Nova Scotia based Experimental Jazz project Nicola Miller’s Living Things has announced new album “Spit!” set for release on August 07, 2026 via Watch That Ends The Night.
Purchase and Stream the track “Telecommunications I” and “Telecommunications III“
Straight out of the gates, “Spit!” is more effusive and audibly connected to Jazz than its predecessor, spotlighting Miller‘s intricate ensemble arrangements and the energetic spontaneity of her bandmates in equal measure. The second preview track from the album, part three of the “Telecommunications” suite, demonstrates the rhythmic vitality of this record as well as the bold interplay she cultivates amongst her fellow musicians. “Telecommunications I,” which had been offered as a teaser earlier, begins by showcasing the engrossing textural side of this group, before settling into a groove whose spaciousness highlights the ricocheting and interlocking gestures. The remainder of the album offers even more from eccentric balladry to raucous swinging onto urgent freeform playing.
“Spit!” was composed with links to communication. Communication is shared by all living things, but humans have created unique ways of communicating through developments in technology. I’m interested in both the concreteness of direct communication as well as the abstraction of it through telecommunications such as the telephone, radio waves, telegraphs, etc., especially when thinking about the beginning of these developments. A similar abstraction of communication is also present in music and I find it very interesting to think about what is gained and lost in the transmission of a message in both technology and music. It could be observed that music is the opposite of these technological advances since the message is delivered in a spiritual and guttural manner.
Pre-Order “Spit!” on Bandcamp: https://nicolamiller.bandcamp.com/album/spit
Tracklist:
01. Spit!
02. Telecommunications I
03. Telecommunications II
04. Telecommunications III
05. Where’s the Line?
06. Drummers Are Bad
Lineup:
Nicola Miller / Alto Sax/Flute (Track 3)
Frank Gratkowski / Bass Clarinet/Alto Sax (Track 1)
Doug Tielli / Trombone
Nicholas D’Amato / Bass
Nick Fraser / Drums
— About Nicola Miller —
Saxophonist and Composer Nicola Miller is based on the South Shore of Nova Scotia, where she has become a vital part of the maritime creative music ecosystem. Weaving endless sonic curiosity into a Jazz foundation, the music she plays and writes effortlessly traverses boundaries of style and approach.