Vast Cosmic Arenas with Mildlife
Mildlife are the four-piece cosmic ensemble from Melbourne, making strides in a musical galaxy of their own. Adam Halliwell, Kevin Mcdowell, Jim Reindish and Tom Shanahan combine wistful vocals, spacey synth grooves, and a funky, jazz-infused disco rhythm to forge vibrant records which encapsulate spaced-out, dreamy trips. Their music would provide a perfect soundtrack to long drives through desolate desert landscapes or journeys floating through the vast cosmos.
Moon Roq’s Harry had a quick chat with new drummer Jim, and founding member Tom; discussing improvisation, their infamous first single ‘The Magnificent Moon’, and touching on a few of their memorable moments as a band.
So, Tom, I wanted to kick things off by asking a few questions about Mildlife’s journey so far. Where did it all begin?
Kevin, Adam, and I have been friends for a very long time and music has always been a huge part of our lives. This has meant we've spent endless hours listening and playing music together. The music we've listened to and created together over these years as friends has taken many different forms. It has evolved (and devolved) naturally with time so it's difficult to say when Mildlife officially started. Jim recently joined us when we began writing Automatic (the new album) to fill the large shoes (physically and metaphorically) our previous drummer had. Luckily for us Jim has incredibly huge feet (only metaphorically) and we're more than excited with how this journey has and will unfold with him on board.
Any memories worth sharing from your early gigs in Melbourne?
We had some great times post-show in Melbourne when we'd realise our gear was still set up from the gig we'd played hours before. It would start with just a couple of us slithering up on to our instruments trying to jam quietly, then before long it would be a full band plus whoever was left flailing percussion around. Some notable late-night improvised jam sessions include the Night Cat which was around a 15-person line-up and Castlemaine where we jammed deep into the morning and across the astral plane.
Let's talk about your debut single 'The Magnificent Moon'... It is a masterpiece. Did that begin as an improvised jam? Talk us through how it came together, from the original idea, to the finished track.
Yeah, The Magnificent Moon began as an improvised jam, like most of our tracks! We were in Bakehouse studios in Richmond with a bedrock of an idea that we were happy to explore further. Together Adam and Kevin then crafted the topline hook which gave the song purpose and glued it together, allowing us to create a song structure which was more refined and thoughtful than the 'jam'. At this stage, the song was very dreamy and slower. We felt it was finished, but it wasn't until rehearsing it for an upcoming late-night club show that it found its final form. I adjusted the bass line, leaning harder into a disco and funk world which gave it more momentum and energy for a late-night set. More refinement followed that lead to the album version we know. We still have the earlier recording of it somewhere.
I’d like to get my hands on a copy of the earlier recording! After this came your debut album 'Phase' and then a follow-up 11-minute single 'Phase 2'. What was the main concept behind both of these?
In essence Phase 2 is a reimagined version of the song, 'Phase' from that album. It was part of an improvised session we did at Research Records Headquarters over a few days in January 2018. It's an extended, more up-tempo version of the song which allowed us to explore the idea further across 2 sides of a 7". That particular release was done in 1 take on a 40-degree (celsius!) day in the room pictured on the cover.
So, Jim, with each release, the band have carved out a sonic niche, but it is still difficult to categorise that sound. Was that something you were trying to do, or is the Mildlife sound purely down to your individual influences and unique instrumentation through improvisation?
We definitely aim to write and play how we feel and to let that go wherever it takes us. Our releases are a reflection of whatever phase we’re in at the time (hence the name). We’re all interested in a lot of different music, so it’s not necessarily a deliberate decision to be different every time. More to just be honest about where we’re at when writing and to see it through.
How do you imagine that people listen to your music?
Hopefully through a device that tracks their location and can give us a read on how we can best generate music that holds their attention span maximally. Nah, haha, I dunno, I’ve never really thought about it. It was nice to see people posting videos of them watching our livestream with a group of their friends; so maybe with mates?
Your music has been played in clubs by some of the most well-respected DJs on the planet and you have some amazing remixes by Artwork, Daniele Baldelli, Apiento and Tornado Wallace. What makes your sound so compatible with these DJ's and their dance floors?
Perhaps it’s that good DJ’s are usually diggers and are used to hearing music that’s from all over the world and from different periods in time. Maybe they have an idea of how we can fit into lots of different boxes and can slot us in the right place at the right time.
From my perspective, there seems to be a cosmic thread running through everything you do musically and artistically. What’s the story behind this?
I suppose we’re all into space and big ideas, but I don’t believe even one of us owns a telescope. Perhaps it’s more about the instrumentation of Mildlife in that we’re interested in a lot of strange sounds and try to do things that are a little sideways. Sometimes calling it cosmic can ironically put a lid on an idea that is meant to describe expansiveness.
Talking about space and big ideas… I have read that you guys are big fans of astronomy and in particular, Carl Sagan.
The band is very inspired by Carl, he’s one of the most inspiring astronomers in history. I’ve seen Cosmos, which is fascinating and have a copy of the Pale Blue Dot on my bookshelf that I need to revisit. I think the production of the original show captures a particular aesthetic of the era for sure.
Cosmos conveys stories about our origins that are so compelling and inspired a whole generation to know more about science, physics, history, and our Universe. The soundtrack is great too. Sagan could present the most complex ideas about our world and the Universe so clearly. Pale Blue Dot for example really put into perspective our miniscule position compared to the wider realms of nature. To quote that classic quote: “The earth is a very small stage, in a vast cosmic arena”. Here’s a tasty clip of Carl explaining Pale Blue Dot.
Sagan helped spark the new atheist movement, which I always thought was weird given that he seemed so open minded. He articulated a rational viewpoint at a time when that wasn’t widespread, which is really cool!
Well, Jim, Tom, thanks for your time! When is the new album ‘Automatic’ coming out?
It’s out September 18 through Heavenly Recordings/Inertia Music. We just put out a video for the first single called ‘Rare Air’. Check it!
Photographs kindly provided by the band. If you have any questions or would like to discuss this article or any other with us - don't hesitate to get in touch.