Acclaimed songwriter continues his exploration of the personal and political with two cinematic new releases blending jazz traditions, orchestral arrangements, and incisive social commentary.
Following the critical success of his debut EP Sunshine Goldmine, award-winning singer-songwriter Miles Jenson returns with two ambitious new singles, “Against My Best Interests” and “North Star,” both orchestrally arranged and produced by Vincent Ott. The releases further establish Jenson’s reputation as a fearless artist whose work occupies the space where intimate confession and social examination collide.
Drawing inspiration from artists such as James Blake, Donny Hathaway, and Otis Redding, Jenson continues to forge a genre-defying sound informed as much by the soul traditions of Stax Records as the adventurous artistry of Radiohead and Fiona Apple. The two new singles expand his sonic palette through lush orchestration and jazz-influenced songwriting while confronting themes of self-sabotage, class consciousness, racism, and collective disillusionment.
“Against My Best Interests” finds Jenson turning inward. Inspired by Chet Baker and Billie Holiday’s iconic interpretations of the jazz standard “Everything Happens to Me,” the song explores the uncomfortable middle ground between self-improvement and self-destruction. Built around classic jazz structures and sophisticated modulations, the track examines the reality that growth rarely arrives free of contradiction.
“Jazz music has an inherently bittersweet throughline that readily offers itself to exploring topics like self-sabotage,” says Jenson. “I was thinking about how self-improvement, at least in my case, doesn’t always exist without the vestiges of a vice riding shotgun. I may be generating a net positive, but that doesn’t mean I’m not simultaneously engaging in destructive behavior. The grey area between blossoming and imploding is where most of us actually live.”
The result is a composition that pairs romantic, sunlit melodies with darker emotional undercurrents, embodying the tension at the heart of its subject matter.
By contrast, “North Star” directs its gaze outward. Written while Jenson was in Austin, Texas, amid national conversations surrounding political extremism, immigration, and trans rights, the song interrogates the relationship between class inequality and racial division in America. Looking out over downtown Austin beneath half-mast American flags, Jenson found himself reflecting on how economic insecurity and systemic deprivation are often redirected into fear, resentment, and bigotry.
“At the root of hate is fear,” Jenson explains. “American fear is born from resource deprivation that informs a scarcity mindset, while capitalist mythology tells us that meritocracy will solve everything. North Star is about the intersection of white supremacy and classism—the promise of a better tomorrow that keeps moving further away while people are encouraged to blame their neighbors instead of the systems that exploit them.”
The song presents a stark portrait of a society fractured by misinformation and manufactured divisions, while ultimately calling attention to the common struggles that unite working people across lines of race and identity.
The two singles arrive on the heels of growing recognition for Jenson’s work. His debut EP, Sunshine Goldmine, produced by Grammy-winning duo King Garbage, known for collaborations with Jon Batiste, The Weeknd, and Leon Bridges, earned widespread praise for its theatrical soul, immersive production, and unflinching exploration of racism, classism, addiction, obsession, and personal transformation. The EP’s title track was awarded Best Indie Song of 2025 at the Indie Boulevard Music Awards and helped secure coverage from outlets including Tinnitist, Music Mecca, York Calling, Raised By Cassettes, Onstage Magazine, and V13.
Jenson’s artistic journey has been equally unconventional. After achieving sobriety and signing a record deal in Atlanta, he ultimately left the label in pursuit of greater creative freedom, relocating to Los Angeles and independently refining his distinctive sound. A bold cold call to producer King Garbage eventually led to a creative partnership and the creation of Sunshine Goldmine.
Now, with “Against My Best Interests” and “North Star,” Jenson opens a new chapter—one that embraces orchestral jazz influences while remaining grounded in the emotional honesty and social consciousness that have become his hallmark.
“I want someone to hear my music and say, ‘I’ve always struggled to name that feeling, and now it has a name,’” says Jenson. “That’s what it’s always been about for me. There’s something deeply comforting about hearing your experience articulated in a song.”
Both singles were orchestrally arranged and produced by Vincent Ott. Jenson is also currently at work on his debut full-length album with King Garbage.
About Miles Jenson
Miles Jenson is a Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter whose music combines soul, jazz, orchestral pop, and alternative influences into a cinematic and deeply personal sound. His acclaimed debut EP, Sunshine Goldmine, produced by Grammy-winning duo King Garbage, earned recognition for its fearless engagement with themes including addiction, identity, classism, racism, and self-evolution. With a growing national profile and a reputation for emotionally incisive songwriting, Jenson continues to challenge genre conventions while creating music that gives voice to complex, often unnamed emotions.