Louisville native Cheyenne Marie Mize has played within her local Indie music scene for quite awhile. Her first round of attention came from a musical collaboration with fellow Louisville artist Bonnie “Prince” Billy (aka Will Oldham). Mize is also a member of two local bands: Maiden Radio, which released Lullabies last year, and Arnett Hollow.
Last autumn, Mize took a break from backing others and struck out on her own once again. A year after the release of her debut solo album, Mize returns with a deal with Yep Roc Records and a new five-song EP, We Don’t Need. In contrast to the sparse instrumentation of her first release, Before Lately, the new effort features chipper piano melodies and funky percussion. The first song on the EP, “Wishing Well,” most drastically highlights the differences between the two albums. Mize replaces her former, more mellow singing by chirpily belting out her lyrics from verse to chorus over the dance-inducing beats of a drum and cowbell.
We Don’t Need may introduce more instruments, but Mize’s vocals are what continue to shine for this MidPoint Music Festival alum.
