kristine mills

Kristine Mills, known in Houston as being a constant and persisting voice in the jazz scene, 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.

With this new album project, she is geared up for a key moment in her three-decade-long career “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 was different for I pulled from old, unreleased works, remixed some of her more popular tunes and collaborated with 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.” was be released in pairs from various “sessions” recorded in 2008 to the present. The first set of songs, “The HOUSTON Sessions,” was co-produced by Gabriel Santiago, recorded in Houston then mixed and mastered in Brazil. Kristine’s first two singles, a contrast in love - “Hold Fast” was written in honor of her new husband, whereas “Dip My Toe In The Water” was written amidst the ending of a long marriage. 

Additional "sessions" recorded in New York and Austin included many well-known musicians such as GRAMMY-nominated American songwriter Jeff Franzel, prolific writer and producer Askold Buk, Sade's touring drummer, Steve Williams, and Dave Byrne's tour bassist Paul Frasier.