Hey, can you tell us how Milo In The Doldrums came to be? What’s the origin story of the band?
Milo in the Doldrums started back in 2015 when I would go play my songs acoustically at Epicure Café in Fairfax, VA. I met my first band members Reis Debruyne(Bass) and Daniel Ortiz Cruz(Drums) of Cinema Hearts while playing open mics there.
What’s the significance or inspiration behind the band’s name, “Milo In The Doldrums”?
“Milo in the Doldrums” is a reference to the children’s book The Phantom Toolbooth by Norton Juster. In the book, Milo the main character begins an adventure by driving a car through a strange tollbooth found in a box in his bedroom after school, and into an exciting psychedelic cartoon world. As he makes his way down the highway(a metaphor for life) he doesn’t pay attention to where he’s going and eventually takes a wrong turn and ends up in the Doldrums. In the Doldrums he meets the Lethargians who are beings content in wasting time and potential. Milo eventually escapes the Doldrums by doing the opposite of what got him there. He got there by not thinking and escaped by thinking. Simple enough lesson. In life I have always had a tendency for depression and general misanthropy. Music and writing songs especially, has always been my “light” at the end of an excruciatingly long tunnel that keeps me happy and excited. Writing and playing live with a band of friends is my therapy or way out of my own Doldrums.
How did the members of the band first meet and decide to form a group?
Nate Read, who played drums on Younger Generation, I’ve known through the years in the DC/NOVA music scene. We played in a band called YUM together and he played drums on Milo’s first self-titled EP as well. Hays Dowdy played briefly in YUM with Nate and Rob and then joined Milo to record Lead Guitar for this album. Sam Collings was a fan of Milo when she was in Highschool and demanded she join Milo backstage at a Pearl Steet Warehouse show in 2022. Sam started playing keyboards and singing harmonies and has now taken over drums since Nate decided to leave the band.
How has Milo In The Doldrums evolved since its formation, musically and personally?
Musically the songs have definitely gotten better. This full length album we are releasing in early 2024 for example, is the most seriously we’ve taken a recording before. Milo used to be Rob writes some songs, people come up with their parts, Milo gets hammered drunk at the studio and records live to tape. This time around we actually took our time and did pre-production work and re-writes on a lot of the songs, wrote 20 songs and cut them down to 10, and spent hours thinking and over-thinking every detail.
Personally Milo has grown because I quit drinking during the making of this album and have gained a much more positive outlook on life that I try to carry into the band. Milo has often been an example of what not to do and I want to continue to amend that sentiment moving forward. Life’s too short to be blacked out all the time. There’s so many nice people to make music with.
“Younger Generation” is your latest song. Could you tell us about the inspiration behind this track?
“Younger Generation” is about me moving from my 20’s into my 30’s. I had an existential crisis of sorts and wanted to write a song that captured my disappointment in the Millennial experience. It’s basically about the process of getting older and becoming cynical and jaded. It’s about realizing that the big social and political changes you thought were inevitable when you were young, ultimately take a backseat to your own selfish needs and desires as you get older and lose your youthful passions for justice and change. It’s about the acceptance of that fact as well as summed up in the outro gang vocal, “Everybody’s Moving Along”.
What was the songwriting process like for “Younger Generation”? Did it differ from your previous songs?
Like most Milo songs, “Younger Generation” started with Rob writing the song on acoustic guitar. What was different this time was the collaboration between band members and our producer/engineer Ben Green, Owner of Ivakota Studios. I used to have a hard time allowing other people into the creative process, but faced that fear head on with this song and the rest of the album. I think it made a better batch of songs.
Were there any particular challenges or highlights in the recording or production of this song?
The only challenge is money. Haha. That’s always the challenge. I work two jobs and ride a bike everywhere in order to put everything into the music, but there’s only so much you can do in the music industry when you don’t have rich parents and live paycheck to paycheck. Hopefully people will want to see us play this album live. Fingers crossed.
What was the most enjoyable or memorable part of the creative process for “Younger Generation”?
The most fun part was the time in the studio with Nate Read, Hays Dowdy, Sam Collings and Ben Green. There’s nothing more fun to me than making music with your friends. Even though Nate and Hays ultimately left the band after the recording was finished, the hang was the best part.
Can you describe the collaboration and chemistry within the band during the creation of this song?
During the Covid lockdown, Nate, Hays and I spent nearly every Sunday together recording demos for the album on Logic in Nate’s basement. We spent hours getting stoned and just making music together in a dark and uncertain time. Studio time is expensive so recording for free in your drummer’s basement was a blasty blast.
Are there any hidden or subtle details in the song that listeners should pay attention to?
There aren’t any Easter eggs or anything like that. We hope people connect to the lyrics in their own way.
What’s next for Milo In The Doldrums in terms of new music, collaborations, or future projects?
We just finished our full-length record and will be releasing it most likely at Pie Shop DC in early 2024. We also have been writing and recording a new batch of songs as well. 2024 is about releasing as much music as possible and playing catch up. New music all year long, finger’s crossed…..
