Go Away With … Ellis Miah

Jae-Ha Kim
Chicago Tribune
February 25, 2020

Writing and producing songs for superstars is nothing new to Ellis Miah. He’s worked with a diverse array of artists, including Christina Aguilera, Loleatta Holloway and Yoko Ono. His latest high-profile assignment was collaborating with the South Korean group BTS on the song “Inner Child.”

“(BTS member) V channels both pain and triumph into his vocal that will definitely make you want to sing along to it,” Miah said. “It was such an honor working on this song with him.”

Fans may stay in touch with the songwriter via his website, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Q. Can you share the process of working on “Inner Child” with an international team of artists?

A. The song and production was transglobal with it being worked on in London, L.A. and Seoul in a very organic way! The song was truly a collaborative piece. Kool Kid and ARCADES are based in the United Kingdom and have worked with BTS before. They came to my studio in L.A. and myself and Adien Lewis had an in-person jam session. (Producer) Pdogg (and BTS members) V and RM worked from their studio (in Seoul).

Q. What was it like working on the song in English and then hearing it sung back in Korean?

A. Anytime you hear the finished version of a song, it’s exciting. I think in any language, all the creators feel something special when they hear it. A song is more than lyrics. It’s melody and it’s emotion. While I don’t understand Korean, there is no mistaking the depth that V puts into this song.

Q. Having worked with BTS, do you have plans to visit Seoul?

A. I’m absolutely dying to go! I have a few fellow songwriters who have been to writing camps or gone to work with artists (there) and from what I’ve seen and heard, I’m ready to pack a bag and visit. If you have an air mattress in your recording studio, invite me. I’ll show up and write songs with you!

Q. Have you written songs where you include bits from your own travels?

A. Absolutely. Sometimes the influence is less obvious in the lyrics and more about what these different places have inspired in me, a perspective on life or even how we date.

Q. Are you comfortable writing on the road?

A. I create wherever I go. It happens on the road most times! A song I wrote with artist Maggie Szabo, “Wide Awake,” was written during a bout of jetlag in Amsterdam. We were excited to be in the city, were definitely sleep deprived and kept going out into the city when we should have been asleep! My Song “Walk on Water” was written partially on a plane after meeting someone who stole my heart in France. Living in the U.S. where you can get to most places by driving, I realized that the distance between us felt greater because of the ocean. So my desire to walk on water started to form on the plane and most of the lyrics came from the flight. I recorded voice memos on my phone in the plane bathroom at 30,000 feet.

Q. What is your favorite vacation destination?

A. Summertime in Amsterdam has been a favorite for me. I love the boating picnics people invite you to and biking through the city.

London in the fall before it gets too cold is a treat, because living in L.A., I miss out on winter fashion! And the green you see in a non-tropical city is supreme. Also, there is a Jamaican patty place I visit every time I’m in London called Jamaican Patty Co. There is a small town outside of Paris called Troyes that’s enchanting. Some of its earliest buildings date back to the medieval era. They are brightly colored and slanted. Simply beautiful. Every other block has a bakery. I think I’ve sampled every croissant in that town.

Q. Have you ever traveled out of state to go see a band perform?

A. Yes! When I was growing up, we traveled from New York City to Philly for a Salt-N-Pepa concert. As soon as Paula Abdul announces new dates for her residency in Vegas, I will be front and center.

Q. What was the first trip you took as a child?

A. Probably upstate New York to a ski town in Tannersville. It was at least a three-hour drive with no traffic and as a New York City kid, it was a different world. I remember not liking that there were only two TV channels and the radio didn’t play any songs I knew, but I enjoyed skiing and walking around the town.

Q. What’s the most important thing you’ve learned from your travels?

A. That traveling is something everyone should do, if possible. It’s a luxury that should be afforded to us all.

Q. What are your five favorite cities?

A. Los Angeles, London, Amsterdam, Tokyo and Brooklyn.

Q. What would be your dream trip?

A. I’ve become enchanted by train travel after seeing an old Orient Express train in Gare du Nord. I’d love to travel from Europe to China on a train with enough time to enjoy the stops along the way.

Q. What is your best and/or worst vacation memory?

A. Worst trip had to be during a tour and being booked to stay at a hotel that was known for nonstop partying. The place was always noisy and at night drunk people would forget their keys and try to break into your room, thinking it was theirs.

© 2020 JAE-HA KIM
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