About This Item
On her first new album in five years, Valorie Miller writes about one of the most beautiful pieces of land near Asheville, North Carolina - but not in a way one would expect. The narrative of Only The Killer Would Know emerged after Miller discovered that her acre of land in Swannanoa sat adjacent to, if not in the middle of, a hazardous waste area overseen by the government.Dealing with health issues and eventually leaving the property, Miller finally figured out the connection years later by talking to her former neighbors and independently researching the site. InchIt's a big, scary, horrible subject, and a lot of these songs grew out of that,Inch she says. InchThere's not much you can do about those places. They will be toxic for our lifetime and for lifetimes to come. Writing a song is always how I've addressed things in my life, but I've never had an inspiration quite like this.Inch Recorded in Asheville with rising producer Kayla Zuskin, the album begins with InchApocalachia,Inch with wrenching lyrics that confront the situation head-on. InchField of FlowersInch then offers a poignant message about growth and accountability, especially when it comes to how we treat the earth. Miller lifted a phrase from the national anthem for InchHome of the Brave,Inch a song about personal fortitude that she wrote in anticipation of a local show around the Fourth of July. InchYou hear that term in detective shows, when somebody has insider information,Inch she says. InchWith Only the Killer Would Know, the 'killer' refers to the people who dump that stuff in the ground. Some eerie, dreamlike vibe seeps into the later songs on Only The Killer Would Know, due to the innovative Asheville musicians that Zuskin brought into the sessions. In the studio with a female producer for the first time, Miller describes the whole experience as not just smooth, but Inchshockingly relaxing.In
