Micki Balder Gets Restless in the Midst of Pandemic with “A Feeling I Once Knew”

Micki Balder’s newest single “A Feeling I Once Knew” (released on October 1st) gives listeners a mix of heartfelt tones and introspective story-driven lyrics set against a dreamy soundscape.

In the midst of the current pandemic, Balder noticed a high number of people experiencing a pandemic-induced life crisis. She took note of the ever-changing lifestyle changes people were making….People were re-evaluating their careers, moving to new cities, and starting new milestones, among other things. Balder found herself experiencing that same crisis and used it as inspiration for her storytelling in her new single “A Feeling I Once Knew.”

Detailing the sense of restlessness around her, Balder’s lyrics confront doubt in the face of adversity and the discernment of figuring out if you’re really on the right path. “I started to feel restless, but also stagnant and lacking purpose. I yearned for this pre-pandemic time where everything felt great and busy and exciting and full of life but also felt torn between craving that old life, and needing major change.” Feeling that restlessness within, Balder needed a reminder that she had been happy and content before the pandemic turned everything upside down and that eventually, she would find her way back….. to that feeling she once knew.

Micki Balder is a folksy singer-songwriter writing sad songs for happy people (and ever so occasionally, happy songs for sad people!). Her music is born from a life-long desire to be a character in a musical, unapologetically singing her feelings for the world through simple and poignant lyrics. Though she’s been dabbling with music her whole life, it wasn’t until 2018 when a friendship’s moment of truth unveiled itself in the middle of a Denver coffee shop. She walked home, wrote a song, and has been writing ever since, now a regular at local music venues around her Colorado home.

Micki writes from a place of vulnerable storytelling, with people and relationships at the core of her music. She’s been compared to modern folk bands like The Weepies and Mipso, along with classic songwriters like Joni Mitchell and Paul Simon, but she draws inspiration from all over the spectrum — the swing and soul music of her lindy hop days, the earthy folk of Gregory Alan Isakov and Mandolin Orange, the candour and dry humour of John Craigie, or the heartbreak of Sara Bareilles, to name a few.

Cover art for “A Feeling I Once Knew” by Micki Balder