Artist Spotlight: MILKK

Picture from Twitter

Feel good, sad songs.

MILKK is an indie-pop trio based out of Nashville and Minneapolis. Comprised of Pat Kiloran, Jack Vondrachek, and Joel Ogelby, the three guys are no strangers to music, but their band is. They've only been around since March, but they did something that captured the attention of people from all over the world. On top of all that, MILKK already has a strong fan base despite the fact their debut song "Pacific Kiss" won't be released for another 9 days!

Yesterday I got the opportunity to sit down and have a casual chat with Pat through good 'ole Twitter.


First of all, I gotta thank you again for taking the time to do this! I'm excited to learn more about you guys and the music you make. So, how did the idea of MILKK come about?

Pat: Jack and I grew up together in MN playing in bands and working on music. After high school we went off and did our own things for awhile. I moved around to Toronto, Los Angeles, etc, and Jack built up his studio in the Twin Cities.

Then just earlier this year, after a few years of working in the industry, some circumstances came about that brought Jack and I together, discussing and working on a new project. The idea for MILKK just started as something fun we thought we could do on the side. We did not expect it to gain the support it has so quickly.

Then after playing a few gigs with him around Nashville, I met John and almost immediately knew that he was the exact right person to be a part of this band. It was just sort of obvious.

When you and Jack were in high school, did you consider music to be a hobby or did you already know that you really wanted to pursue it?  

Pat: We played in a lot of bad bands ha. I think we both knew it was what we wanted to do. I remember at 14 or 15 being very excited by the idea of making records and touring. It's been a weird twisting road since then, but it seems like things are heading in the right direction.


So technically you've both been musicians since high school. That's cool. Was there a specific person or artist that influenced that?

Pat: I don't think specifically.

I remember back then I was a big fan of bands like Green Day and Fall Out Boy. Jack was really into classical guitar and Led Zeppelin. I honestly don't know what John was into haha. But he has also been playing for a long time. We all grew up studying and working in the industry in some way.

Lastly, the one big question that's been on my mind since I found you guys...  How did you come up with the name MILKK? Why two K's?

Pat: If you want the honest answer haha. We were originally going to call it "MILK" just because we thought it would be funny, but Facebook wouldn't let us name a page that because it was such a common word. So I called Jack and asked what we should do. I randomly hit the "K" key again and looked at it. Then I told Jack "We're good. I think this will work."

It's really dumb, but it's the truth.

__________

PACIFIC KISS | 05.26.17

show all your friends 🌴💋 pic.twitter.com/yblJ8bx8NM

— MILKK (@wearemilkk) May 11, 2017

Click above to hear a clip of the song!

Pacific Kiss comes out May 26th, 2017, and you can pre-order the song on iTunes (which I have gladly already done).

I hope you fall in love with this band as much as I have. I look forward to seeing where they go from here, how they grow, and the day I get to see them live!

Again, I would like to thank Pat, Jack, and John for creating this amazing music, and I would also like to thank the Milkk Cartons group on Twitter! You are all so kind and I'm lucky to have met such nice people.

Find MILKK on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat: wearemilkk

Don't blink!
-Sarah

The Local Wave + Earth Day Updates

Hello friends, welcome back to the blog! I've been a little inactive recently due massive cold, but I'm on the up and up. Hehehe.
                                             
ANYWAY, today I want to talk about two things! First up is the podcast Matt Hoopes did with The Local Wave last week, and second is the Earth Day stream the guys did a couple of days ago.

However, I do recommend you check out The Local Wave's podcast (click HERE to listen online and download). It's a little over an hour but it's really a great listen.

The thing I really loved about it is hearing some of the stories around certain events and albums (like how they were first discovered and how the AFF primary color theme was an accident).

The bit about Empty House was another great moment. It's by far one of my favorite songs from the record for the reason of perfection in the midst of imperfection, and listening to Hoopes' opinion and thoughts about the song was really great!

Now as far as Earth Day, the guys released a surprise song (you can download it for free at relientk.com) and did a livestream straight from Thiessen's porch. They played Mountaintop and Air For Free as well as the new song, then did a mini Q&A!

Some highlights from the stream (in no particular order):

• The actual vase that inspired Mountaintop (there's an actual bluebird on the vase and that missing piece)

• Matt T mentioned a solo project and Goodbye Dubai (confirming the project with Owl City's Adam Young for a second time)

• Jake Germany's rice cake shoes

• M@ ate dirt and threw some at Hoopes

• M@'s improvised lyrics to Awakening by Switchfoot: "Here we are now with a piece of toast and jam"

If you missed the stream, you might be able to find it on YouTube. I know for a fact the Instagram stream is on there somewhere.

So until next time, I'm signing off!
- Sarah

New Music??

Oh boy, do I have a big and exciting one today.

Most of you, if you've been keeping up with the RK social media (specifically Instagram) or talking with other fans, you'd would know the guys are being pretty sneaky about something. So, let's break it down!

The first clue we got was this:

I thought it was amazing the guys released Air For Free and The Creepier Ep...er in the same year, then they threw in Truly Madly Deeply and my mind was blown. I didn't think it could get any better, but apparently I was wrong. They're cooking up something, and I can't wait to see what it is.

Next came talk of more live music. Live 2009 is the first and so far only live Relient K album to exist, but that isn't going to be the case for too long. Live 2016 may be (and probably is) coming soon.

Finally we come to this very mysterious post.

I legit freaked out a bit over this one! I'm thinking possible B sides album or an acoustic album (although I had a dream they released a book, not even sure where that one came from), and I've seen some others talking about a deluxe version of Air For Free, but either way I'm beyond excited for this.

PLUS! Series 4 of the 7 inch vinyl sets are set to be released soon. Not exactly sure when, but I'm guessing in the next few months or so. I'm really excited about this set specifically because I think this is one where Look On Up will be making her debut. There's also the 7 inch version of Five Score, not sure when he'll be making his appearance though.

I have no idea how the guys manage to do all this stuff at once, but MAN I am excited. They're some pretty awesome dudes. #relientlove

Before I go I've got two other things I want to mention. First, if you're interested in joining a RK chat, I've got just the thing for you. Introducing: the Relient K Fans Discord! Click HERE to be directed right to the action! You'll definitely find me hanging out there!

Second, we've hit over 2000 page views since the blog's formation back in November! I was so shocked, I never expected this blog to make it past my friend circle. Thank you all so much for stopping by to check this out, it means the world. 🎉✨

A Super Sweet Valentine's Surprise

Happy Valentine's Day, friends!

Lots of exciting things happened over the past few days! The guys released a Valentine's EP called Truly Madly Deeply. There are three songs: Candy Hearts (my personal fave), Happy Valentimes, and BMI Valentine. There's also a music video that was shot (by the fabulous Jake Germany, who also designed the EP's art) for Candy Hearts. You can watch it on below, or on Relient K's official website.

Don't blink,

Sahara <3

LFA Tour Shirt Review (MSSS Series, Part 3) + BONUS POST

Hi friends! So sorry about this being a day late, I completely forgot about posting it yesterday! To make up for it, I've added on a BONUS POST that might have to do something with Matt T and the Earthquakes, but I'll get to that in a bit...

Today we're looking at the Looking For America '16 Tour shirt as the third installment of the Merch Store Shopping Spree series.

The first thing I want to say about this shirt is how SOFT it is. The material is a bit thin (you can't see though, don't worry) and made of 50% percent polyester, 25% cotton and 25% rayon. Like other Relient K shirts, it features a tear away tag. These little angels are probably the best invention EVER.

The back lists all the tour dates between September and November of 2016 You can still buy these shirts online at relientk.com and they're only $10!

Now, if you're interested more in the bonus post than me rambling on about a shirt, here we go.

About a week ago I remembered how Matt Thiessen opened for a show at City Winery back in December, playing some solo songs. After a quick check from Google and YouTube, I found some (if not all) the songs he played at the show. Here's the list:

1.) DUDE
2.) SPORTS!
3.) MAN OF STONE
4.) MOTHER'S TRIUMPH

I couldn't find any others, so I'm not a hundred percent sure if this is all of them, but still, there's something interesting about this list.

I went to BMI's website, did a little digging (If you don't know, BMI is a company that does music publishing, licensing, etc.), and found a list of all the Matthew Thiessen and the Earthquakes songs that are registered, but the ones he played aren't on the list. He does, however, have 12 songs registered, most of which I've never heard of before. Here's the list:

1.) CALENDAR THE ENERGY
2.) CLOUD OF SMOKE
3.) DUMPED FOR A MODEL
4.) IF I'M DREAMING
5.) IT'S A BROKEN HEART
6.) NOT WITH YOU AND ME
7.) POISON IVY
8.) TAKE IT EASY MATTHEW
9.) TIME STAND STILL
10.) VOLLEYBALL GIRL
11.) WOOL OVER YOUR EYES
12.) WWW BROKENHEART COM

This information is exciting, to say the least. There's enough for a full album here, and seeing as the songs he preformed aren't on BMI's repertoire, that could mean they're pretty new.

If you want to check out the list yourself, you can find it by clicking HERE. I could honestly get lost for hours looking at that website.

And hey, don't forget to check back occasionally, as I will keep you updated about this (and Goodbye Dubai) whenever I learn something new!

Don't blink,
Sahara

Collapsible Lung Unboxing (MSSS Series, Part 2)

Read the Air For Free unboxing post by clicking HERE.

-

Hello my favorites!

Today we're looking at Collapsible Lung! One of my all time favorites, it's the first Relient K album I listened to. The vinyl itself is packaged in a cardboard jacket along with the easily recognisable lung artwork on the front.

Since before getting this record, I only had the album digitally, so I didn't know what the back looked like. It's very interesting and shows three brown dots with different pictures inside them. The one on the left shows an internal part of the lung, the center one shows a map, and the one on the right depicts a house. I don't know if these pictures have any meaning but they look pretty cool nonetheless! 

The vinyl itself is a cherry red, which I really love! It goes well with the beige and black artwork. The only thing that made me sad was the lack of an insert. Inserts are probably my second favorite part of records themselves, the first being the actual vinyl.

The track listing is the same as the CD, and is as follows:

SIDE A:

Don't Blink

Boomerang

Lost Boy

If I Could Take You Home

Can't Complain

Gloria

SIDE B:

PTL

Disaster 

When You Were My Baby

Sweeter

Collapsible Lung 

I know this wasn't really a well received album, but it does have its gems (Don't Blink, Can't Complain, and Collapsible Lung specifically). In the end I just hope you enjoyed reading this little post! I wish you all the best.

Don't Blink, 

Sahara 

PS: Saw a sneaky tweet from SMLXL Vinyl saying the gold MMHMM vinyls are back in stock! Go grab one now if you don't have one @ smlxlvinyl.com

Artist Spotlight: Phangs

Hey guys! Today I want to do something a little different than what I normally do. Today, I want to talk about one of my new musical faves, Phangs. 

                                    

Phangs is a fresh and super dreamy pop project created by Jake Germany. As Phangs, he released his first song called Cul De Sac in August of 2016, and just last week he released two new tracks, originally supposed to be from his self-titled EP, PHANGS.

His website's about page describes Phangs as dream pop "blanketed in layers of synthesizers" and "steady pulsing percussion". The Phangs sound makes me want to put on a warm sweatshirt and go for a walk in a park; it has a homey feeling, which makes it even easier to connect to the music.

The stripped version of Cul De Sac took me by surprise. To be honest, I don't know what I was expecting, but this just blew me away. The stripped back instrumental allows the falsetto vocals to be the star, making the song sound even more light and cozy.

One & Lonely -- while being equally cozy -- makes me think of bubblegum and cotton candy, even if the song is about an unraveling relationship. My favorite part probably being the chorus when Germany sings "Don't go, don't leave me here."

In closing, I want to say how incredibly excited I am to hear more Phangs music, especially Always Been U (feat. R.LUM.R). Jake Germany is an extremely talented person and I'm so proud to support him and his music. I wish him all the best and I'll definitely be there to snag a copy of his first album, whenever it drops.

Don't blink,
Sahara

Watch the music video for Cul De Sac (Stripped):

Vinyl Unboxing: Air For Free (MSSS Series, Part 1)

Now that all the little added extras to the blog are finally up and don't need my full attention, I can dedicate my time to writing more about the guys, their music, and their merch. Today's post is all about Air For Free on vinyl, and it's the start of a little four part series I'm going to call the "Merch Store Shopping Spree" series.

This is something I've wanted to write about for a long time, and now that I have a record player I can finally do it!

I ordered this vinyl along with some other goodies on December 26th and received my package on December 30. I don't think I've ever been so inpatient in my life.

The 2LP 180 gram white vinyl come packaged in a gatefold jacket along with an insert that features photos of the guys and the Air For Free primary color dots, and a digital download card.

Front and Back

Inside

180 gram 2LP vinyl

Inside Notes

Front and Back of the Insert

The track listing is different than the CD, and is as follows:

Side A:
Local Construction
Bummin'
Marigold
Runnin'

Side B:
Mrs. Hippopotamuses
Cat
Elephant Parade
Man

Side C:
Air For Free
God
Prodigal
Empty House

Side D:
Mountaintop
Sleepin'
Flower
Heartache

Matt Hoopes said a lot of time was spent sequencing the vinyl album. Songs on each side are specifically grouped to give the album a nice flow and allow for quick listening sessions. Personally, this is one of my favorite features of the album. It almost reminds me of how Forget and Not Slow Down goes from one track to another with connecting intros/outros. It all just clicks and works.

As for the tracks that really stood out upon the initial listening, all I really want to talk about Empty House.

Empty House was one of the tracks that really hit me. Hearing any song or album on vinyl is an experience in an of itself, but with a song like Empty House? For me it was like no other. I've heard the song numerous times, and it's one of my favorites, but the first time hearing it on vinyl reduced me to tears. The simple piano track paired with the autotuned vocals just convey this feeling that's like no other. It's a truly moving song, even though I still don't have a clue as to what's sung in half of the first verse.

In the end I just want to say this is an amazing album. Each song is of the highest quality and they all sound spectacular on vinyl. If you haven't listened to it yet, please do! And for those of you who haven't bought the vinyl but want to hear it in the same sequencing as the vinyl, check out Relient K's Spotify playlist here.

Hope you guys have a great New Year's. See you then!

Don't blink,
Sahara

PS: I'm uploading the entries to the Creative Corner tab tomorrow, don't forget to check it out and submit your own edits/art!