MIA.

Infobox musical artist 2
Name = MIA.


Img_capt =
Background = group_or_band
Alias =
Born =
Origin = Germany
Instrument =
Genre = German rock, Pop
Occupation(s) =
Years_active = 1997-present
Label = R.O.T. (production), Columbia (distribution)
URL = [http://www.miarockt.de Official site]
Current_members = Mieze Katz (lead singer)
Gunnar Spies (drums)
Robert "Bob" Schütze (bass)
Andy Penn (guitar)
Ingo Puls (guitar)
Past_members = Hannes Schulze

MIA. (alternate spelling: Mia.) is a German rock/pop band.

Biography

MIA. originally formed in 1997 when TV host Sarah Kuttner introduced schoolmates Mieze and Andreas Ross (who later changed his name to Andy Penn) to Robert Schütze and Ingo Puls. They took on Hannes Schulze as drummer and one year later the band, then called "Me in Affairs", signed a contract with newly formed independent music label R.O.T. - Respect or Tolerate. They soon abbreviated their band name to MIA., but now claim the letters do no longer stand just for "Me in Affairs", but also for things like "Musik ist Alles" ("Music is everything") and that there is no such thing as a "correct" translation of their name.

In 1999 the band released its first single "Sugar My Skin" on major label BMG, but due to artistic differences the members soon asked to be released from that contract. In 2001 they followed up with their second single "Factory City". At the same time Gunnar Spies replaced Hannes Schulze, who had left the group due to private reasons. Afterwards MIA. released their debut album "Hieb & StichFEST" via Sony Music, which had moderate success in Germany.

2003 saw the band being heavily criticized for their song "Was es ist" ("What it is"), released on an EP of the same title. The lyrics, based on a reference to Erich Fried's 1983 love poem of the same name, featured romantic references to Germany and the colors of the German flag, topics that due to Germany's difficult history, especially the 'Third Reich'-era, many political leftists and especially Anti-Germans consider forbidden territory. MIA. claim the song was meant to provoke a discussion about Germany as a home and as a place to change and design. Furthermore, they consider themselves politically on the left.

In 2004 the band went on with its second album "Stille Post". The longplayer spawned three singles, including "Hungriges Herz" ("Hungry Heart"), which was chosen for the German pre-selection of the Eurovision Song Contest and reached #24 on the official Singles Chart. The album simultaneously peaked at #13 on the Album 100 and was eventually certified with gold.

Their third album "Zirkus" was released on July 21, 2006. It entered and peaked the German album charts at #2, making it a surprise hit for the band and MIA.'s most successful album so far. The first single from the album, "Tanz der Moleküle" ("Dance of the Molecules") had previously entered the charts at #19, making it the group's most successful single to that point. Lately their song "Mein Freund" ("My Friend") surpassed "Moleküle" by entering the charts at #15.

In early 2007 MIA. competed in the Bundesvision Song Contest with their single "Zirkus" and came in fourth place.

On 7 July, 2007 MIA. performed at the German leg of Live Earth in Hamburg.

During a live appearance in Bonn on 19 April, 2008 the band introduced their new song "Mein Freund" ("My Friend"). It is the first single from their fourth album "Willkommen im Club" ("Welcome to the Club") released in September and debuting on number #4 in the German album charts. [ [http://www.media-control.de/mia-starten-auf-platz-vier.html "MIA. starten auf Platz vier"] Press release by Media Control] According to newspaper reports, the band also plans to release that album in an English-language version.

Other activities by bandmembers

* Guitarist Andy Penn also has a solo career playing electronic music under the synonym TimTim. He released an album called "Let's Pretend We're Going" in 2003 and remixed songs for bands he or MIA. are friends with (such as Wir sind Helden, Virginia Jetzt! or Delbo).
* Except for Robert Schütze, all members of the band have appeared as musicians on releases by other artists, e.g. Mieze Katz as a back-up singer with Virginia Jetzt! on their album "Wer hat Angst for Virginia Jetzt!" or in a duet with Fettes Brot in their song "Das traurigste Mädchen der Stadt", Andy Penn as a guitarist on the track "A Pointless Life" by Tok Tok vs. Soffy O., Ingo Puls as a horn player on the album "Von hier an blind" by Wir sind Helden, and Gunnar Spies as a drummer on Elke Brauweiler's album "Twist à Saint Tropez".
* Mieze Katz, Andi Penn and Robert Schütze appeared as extras in 2002 movie "Führer Ex". The band also contributed three songs to the film's soundtrack.
* Mieze Katz sings the German version of the title theme for animated series Ruby Gloom.

Discography

Albums

*"Hieb & StichFEST" (2002)
*"Stille Post" (2004, rereleased later that year as a limited special edition with remixes and a DVD)
*"Zirkus" (2006, rereleased in 2007 as a special edition with videos and bonus features in an enhanced CD part)
*"Willkommen im Club" (2008)

Singles

External links

* [http://www.miarockt.de/ Official site] (mostly in German)
* [http://www.miaplus.de/ Official fanclub] (in German)
*imdb name|id=1310738|name=MIA.

References