“If my alter ego was a song, it would be Stick-Up,” says Mia Mormino, the Los Angeles-based singer, songwriter, dancer, and all-around badass! ‘Stick Up’ forms part of Mormino’s The Seven Deadly Sin-gles collection of work, a bold project that will see the artist focus on each deadly sin, across seven genre-blending tracks. As for the song itself, ‘Stick-Up’ represents the sin of greed, and is an unbelievably catchy, jazzy, burlesque-inspired tune that would fit seamlessly into any Steven Soderbergh-directed film.
Telling the story of a burlesque dancer who’s simply had enough of “overly attentive” men in the audience, Mormino brings out her alter ego and… well… just sit back and listen! Her admiration for a wide range of artists – Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Billie Eilish and Ariana Grande to name a few – has clearly allowed Mormino to create her own distinct and individual sound, and we look forward to hearing what she does next!
‘Stick Up’ is a jazzy, infectious, cinematic tune from a confident and bold artist.
Indie top 39
What does the song mean to you?
This song means so much to me because it has allowed me to finally live out my life long dream of being the main character in some edgy money heist movie. Not to mention, my love and admiration for burlesque, and all that goes along with it, is on full display. ‘Stick-Up’ is my alter ego in the flesh, and I’m so thankful I’m able to create such fun stories and visuals!
Tell us about your creative process and how the song came to be?
The story on how ‘Stick-Up’ came to be is actually pretty funny. Originally, this was a rap song! My producer, Karo Moralyan, and I created this entire song with this sick trap beat and even had our good friend and fellow musician, Glass Lord, drop an insane verse on it. The song was literally done – but something didn’t feel right. I re-recorded my vocals three separate times, altered the lyrics to my verse, and switched up the flow – yet still it felt weird. During one of our sessions, I went to the bathroom and, while on the toilet, started singing this random melody that was very jazzy and syncopated. After I did my business, I ran back outside and said to Karo, “Hey, I totally understand if you’re not down for it…BUT! What if we changed the entire song and made it this burlesque-inspired piece about a money heist?” And immediately he goes, “Oh my god, I’m so happy you said that.” We scratched everything and came up with ‘Stick-Up!’ It goes to show you that great ideas can come to life anywhere!
What are your favourite lyrics in the song?
“…When he topped her tip jar”. I love the way it rolls of the tongue with all of those “T’s” sprinkled in there!
Which Netflix series or movie would you like your music to be featured in?
I would legitimately combust if ‘Stick-Up’ was featured in a James Bond movie. That is a massive dream of mine to have an original single be the soundtrack of something as moving and detailed as a movie.
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Now you can listen to all the 39 songs in one place, right here on Spotify!
This coverage was created in collaboration with Musosoup as part of the #SustainableCurator movement.
