Meet Miss Demeanour 

Sat at a Joe’s Coffee on a cold Saturday morning, I met up with Mia and Jocelyn, two-fifths of the band Miss Demeanour. I skipped the small talk and jumped straight in: how did this all start?

“Carmen 11,” they said, immediately.

That’s where it happened. The members of Miss Demeanour—a name that feels fitting, considering how easily they skirt convention—met on the 11th floor of their freshman dorm. Somewhere between skimming lit-hum readings, shared walls, and late nights, their band took shape. 

The name, though, has a longer history. Mia tells me her grandparents once had a brief brush with fortune, (short-lived, she stressed) and they owned a couple of horses that ran in the Kentucky Derby. Her grandmother—then in her forties and in law school—was asked to name one of the horses. She named it Miss Demeanour.

The story stayed with Mia. Years later, the name lived on in her notes app, buried in a running list of nearly 200 potential band names. When the group finally scrolled through it together, Miss Demeanour stood out immediately. It felt right.

Their music lives somewhere between soft rock and blues. Jocelyn grew up in jazz, and that shows up in their music. Everyone in the band is classically trained, which influences the way they play. The songs, I imagine, have a precision and intention to them.

Right now, they have one tune out on Spotify, “Stranger Danger,” which unfolds like a melancholic, comforting lullaby. 

When I asked for three words, they landed on goofy, excited, and eclectic. It’s obvious why: from their personalities to the band’s name, that energy is infectious. 

I asked a different question: if Miss Demeanour were a person at a party, who would they be?

Without hesitation, Mia and Jocelyn painted a vivid picture: she’s an eccentric drag queen with unmistakable 70s flair. Red dress with bell sleeves. Massive hats swooping with flowers and feathers. A headpiece that feels like a statement. And somehow, she also coaches Little League—showing up to practice in a bedazzled outfit, fully committed. Camp, but sincere. Old-school, but alive.

That, they tell me, is what Miss Demeanour sounds like. Their influences track accordingly: Dijon, Mazzy Star, Career Girl, The Cranberries. 

There’s something poetic about the fact that Miss Demeanour began in a freshman dorm and now exists in their final semester as graduating seniors. They’ve come full circle, carrying the same eclectic drag-queen, little-league coaching spirit with more clarity, more confidence, and a sound that feels distinctly their own.

Catch Miss Demeanour at Battle of the Bands—one last lap, played their way. They’ll stir up trouble, but don’t worry: no bail needed.