Miles Closer Solo

“You Were Crazy” has quickly become one of the most streamed songs by Miles Closer, racking up over 12,000 listens on Spotify and gaining momentum on Apple Music and YouTube. Originally recorded as a spontaneous one-mic, one-take session—just vocals and guitar—the song was never meant to be a spotlight release. It came from a casual day in the studio after setting up a new microphone, with no plan other than to capture the raw energy of a few ideas Miles had been working on. Released almost as an afterthought, the track’s stripped-down honesty has struck a chord with listeners, proving that sometimes the most unplanned moments resonate the deepest.

The Guy Who Spilled Words on Himself

The Guy Who Spilled Words on Himself is an album rooted in simplicity, vulnerability, and immediacy. Recorded over just two days using a single AT2020 microphone and a Martin D28 guitar straight into Reaper, the album captures the raw essence of Miles Closer’s songwriting. Each track was done in a single take—no overdubs, no editing—just the sound of voice and guitar occupying the same moment. The process wasn’t about perfection; it was about honesty. That approach turned out to be transformative, yielding some of Miles’ strongest material in years.

This album marks the beginning of a trilogy focused on stripped-down storytelling and performance. By removing the studio layers and committing to one-take recordings, Miles brought his songs back to their roots—intimate, unguarded, and direct. The Guy Who Spilled Words on Himself doesn’t try to impress with production tricks; instead, it leans into the imperfections that make a song feel lived-in. It's a quiet statement of intent: trust the song, trust the moment, and let it speak. You can hear the entire album here.

Nothing needed to be said

Nothing Needed to Be Said is the second album in the solo acoustic trilogy by Miles Closer, following the raw immediacy of The Guy Who Spilled Words on Himself. Recorded in the same spirit of simplicity and honesty, this album continues the one-take, one-mic approach that defined the trilogy's sound. Using an Audio-Technica AT2020 mic, a Martin D-28 guitar, and Reaper as the DAW, Miles once again captured performances live as they happened—no overdubs, no edits, just voice and guitar in a room. The result is intimate, imperfect, and deeply human—songs that feel like confessions whispered across the kitchen table.

Where the first album leaned into surprise and spontaneity, Nothing Needed to Be Said reflects a quieter clarity. These songs are more patient, more spacious, yet still carry the emotional weight of someone telling you the truth because they don’t know how to lie about it. The album stands not as a sequel, but as a companion—less about urgency, more about acceptance. It’s the sound of settling into solitude, trusting the song to say what the heart can’t, and letting silence do the rest.

Seasons

Seasons is the final chapter in Miles Closer’s solo acoustic trilogy, bringing a quiet resolution to the journey that began with The Guy Who Spilled Words on Himself and deepened with Nothing Needed to Be Said. Like its predecessors, Seasons was recorded in single takes using the same minimal setup: an AT2020 microphone, a Martin D-28, and Reaper. What sets this album apart is its reflective tone—these songs carry the feeling of looking back, not with regret, but with a sense of earned peace. They move gently through themes of time, change, and the spaces we pass through in love and loss.

Where the first album captured raw emotion and the second found stillness, Seasons closes the trilogy with quiet wisdom. The performances are stripped bare yet rich with detail, allowing every creak of the guitar and breath between lines to add to the story. It’s not just the end of a series—it’s a moment of arrival. These songs don’t shout. They linger, like the last warm day before fall, asking nothing of the listener except to stop and listen.

The Dream of Green Memories

The Dream of Green Memories is a collaborative project between Miles Closer and producer 01q, born from a shared love of the lush, melodic textures of 1990s alternative pop. Drawing inspiration from artists like Duncan Sheik, Seal, and Billy Pilgrim, the album blends organic acoustic songwriting with ambient layers, electronic elements, and modern production techniques. It’s a record that lives in both the past and the present—nostalgic in tone, but forward-thinking in execution. Miles had written many of these songs back in the late ’90s, but only decades later—working alongside 01q at Center Neptune in the summer of 2023—did he finally have the tools to realize them the way he always imagined.

For Miles, this album holds a special place. The songs feel like old friends finally given the voices they were waiting for, and the production finds that sweet spot between polish and heart. Acoustic guitars meet swirling synths, understated beats, and rich vocal harmonies, creating a sound that’s cinematic yet intimate. The Dream of Green Memories is more than just a retro-styled pop album—it’s a testament to patience, growth, and the power of returning to unfinished dreams with fresh eyes and open ears.

Miles Closer and the Shallows

When no one is listening

When No One Is Listening marks the debut of Miles Closer and the Shallows, a band born from the desire to strip things down and let the songs breathe. Recorded live over the course of a week in a small farmhouse in rural Missouri, the album captures a raw, intimate energy that only happens when musicians are locked in together, far from distraction. With sparse instrumentation—banjo, acoustic guitar, upright bass, snare drum played with brushes—the Shallows brought the songs to life with warmth and restraint. Every creak of the floorboards, every breath between lines is left intact, giving the record the feel of an old field recording discovered in a forgotten attic.

The project began with a guitar—Miles had just traded for a vintage Gibson ES-120T, and paired it with a small Silvertone amp that added a dusty charm to the sound. That combination became the spark for a new batch of songs that leaned into space, storytelling, and rural textures. While Miles brought the songs, it was the Shallows who gave them flesh and spirit. There’s an honesty in these tracks that can’t be faked—just a few people in a room, making music as if no one were listening. And maybe that’s the point.

AM Radio

Thickety Ford Land

AM Radio is the second release from Miles Closer and the Shallows, and it all started with a borrowed guitar—Eric’s red Telecaster, outfitted with a Bigsby. That guitar, with its chime and shimmer, opened the floodgates for a new batch of songs that felt tailor-made for the Shallows’ laid-back, rootsy chemistry. Over two months at Center Neptune, the band leaned into the vibe, building arrangements that honored the feel of 1970s AM radio—tight, melodic, and full of warmth. The songs came alive through the interplay of guitars, bass, brushed drums, and subtle textures that evoked a golden era of songwriting.

Inspired in part by Josh Rouse’s 1972, the band found themselves channeling the spirit of that period—where folk, pop, and soft rock collided in catchy but emotionally grounded ways. AM Radio feels like a soundtrack to a long drive with the windows down, a record that could sit comfortably between a Paul Simon tune and a Jackson Browne deep cut. The Shallows shine on this one—not just as a backing band, but as a collective voice. The album is steeped in nostalgia, but never feels stuck in the past; it’s a love letter to a sound that shaped generations, filtered through a modern lens with heart, patience, and soul.

Thickety Ford Lane was born out of lockdown—a global project sparked during a time of isolation, uncertainty, and creative adaptation. With the Shallows unable to gather in person, Miles Closer turned to a far-flung network of musicians from Poland, Nashville, England, and Australia. Basic tracks were laid down at Center Neptune, but the heart of the album was stitched together across continents. Each collaborator recorded their parts remotely, sending back lush contributions that turned a quiet, homegrown idea into a fully realized country record. Lap steel, fiddle, and warm harmonies helped shape the sound Miles had long wanted to explore—a nod to classic Nashville storytelling, built through modern means.

This is, at its core, Miles’s country album—but not in a glossy, mainstream sense. Thickety Ford Lane leans into the kind of country that feels lived-in: full of character, flaws, and honesty. The songwriting is some of Miles’s best, from the heartbreak and quiet humor of “Drunken Uncles” to the devastating beauty of “Drowning Herself.” The title itself is a tribute to Miles’s family land in rural Missouri—a place that holds memory, myth, and meaning. In a time when we were all figuring out how to stay connected, this album became a lifeline—an example of what’s possible when the world shuts down but the songs don’t stop.

The Waterleftfrog Podcast

The waterleftfrog podcast is a biweekly dispatch from the creative heart of Waterleftfrog Publications—a space where songs, stories, and local voices come together. Hosted by Miles Closer, the podcast serves as a living archive of the projects happening under the Waterleftfrog umbrella. Some episodes dive into the regional music scene, spotlighting overlooked artists, rare recordings, and the history of songwriting in and around Missouri. Others feature conversations with The Daniels, providing behind-the-scenes updates on rehearsals, recordings, and the evolving sound of the band. Whether it’s a song breakdown or a reflective monologue, the podcast always circles back to one thing: the joy of making things that matter.

Each episode carries the warm, informal tone that defines the Waterleftfrog ethos—handmade, honest, and rooted in real experience. Miles often shares excerpts from his writings, plays demos from upcoming albums, or offers thoughts on the creative process in the studio. Sometimes it's a quick check-in, other times it's a deep dive into the philosophy behind a project or the meaning behind a lyric. No matter the topic, the waterleftfrog podcast is a reliable window into the living, breathing world of a small but passionate creative collective. You can find the episodes streaming on YouTube, with new ones posted every other week.