Mishka

Mishka, the pop-reggae artist whose older sister is the singer-songwriter Heather Nova (born Heather Frith), spent his formative years aboard his Canadian parents’ sailboat, island-hopping across the West Indies while absorbing an eclectic range of music and receiving the bulk of his schooling at sea. After his family resettled in Canada, he finished his education and returned to the Caribbean, where he became a competitive windsurfer and represented Bermuda in international competitions. During this period he also began writing songs, and in late 1996 he encountered Creation Records founder Alan McGee, whose attention he captured through his singing; Nova’s encouragement helped secure a recording deal the next year. The self-titled debut album, blending pop, reggae, soul, and singer/songwriter folk-rock, appeared in 1999.

Mishka maintained an unbroken touring schedule thereafter, gradually cultivating a broad global following through successive performances, notably as opener on Xavier Rudd’s sold-out 2000 North American trek. That same year Creation, through Sony, released the Mad Professor–mixed and co-produced In Dub. Although Mishka kept issuing singles that regularly surfaced on reggae compilations, his next full-length project, One Tree, did not emerge until 2004 on Rude Boy, gaining U.S. distribution the following year via Cornerstone R.A.S.

He later joined actor Matthew McConaughey’s JK Living imprint for the 2009 lovers-rock album Above the Bones, supported by guitarist Darryl Thompson, keyboardist Phil Parlapiano, drummer Juan Parris, and backing vocalists Erica Newell, Stacia Rhoades, and Sara Johnston. Widely praised from Brooklyn to Barbados, the record became a staple among reggae DJs. The label followed with the stylistically wide-ranging Talk About in 2010, which framed excursions into folk and country within reggae while remaining rooted in Caribbean traditions; Willie Nelson guested on “Homegrown,” and Butch Walker produced “Stars Will Be Shining” and “Give Them Love.” Mishka’s live reach expanded accordingly, encompassing worldwide headline dates and prominent festival appearances across the United States.

In 2013 Jimmy Buffett’s Mailboat Records granted him his own Mishka imprint, whose first release was the pop-reggae groover The Journey. After an extensive tour he promptly returned to the studio, resulting in 2015’s Roots Fidelity, which featured legendary session drummer and percussionist Horseman (Winston Williams) on vocals for “More Greens.”