deer scout

Though Dena Miller grew up in a family of New York folk musicians, and recorded her earliest childhood songs on a toy cassette player, she spent her teen years in the crowd at DIY shows rather than onstage. But a relocation to Philadelphia for college found her woodshedding in her dorm room, and Deer Scout’s earliest songs were born. Centering Miller’s singular voice and intimate lyricism, Deer Scout was quickly welcomed into Philly’s legendary DIY scene, especially at fabled punk fraternity Pilam and erstwhile house venue All Nite Diner. Along the way, Miller grew the project by touring storied alternative showspaces like Silent Barn, Flywheel and PhilaMOCA, and sharing stages with artists including Waxahatchee, Yowler and Told Slant.

Six years after the project’s start, Miller has moved back to her hometown of New York and is ready to release her debut full length, Woodpecker, with Carpark Records. Miller’s taken time to fastidiously rearrange, working alongside trusted friends and collaborators: Ko Takasugi-Czernowin on bass, Zuzia Weyman on cello, Henry Munson on pedal steel, and Madel Rafter on drums. The family folk influence shines through in Miller’s distinctive playing and voice, but tension-building string arrangements, droning pull-off riffs, and rattling drum play complicate the mix, channeling Americana and lo-fi forebears like Cat Power.