Bill Miller
Ghostdancer
by Annette C. Eshleman
"What's scrapple?" came the question from across the breakfast table. I looked up to see Bill Miller peering over the top of his menu. My attempt to steer him away from the local favorite was successful, and he settled on the #4 Special instead. Like haggis to the Scots or sushi to the Japanese, southeastern Pennsylvania's scrapple is an acquired taste.
I had arranged to meet Miller for an interview over breakfast, but this loud and bustling diner was not what either of us had in mind. When a birthday party erupted just a few feet away, Miller could contain himself no longer. "This is great. This is classic!" he laughed, clearly enjoying the moment. Although we were both distracted by the noise, Miller's natural good humor prevailed and we soon got down to the business of the interview.
Miller had spent the previous day performing in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, at the town's MusikFest celebration. He is a regular at the annual event, and his fans had turned out in force, packing the venue for two back-to-back shows. Miller recorded his 1992 live album, Reservation Road, in the little town ,and he has a close relationship with the locals there. Along with WestFest and the Kerrville Folk Festival, Miller credits his Bethlehem-area fans and the nearby Philadelphia Folk Song Society with helping him to launch a recording career. Small towns and blue collar areas across the country have embraced Miller and his music but the East Coast has been a particular boon to him. "It's like I was born there," he joked in amazement.
Miller's popularity with his fans is not so surprising. Even in regions far removed from the Stockbridge-Munsee Indian Reservation in Wisconsin where he grew up, he is often referred to as "friend." He's been touring for some 20-plus years, working tirelessly to establish a solid fan following. Driving and flying hundreds of thousands of miles, visiting small towns and large cities, playing innumerous folk festivals, colleges, night clubs, and concert series, has exposed Miller's music to thousands.
The hard work seemed to pay off when Miller signed with Warner Brothers Records. He released The Red Road on Warner Western in 1993. Then, after moving to the label's Reprise division, released his 1995 followup, the rock 'n' roll based Raven in the Snow. Both albums garnered critical acclaim, and Warner Brothers put its resources to work securing Miller as opening act for major artists like Tori Amos, The BoDeans, and even Pearl Jam.
After five years with Warner Brothers, Miller was unceremoniously dropped. Yet he harbors no bitterness toward the label. "It's been a great learning experience," he said, completely without malice. Instead, Miller is thankful "for all the good people that have really helped my career," noting that some of his friends in the company also lost their jobs. "I think it was out of their control. It was a financial thing that happens within company downsizing," he stated matter-of-factly. Finding himself out from under the umbrella of a huge corporation has exhilarated Miller. "It's probably the best, most freeing feeling I've had since I started making records," he said. "It seems like I've just regained my youth again."
No longer accountable to company politics, imposed deadlines, or corporate good intentions, Miller is now able to set his own agenda. "I think it's nice to fly by the seat of your pants. That's what I'm doing now. It's nice to not have a rule book, and start with a pad... empty, beautiful pad. You pick the paper and you start to run with it." It is with this attitude that Miller launched Sol Records in the fall of 1998 as a means to release his new album Ghostdance. While both are still getting off the ground, indications are that the album is being well received. The fact that it is currently available only by mail or at his concerts has not dampened interest.
