kristine mills

CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED, AWARD-WINNING JAZZ ARTIST KRISTINE MILLS ANNOUNCES LONDON DEBUT AT PIANO SMITHFIELD JANUARY 20, 2022.

Before her move to London, England, Mills released ‘Looking Back. Moving Forward.' - a definitive collection of three decades of her original music and she is thrilled to announce her first London show at Piano Smithfield (14 Long Lane, London EC1A 9PN, p: 020 7796 9777) with London-based, acclaimed pianist, writer and producer Janette Mason.

Houston-based, award-winning, singer/songwriter Kristine Mills performed two release shows for her brand new album “Looking Back. Moving Forward.” that is a reflection on her several-decades' long career on Thursday, Nov. 4 in Austin, Texas at Parker Jazz Club where she performed with the critically-acclaimed house band, led by Kris Kimura, and Friday, Nov. 12, Houston at Warehouse 72 with a band lead by Chad Wesselkamper.

Kristine recently moved to London following her album release, where she will debut at Piano Smithfield on January 20, 2022 at 7:00 pm. For more information on Kristine Mills, see here.

"I am thrilled with this move to London," said Kristine Mills. "I will be spending my time split between London and Houston with US shows planned for the Spring. When I get to the UK, I look forward to performing and collaborating with a new coterie of jazz and world music musicians for fresh perspective and inspiration." 

Mills is known in Houston as being a constant and persisting voice in the jazz scene. With this new album project, she is gearing up for a key moment in her three decade long career. She premiered the single “Hold Fast” with Houston CityBook on June 29 (see here for the premiere) and celebrated the premiere with a sold out show at Warehouse 72 on July 1. “Hold Fast” and her earlier single “Dip my Toe in Water” from the new album are now available to stream via Spotify, Apple Music and all streaming platforms.

"Both songs hold true to the infectiously jazzy sound that has propelled Mills into headliner gigs at events like the Brazilian International Jazz Festival and allowed her to play sold-out shows in theaters and performing arts centers around the world — from Houston to Sao Paolo," said Houston CityBook.

Additionally, Kristine is thrilled to announce that she has signed a distribution deal with Symphonic, a global digital distribution music services company. They will deliver her new releases and existing catalogue to music providers worldwide. 

“This album is the retrospective of my songwriting career,” expressed Kristine Mills. “It encompasses songs written at different times in my life, but they share universal truths about love, life, and death that we all can relate to. Many of the songs are collaborations with other artists which then pull from their experiences to enrich the writing and feelings found in the songs.”

This album is different for Kristine, as she is pulling from old works that were never released, remixing some of her more popular tunes and collaborating with younger artists and artists who perform in other genres. Raul da Gama with World Music Reports says, “Kristine Mills’ talent for songwriting goes well beyond that realm. She is a fine writer of The Song, an even better writer of The Ballad and best of all she writes a compelling narrative. In short, Mills may be considered a complete musician." 

Songs on “Looking Back. Moving Forward.” will be released in pairs from various “sessions” recorded in 2008 to the present. The first set of songs, “The HOUSTON Sessions,” were co-produced by Gabriel Santiago, recorded in Houston and mixed and mastered in Brazil. Kristine’s first two singles are a contrast in love - “Hold Fast” was written in honor of her new husband, where “Dip My Toe In The Water” was written amidst the ending of a long marriage.