Life & Work with Xoë Miles

Today we’d like to introduce you to Xoë Miles.

Hi Xoë, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.

Hi! I’m Xoë Miles. I’m a native Texan. I was 12 when I attended my first songwriting summer camp in Magnolia, Texas (a little town about an hour NW of Houston, TX). Before this camp, I did some drill team dancing, and I did all the sports offered by the YMCA. I thought I was going to be a volleyball player, but once I took songwriting, I was hooked. I couldn’t wait for summer to get here so I could do another camp. That continued for a couple more summers. During the 2nd camp, I noticed most of the other kids played an instrument, so I talked my parents into getting me a guitar, and I taught myself how to play by watching YouTube.

My parents weren’t sure how seriously I’d take it, so we looked online for a guitar and found a small, plastic, purple one on eBay. When it came in, I remember grabbing it and running upstairs, and I later went back downstairs to show my parents what I had learned. I played them a handful of songs they recognized, so, yeah, they realized I was kinda serious about it! The camp also offered us studio time so that we could record demos of our songs. I loved being in the studio! At 14, I was connected to my amazing producer, Eddie Ferguson. We would meet at Music World and Lucky Run, both studios in Houston.

I was able to start recording my first album when I was 14, and it was released when I was 15, I have many singles, EPs, and albums that followed. At 14, I also started playing paying gigs, and I just never stopped. These gigs could be anywhere from 2 to 4 hours. I played mostly in the greater Houston area, but I have also traveled across the U.S. to perform in venues, festivals, music conferences, and fundraisers. One city I started playing in as I got older was, and still is, Nashville. There is so much talent in the city, and when I did get to play there, I’d always stay and listen to everyone. I’d immediately want to write more and play more because the talent there inspired me so much.

When Covid shut things down, I took advantage of that time and started learning production and music engineering. I do believe that the many years I spent in the studio with Eddie helped me catch onto it fast. I have a full self-produced album out and a few singles, and I’m working on more.

Fast forward, I’m now living in Nashville. I want to surround myself with the talent here, so I can learn and grow and become a better songwriter, as well as an overall better artist. I remember my parents talking to my brother and me as we grew up; they would tell us “Be in rooms with people who you admire their work ethic, people who are the best at what they do, people you can learn from.” So, this is why I am in Nashville, I am a songwriter and an aspiring artist. We always have room for growth, and I moved here because I want to continue to grow.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?

It’s been amazing for the most part, but there have been ups and downs. Of course, there’s the occasional being let down by people who talk big talk but don’t do what they tell you they can do, but most of my struggles come with my anxiety. Sometimes I can get overwhelmed when it comes to creating my songs, or even when I’m out playing a gig because of all the different things going on sending me into sensory overload, but I take a step back, remind myself to breathe and that I’m okay and safe, and then get through it the best I can.

I’ve always had a really strong sense of self when it comes to who I am as a person, as well as who I am as an artist. Being from a small town in Texas, I always get people trying to tell me that I should be singing country music instead of pop music. Nothing against them or country music, but it’s just not me… at all. I feel like sticking to my guns, always being myself no matter what, and staying in my lane of music for sure sets me apart from others.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?

I’m an alt-pop singer-songwriter/recording artist living in the heart of Nashville. I have been releasing my original music since I was 15, under my previous artist name “Emily Cole.” At 21, I decided to take on the production and engineering side of my music, and I released 3 self-produced singles followed by my full-length album, “Manipulated.” This album was named “one of the 12 best Houston albums of 2021” by Joey Guerra of The Houston Chronicle!

In 2022, I rebranded to Xoë Miles, and I released my self-produced single “In My Head.” This single is a co-write with Los Angeles singer-songwriter, Michelle Buzz, and it’s co-produced by my brother, Jack Little, and myself. I then released a remix of my Emily Cole song, “Sober,” and then got to write a song with my friend Kevin Tapia called “Come Back,” which he sings in Spanish on!

Then, my friend David Givens and I released a second version of my song “Social Cues,” and after that, I was featured on a song with my close friends Nicole & Scotty called “Scared Of The Dark” that we wrote over Zoom. I then released another song that I wrote with Michelle Buzz while I was in LA, called “Tunnel.” Shortly after that, I was lucky enough to be featured on a track called “Where Do We Go” with Raddix and Champagne Poppers, which was released through Biophaze Records (my first label release), and it’s a banger if I do say so myself.

That’s a little bit of my discography. ☺

Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?

I’m really enjoying living in Nashville; I’m truly inspired. I love the writers rounds that offer us independent artists a stage to not only share our original music but also a way to meet others doing what I’m doing. This year, I have also released my single “Friends” at the end of June. This single is one of my favorites, because I got to write it with my long-time friend, Abbey Cabler, who is also an amazing songwriter in Nashville. I was offered to be part of a filmed challenge by Nashville’s Piney Crane to “Write A Song In An Hour” with somebody I knew, so I brought Abbey in, and we wrote “Friends!” Piney Crane videoed the entire writing process, and they even videoed an acoustic music video of “Friends.” Both can be found on my YouTube.

On Friday, 10/27, I released my single titled “Miss Me.” This song is a co-write with Olivia Gunn and Joey DePrizio (they are amazing and in Nashville also!). You can now listen to “Miss Me” on all music platforms; the link is on all my socials @xoemiles!


I actually have a TON of new music in the works (maybe a fun surprise too), so be sure to follow me on all my social medias listed here to be the first to know about everything! 

Thank you, Voyage Nashville, for this interview! xoXoë

Contact Info:

• Website: xoemiles.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/xoemiles
• Facebook: facebook.com/xoemilesmusic
• Twitter: twitter.com/xoemiles
• Youtube: youtube.com/channel/UCwNtW59PAGnS6hniYdW6c-A
• SoundCloud: soundcloud.com/xoemiles
• Other: tiktok.com/@xoemiles 

Image Credits
Abbey Cabler