Portugal creative Dark Miles presents a uniquely engaging form of alternative rock, a distinct style encapsulated by the powerful new single Your Heart Is An Empty Street.
Inspired by the likes of Peter Murphy, David Bowie and Depeche Mode, Dark Miles uncovers the essence of freedom on escaping a life of abuse and violence, with the compelling humanity and heartfelt intensity of the new single.
We caught an interview with the artist behind the music – Pete Miles (Pedro Lima) – to find out more about the writing and the journey that led to this point. Here’s the conversation in full.
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Hi Pedro – absolutely loving the new single, thanks for the interview. How has 2024 been treating you so far?
It’s been good so far – we’re still in January, it’s always a rough month, but I’ve released my first single, so it ain’t that bad.
Tell me about the new release – when and where did this title Your Heart is an Empty Street come to you, and how did the creative process differ from you previous work?
The song talks about a life of physical and psychological abuse, so that lack of love in the heart feels just like an empty street. I used to write songs that were more aggressive and straight to the point in previous bands, because we played an aggressive style of rock and that’s what the song asked for, but in my solo record everything is more soulful and introspective, I’m just pouring my soul into the songs.
What do you hope listeners take away from the song, and what would be your best advice to those who’re experiencing similar levels of abuse and pain?
I want them to feel comfort and to know they’re not alone, and that expressing our feelings through songs or through any other artistic endeavors is good for you and helps you put to rest all those bad things that happened.
The song has a brilliantly nostalgic fullness to it, a strong groove and intriguing, characterful vocals. Was there a method of experimentation that led to this style, or did you naturally stumble upon it?
I was actually used to singing with more aggressiveness and loudness, but my producer told me that I should shift from that and take more advantage of my baritone tone, singing more with the soul instead of always going for the limits of my voice.
The performance is quite stunning, are you vocally or musically trained?
Well, I’ve been singing since I was very, very young, my mother had a beautiful singing voice so I must have inherited that from her. I also have been singing live since I was 17, that gave me a lot of experience and confidence too.
The visuals add so much to the audio, in my opinion – the red and black overtone, the drama and the stillness juxtaposed, the intensity and desperation. How did the visual idea come about, and how important is that side of the creative realm to you as an artist?
The idea for the video actually came from the director himself, although it felt like he was reading my mind. That Lynch/Cronenberg vibe really fits the mood of the song and took the music to another level. The visuals always had a big impact on me, so it’s natural that I want to see it transferred to my music.
What’s the live music scene like where you are in Portugal right now, and do you have plans to start performing extensively throughout Europe?
Portugal always had a big circuit of live music bars, but in the last couple of years a lot of them closed because of the pandemic, and now we have very few places to play rock music live.
I will first have to solidify my fan base because it’s super expensive to tour nowadays and I can’t just go out on an extensive tour to play for very few people, my musicians need money to pay their bills, just like me.
What can we anticipate about the upcoming album 10 Miles into the Dark – what does this title mean to you, and what does the project encapsulate?
You can count on a very eclectic album, focused on 80s and 90s alternative rock, in my opinion the best two decades of music so far (although I’m passionate about the 70s too). The title just captures the general mood of the album, a deep journey into the dark side of the soul.
You describe the album as a journey into the depths of the soul. How do you make sure to maintain that soulful authenticity, and not sacrifice aspects of it in favour of style or industry expectation?
It’s pretty easy, I have no expectations at all, I make music as therapy, I don’t make music to please anyone, but if in the process I touch someone, that’s the biggest reward in itself.
What difficulties and contrastingly blessings does working as a solo artist bring about when compared to your time with MOSH?
I have more freedom to create, I can make it more personal and I can work with people I choose, that inspire me to be better at what I do.
What’s your plan of action for this year, and what’s your most ambitious aspiration right now?
I just want to reach as many people as I can, play my music live and make enough money to keep making records.
Is there anything else you’d like to say?
Go hear my music, but really hear it, spend some time with it, pay attention to the lyrics and inspire yourself to leave a beautiful mark in this world.
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Download Your Heart Is An Empty Street. Find Dark Miles on Facebook, TikTok, Twitter & Instagram.
