Orlando-based singer-songwriter John Miles has been watering the garden in his mind for years. He’s been cultivating his next piece of melodic “greenery,” which will be in full bloom by the end of the week.
Vol. 2, the second installation of the ambient folk artist’s Mindgarden series, will debut at Miles’ album release show at Stardust Video & Coffee this Friday, July 25. The concert will showcase Miles’ latest works both written and recorded, as well as performances from locals Flamin’ Hot Tim Dukes, Sara Cody — known as Elderbaby — and Warm Blood, a new band composed of Miles, Cody and Keaton Schreiner from Midhouse.
Mindgarden is an ongoing collection of experimental albums created using field recorders, spectral guitars and the sounds of the great outdoors. Miles says that Vol. 2 is obviously a continuation of themes explored in the previous album (released last year), but it stands on its own in some ways.
“This one is unique in that it’s kind of the first time where I really leaned into my guitar playing and comfort with my instrument, and I think I’ve tapped into a new style with that,” Miles says. “It really comprises all of my influences, whether it’s from different kinds of old folk music or weird modern music and more guitar-centric, meditative, dreamy.”
While Vol. 2 differs from its elder sibling, Miles says that his creative process for each project is the same. Improvisations and a longing for the discovery of new sounds is how he begins to craft his work. He says that he doesn’t think about a final product or full-on production. Miles solely focuses on the creation of the music in the moment, almost like meditation.
“The creative process for me is just being present long enough for those magical moments to appear and for the pathways to open up,” Miles says. “I don’t force any particular pathway, I just let things unfold and eventually it emerged naturally.”
Vol. 2 takes inspiration from leftfield artists like Grouper, Lauren Connors and Cath Bloom, all outliers in the world of high lonesome sounds. Miles says that he found a new confidence in his latest work that the first installment was missing. The reception to Vol. 1 confirmed that his process works, allowing him to confidently explore new sounds.
This latest album blossomed into an additional medium; as Miles focused on his new music, a poetry book titled Hiking Through Dream Mountain organically came together at the same time.
The twin works may have similar creative processes and times of birth, but they are meant to be independent. Miles explains that there are certain fragments of the album that he relates to the sounds of his poetry and that some titles from his poems were used for Vol. 2’s tracks.
Hiking Through Dream Mountain has heavy themes of life’s mysteries and how our “dream self” relates to our “awake self.” Miles was interested in writing traditional songs, structured in the familiar form of verse/chorus/verse, but quickly realized that his words weren’t easily constrained to a song.
“When I let go of that songwriting tendency, my words came out simply as words —they came out as a book instead,” Miles says. “It feels like a unique combination, the book and the album, because they’re both pretty clear moments of an artist simply striving for a genuine connection with themselves and for healing.”
Miles’ album release party on Friday starts at 8 p.m. and is free to attend, but there is a $5-$10 suggested donation that directly supports the artists. His discography — and soon Vol. 2 — can be found on his Bandcamp.
Stardust Video and Coffee
Subscribe to Orlando Weekly newsletters.
Follow us: Apple News | Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | Bluesky | Or sign up for our RSS Feed
This article appears in Jul 23-29, 2025.