Q: Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how your childhood impacted your musical direction?
A: I grew up in Frankston, an infamous working class outer suburb of Melbourne, but we were not a typical family. There were a lot of artists, musicians and actors in our family, who provided questionable career role models to say the least. As a young child I was told by my artist, pianist Grandmother that I would be an artist; from that point my fate was set. I started learning piano when I was 8. I preferred to play rock songs I heard on the radio by ear rather than the classical pieces I was given. I was also more interested in writing my own songs and expressing myself through music. At 15 I gave up lessons and joined a band with some high school friends. We played covers and also wrote our own stuff. I was a massive Beatles fan. My tastes were also more towards Bowie and post punk music . I was inspired by artists who were aurally and visually interesting and challenging more than mainstream top 40 acts. I had the ambition to write and perform creatively challenging but engaging music; to get that elusive balance of art and entertainment.
Q: How are you planning on growing your fan base and sharing your music with the world? What message do you have for anyone who is about to discover “Milk Bar Gang”?
A: Milk Bar Gang are at an embryonic stage of development. ” Open ” was recorded and released in the wake of Covid lockdowns in 2022, just myself and Bianca at home. Typically a band will rehearse songs and play live before releasing recordings but our idea was to record the songs first until we had a repertoire. Because we couldn’t play live and get a band together due to lockdowns we also decided to make our own videos for each song which we put out on our own YouTube channel. We hope to play live soon so that we can reach more fans. We should have enough songs for that soon, as we have been recording songs for a new EP. We have enough for a gig now! In the meantime we have our facebook page, instagram page and website to promote our act. We also have our music on streaming services and have been promoting ourselves through music blogs. We will also explore record labels once the new EP is done. For anyone who is about to discover “Milk Bar Gang” we say get on board and join us on our exciting new musical and artistic journey! Also check out our socials!
Q: Who is the most inspiring artist for you right now? And where do you find inspiration for making music?
A: There is no one artist that inspires me, but I get inspired all the time checking out contemporary stuff and music from other eras. Recently I’ve been inspired by acts as diverse as Wet Leg to Sleaford Mods. YouTube is a brilliant time machine for accessing late 70s and early 80s post punk music such as Siouxsie and the Banshees. Sparks are also a big inspiration. Big mention to local Australian artist Coda Chroma as well. As an artist I have a compulsion to communicate and express myself through music. It’s about how I feel about things that are going on in the world and things that I have experienced on an emotional and psychological level. The songs are a way of processing and expressing a reaction to the world.
Q: Can you tell us about the story or message behind the song, “Open.”?
A: The title of the EP is a play on the idea that Milk Bar Gang is open for business but also we want to freely express ourselves and be open to others. It’s a positive invitation, but the songs themselves are not wholly optimistic. The general theme is a lament on the state of contemporary culture and how we feel about that. Ozzie Ostriches Dream is a gentle critique of consumerism as a form of denial and escape. Love is Sick is a more fierce portrayal of the corruption of intimacy in contemporary culture. What You Seemed is a more personal story of loss. Angelica Luna is a kind of poem to nature.
Q: How would you describe your sound in one word for potential listeners?
A: Eclectic.
Q: Did you face any challenges while writing or recording “Open”?
A: We recorded the songs at home in our living room on an imac with garageband, so there are plenty of challenges already there. I’m not an audio engineer so I had to learn the software on the go. A lot of YouTube tutorials came in handy. Also I decided to record the guitars and bass myself, the only problem being I’m not a guitarist or a bass player. Of course as a musician I have some capability in picking up an instrument and getting a sound but technically I had to learn on the job. Also the guitar I used was a really shitty one from a flea market. Very hard to play, keep in tune and record well. It made for some interesting sounds though. We thought we were being quite punk all in all.
Q: What is the message of your music? And what are your goals as an artist?
A: Overall we want our music to be interesting, challenging and entertaining. The message will be in the ear of the listener but if we want them to share anything from it, it is love and truth. Our goal is to keep making music and build an audience for what we do. It’s great when someone you don’t know says ‘I really like what you’re doing’.
Q: Who is your dream artist to collaborate with? (dead or alive)
A: David Bowie
Q: What is your advice for people interested in pursuing music as a career or for those trying to enter the industry?
A: Don’t hide your talent. Take the risks and don’t be discouraged.
Q: If you could go back in time and give a younger you some words of wisdom, what would they be?
A: Listen to your heart.
