Hawaiian-born singer Kimie Miner mixes sunny reggae-infused songwriting with a soulful pop sensibility. Born in Kailua on the island of O'ahu, Miner attended college in San Diego, where her music was discovered by Jamaican reggae star Barrington Levy, who invited her to open a tour for him. Making her debut in 2009, Miner billed herself simply as Kimie, releasing the album Distant Traveler. Citing India.Arie, Bob Marley, and Amy Winehouse as inspirations, Kimie's music veered toward pop singer/songwriter but still bore the distinctive traces of Hawaiian influence. Her follow-up EP, To the Sea, was released in early 2013 and featured contributions from fellow Hawaiians Imua Garza and Irie Love. A second full-length, a self-titled set attributed to Kimie Miner, arrived in 2015 bearing a brighter, more pop-oriented sound. ~ Timothy Monger