think it was about how my life was in total disarray due to my 6th grade boyfriend breaking up with me. If only I had wisdom then.

What about your songwriting influences?

I honestly focus a lot on melodies lately as opposed to groove, and the biggest influences of artists who always have incredible melodies are; Unknown Mortal Orchestra, MGMT, The Strokes, and Radiohead. Production wise, I love London Grammar, Banks, Jamie xx, and Jai Paul. That production style just waves well in my psychological ethos.

Who are you listening to now?

Now, I've been vibing hard to some Jai Paul and Jamie xx. For whatever reason I just gravitate towards the music coming out of the U.K.

What has been your most memorable gig so far?

Probably playing Mercury Lounge a few days ago. It was my first time playing in New York and the crowd literally treated me like a queen. To play the  stage that so many incredible bands such as the Strokes and other important local NYC acts have played on was incredible. It was a good reminder of why I play music.  

What's the craziest thing a fan has ever done for you?

In Miami, I once had someone jump onto the stage with us, grab the backup mic, and shakers, and start singing. We couldn't get her off of the stage because we were in the middle of a song, and it would've been so obvious and distracting. The manager of the venue tried to get her off stage, but it just wasn't working. The sound engineer turned off her mic, and she was not too happy about it. But, she danced her butt off during the song, and when it was finished, she put her mic back in the stand, smiled, waved, and strutted off stage. I'm still not sure if it was bizzare or just legendary.