Mija and JR Slayer are buzzy and restless on “Stay a Little Longer”

Rising Los Angeles-based artist Mija was busy last year, releasing a string of EPs and singles that culminated in the humid one-two of "I Hope to Cure Myself of You" and "Dead Flowers & Cigarettes." Now the 26-year-old singer, producer, and DJ is back again, preparing for a string of small club shows across the US, and she’s got a fascinatingly warped collaboration out in advance of the tour. “Stay a Little Longer,” premiering below, was written with and produced by JR Slayer, formerly of post-hardcore pioneers Blood Brothers and current guitarist for scratchy supergroup Head Wound City. The track leads with an almost unrecognizably over-compressed woodwind melody, falls into a tranquil beat, and builds in bassy glitches as it goes. Put together, it’s overwhelming, even if it’s a piece of minimalism deep down. Mija's voice, swooping into every blue note it can find, sounds stronger than ever.

"'Stay A Little Longer' illustrates three human characteristics: Selfishness, Validity, and Loneliness,” Mija wrote in an email to The FADER this morning. “It is the feeling of wanting something from somebody else. The feeling of not being present and seeking outward validation. And the loneliness that consumes your late night thoughts, once they've left. JR Slayer sent me the initial beat, and I wrote/arranged the vocals. I decided that I wanted to perform it live, so Ryan (Forever) and I broke down the song and flipped it into what it is today."

Mija kicks off her tour with two shows in New York at the end of the week — at Baby’s All Right on Thursday and Mercury Lounge on Friday. Listen to “Stay a Little Longer” below, and check out the rest of her tour dates here.