Auckland act The Miltones have been making waves in recent times with audiences in both millennials standing up and taking notice. The Miltones will be performing at Coastella 2019, which is taking place on the Kapiti Coast on 23 February. Lora from Muzic.net.nz spoke to Milly about their stunning new video and plans for the future:
So, who are the Miltones?
The Miltones are a five-piece outfit of Auckland musicians spanning from a wide pool of musical influences. We just happen to be the naughty summer hook up! You could say we’re tastemaker of an old school record collection, we’re a bit of a nostalgic throwback to what your folks might have listened to in the seventies. We love throwing down that energy live and find ourselves most comfortable on the big stage serving honky tonk solos and soulful harmonies.
In July you released the absolutely stunning video for your song Disappear - can you tell me a little bit more about the production team behind it and the location where was it shot?
That Disappear video was such a heartwarming experience! Long story short, we received The Best Debut Independent Album award at the Taite Awards for 2017 which was sponsored by Auckland Live, part of the prize was to have an event programmed by them, instead of that I just asked if we could shoot the video in the Civic and voila! I couldn’t believe that they let us in there! I worked with some of my most favourite female creatives in Auckland and long-term friends. Was definitely a special experience!
Who is the artist you are most looking forward to playing with at Coastella?
Definitely excited to see C W Stoneking!!
I saw him in October this year in Melbourne and it was as if he put a spell on me, I couldn’t leave the room or take my eyes off of him, he’s Lead Belly’s Australian ghost! I don’t understand how he sings the way he does but DAMN it’s good!!! In saying that however, I’m looking forward to the whole musical palate that is Coastella, they’ve programmed a beauty, legends!
What else is in store for the Miltones this summer? releases? other gigs?
Where can people go to find out more?
This Summer we’re headed to The Festival of Lights down in New Plymouth, after playing WOMAD this year we’re addicted to Taranaki!
You’ll find us at Nostalgia Festival in Christchurch who also have an exceptional line up PLUS opening for The Whispering Jack otherwise known as John Farnham. I’ve locked myself in our wee studio space and have been writing up a storm for our sophomore record, so hopefully that means more tours and potentially hitting over the ditch for some Australian shows.
Who would be your dream international artist to open for and why?
Dream opening slot, goddamn that’s hard! I would lose my mind if we got to open for any of these legends.. Ryan Adams, Jenny Lewis, Lucas Neilson and The Promise of the Real or Neil Young. I adore their songwriting and live stage energy, they’ve conjured a huge part of my writing style, so it would be crazy to open the floor for them!
Milly Tabak takes a step forward with her second record Honest Woman, a deeply personal follow up to critically acclaimed 2017 self-titled debut The Miltones (Taite Prize Best Independent Debut).
A storyteller in the Americana tradition, Honest Woman sees Tabak draw inspiration from her own life and from those close to her on an album of songs about what it means to be a woman.
“I wanted to give a voice to those who didn’t have the chance to be heard. I also want people to recognise their own stories and find their own meaning in the lyrics.”