Ever since October 2020, Australian blues rocker Mia Dyson has been trying to return home and tour.
Originally from regional Victoria, Mia has based herself in Los Angeles since 2009.However, since Australia's pandemic-induced border closures and her own serious health scare, she's had to delay the tour celebrating the 15th anniversary of her ARIA Award-winning second album, 'Parking Lots'.
This year, Mia makes her long-awaited journey home including a stop at the Gold Coast's Blues On Broadbeach festival.
"I've postponed this tour three times. Now, it's very much looking like it's going to finally happen. It only took two years!" Mia laughs.
Since her career began, Mia has been living on the road as a touring musician.
In fact, when the pandemic struck, Mia was touring Australia with the band Dyson Stringer Cloher with friends and fellow Aussie songwriters Jen Cloher and Liz Stringer.
But when the borders closed, Mia was stuck in Australia and had to get used to being in the one place for a long period of time.
"In the early days [of my career], if I didn't play a show for a week, I would get anxious," Mia says, "but, when the pandemic hit, I stayed in Australia for several months, and it was great.
"I hadn't lived there on any long-term basis in a long time, so I got to spend a lot of time with my niece and nephew, and my family."
Another project Mia had ready to go in 2020 was 'Parking Lots (Revisited)', an EP featuring re-recordings of five songs from her second album that show how much Mia has grown as an artist in between those two releases.
"On the original record I was really trying hard to force something to happen," she says.
"I feel like my voice now is so much more natural and a truer expression of who I am. To get to sing those songs again 15 years later when I'm so much more mature as an artist was quite cathartic."
Upon returning to America, but still unable to tour, Mia continued honing her craft, returning to writing and learning to use home-recording software.
But in September 2020, she nearly lost her life when her heart stopped during an earthquake. "I had gone glassy-eyed and wasn't breathing and wasn't responding to anything," she recalls.
"My husband revived me and got me to hospital, and I was diagnosed with a heart arrhythmia that required surgically implanting a defibrillator in my chest, which was pretty intense and required a long recovery from that."
Now with so much behind her, Mia has a lot to look forward to including Blues On Broadbeach. This year, the festival celebrates its 21st anniversary, and Mia will take its stage for the first time since 2008 and is excited to return.
"I love being in that part of the world and being by those oceans is spectacular. And now my dad lives up there, so I get to visit him. So, it's all gravy!" she laughs.
"I should probably get him up to play because he's a guitar maker and guitar player. We don't get to play together that often anymore so maybe he should do a little guest appearance."
Mia Dyson joins The James Morrison Motown Experience, Robben Ford, Karise Eden, Emma Donovan & The Putbacks and many more at 2022 Blues On Broadbeach (Gold Coast), which takes place 19-22 May.
Mia Dyson 2022 Tour Dates
Sat 9 Apr - The Red Steer Hotel (Wagga Wagga)Fri 22 Apr - Lansdowne Hotel (Sydney)
Sat 23 Apr - The Gum Ball (Hunter Valley)
Thu 28 Apr - Sooki Lounge (Melbourne)
Fri 29 Apr - Caravan Club (Archies Creek)
Sat 30 Apr - Sandy Point Music Club
Sun 1 May - Birregurra Hall
Fri 6 May - Howler (Melbourne)
Sat 7 May - Theatre Royal (Castlemaine)
Sun 8 May - Macedon Railway Hotel (Macedon Ranges)
Fri 13 May - The Longhouse (Hobart)
Sat 14 May - Meander Hall
Sun 15 May - Franklin Palais Theatre (Huon Valley)
Fri 20 May - Blues On Broadbeach (Gold Coast)
Sat 21 May - Bellingen Brewery (Northern Rivers)
Sun 22 May - Lizotte's Newcastle
