Chicago born and suburb raised, Mia Rago is an indie pop singer songwriter and operatic soprano. She grew up listening to her dad sing Frank Sinatra around the house while her mom shared her love of Elvis Presley. Ever since her youth, Mia has been submerged in the world of older music; it’s safe to say her roots lie in the music created before her time.
Growing up, Mia couldn’t always count on her body to support her. Diagnosed with severe scoliosis at the age of nine, she underwent a series of intensive surgeries meant to correct the painful curvature of her spine. While she was forced to give up sports and physical activity for years, music was the one thing that she could always rely on. Mia began playing guitar and writing songs during this time. Watching her onstage now, you’d never know that she has steel rods implanted in her back, but it’s an apt metaphor for the hidden strength, much of it forged through pain and perseverance, that defines her beautiful songwriting.
The subtle darkness in Mia’s music stems not only from her surgeries, but from working at her family’s funeral home and cemetery business. She creates music with a sonic sophistication and lyrical maturity well beyond her years, layering intricate harmonies over stark, spacious arrangements. Mia calls Nashville home these days, and the city’s proven to be an ideal fit for her unique mix of evocative storytelling, rootsy vulnerability, and fierce femininity. It’s an intoxicating blend, one that calls to mind everything from Mitski to Phoebe Bridgers in its captivating delivery.
Mia’s debut album titled Wishing We Could Dream is a compelling story of the light and darkness of Mia’s life to date. Recorded at The Bomb Shelter, Mia worked with prominent female musicians Megan Coleman and Larissa Maestro. The album was produced by Megan McCormick, a two-time IBMA Award-winner who’s toured extensively as a member of Jenny Lewis’s band. Featuring songs of love, lust, heartache, and death the album is beautifully crafted with a repetitive theme of dreams. Mia has always loved the concept of dreaming and often views her life as a series of dreams; some good and some bad. The aptly titled album is shaped like one long dream beginning with a ‘Prelude’ of daydreaming transitioning to dreams of love and nightmares of death, while still encapsulating a euphoric, whimsical ending, which keeps us coming back for more.
Sometimes Mia wishes she was only dreaming. This is especially the case when it comes to her first single from the album called ‘All of My Scars’ about her battle with scoliosis and the reality of forever having scars long after the surgery is over. Released on June 14th, 2024 - 14 years after her first surgery - the song gives a real and honest look into Mia’s struggle with body confidence and back pain, while still highlighting her strength and perseverance. The singles that follow will give listeners a look into the dream-filled world Mia has created with this album.
Mia’s next single ‘The Shower’ is out now and expresses the mind games associated with a breakup and how crazy love can make us feel. This groovy, indie pop track gives us a glimpse into how it feels to rack our brains about past love. With a 90s pop element and catchy melody, one can’t help but sing along. The singles that follow will be released throughout the rest of the year: ‘Sweet Tooth’ out September 20th, ‘It’s Dark Inside’ out October 25th, and ‘Lust For Love’ out November 22nd.
Wishing We Could Dream is due to be released early 2025 and speaks like a more mature, yet similarly raised older sister to Mia’s first project A Sea of Darkness. Released in 2020, the debut EP is sweeping and melodic, gorgeously written with an undercurrent of darkness that often flows just beneath the surface - much like the forthcoming album. Mia hopes to continue cultivating her indie pop sound by diving deeper and exploring the battle between the light and the dark.
Mia aims to bridge the gap between opera and alternative music through her classical training and musical intuition showing that both genres can appeal to a wider audience.
With a ‘born too late’ mentality and old soul attitude, it was inevitable that Mia would fall in love with classical music. She earned a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance as a voice student of Dr. Mark Whatley. During her time in college, she performed opera roles such as Romilda in Handel’s Serse and the title role in Ronald Beckett’s Ruth. More recently, in Sicily, Italy, she sang Gilda in Verdi’s Rigoletto and Suor Genovieffa in Puccini’s Suor Angelica. Mia has sung in master classes and coachings for David Gowland, Jack LiVigni, Kamal Khan, Stephen King, and John Holiday. Her operatic repertoire highlights her proficiency in the Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Modern eras. She enjoys singing works from Handel, Mozart, Donizetti, Bellini, Puccini, Verdi, and Strauss. She is currently a voice student of Dr. Abigail Santos
Mia’s divergent musical background helped her become a more resilient and more determined artist than ever before. Her experience and ambition reinforce just how essential music has been—and continues to be—to her survival. Relying on music provided Mia Rago with comfort and strength and hope, and now she’s ready to do the same for us.
