Dublin based, 4 piece indie pop outfit milk. have just released their latest single 'I Hate The Way You're Looking At Me (Lately)' - a bright new offering which cements the band as definite ones to watch of 2021.
Bursting with busy synths, uplifting guitar riffs and a surge of euphoric vibrations that you can't get enough of, the track is topped with dreamy, almost lulling vocals and entrances it's listeners with every beat. We had the chance to speak with the guys as part of our Get To Know series.
Introduce yourselves and tell us a bit about the band!
"We’re milk. - a 4-piece Indie-pop band based in Dublin, we met one another while studying in college, Conor Gorman and Mark started putting some demos together and asked myself (Conor King) and Morgan to join the band, we were all aware of one another from playing with different bands, and we quickly became really good mates.
Where are you guys from and what’s your favourite thing about it?
Conor K - "I’m from a small village in Mayo called Carracastle, I’ve been in Dublin since lockdown began and I can’t wait to get home. I think my favourite thing about home is the sense of community, everyone looks out for everyone."
Morgan - "Though I’m from Celbridge, a town in Kildare, I spent much of my youth hanging out with my dad in Dublin, and would run off to the city with my mates any chance I got. I remember being fascinated by how interestingly young people were dressed and the sense of togetherness that youth subculture had, and as I got older and became a part of the indie music scene in the city, I found the belonging I was after. The feeling of friendship and support for artists is my favourite thing about Dublin, and was never something I felt to the same degree further out in the country."
Conor G - "I’m from a town called Maynooth, also in county Kildare. My favourite thing about it is that there’s always a buzz about it. Largely due to the fact that there is a university there. However, as much as there is a buzz about the town it is also on the fringes of the countryside so it’s easy to get away from the buzz and go for a long, quiet walk."
Mark - "I grew up in a town called Malahide in North Dublin. It was part of the countryside years ago before it became a suburban area; I grew up on the edge of this town so I’ve always loved growing up in an estate around other people my age while still being surrounded by the countryside element of huge empty fields out the back of my estate. I’ve always appreciated growing up in Dublin as it’s very much so a cultural hub in Ireland. This made it as confusing as it was exciting to discover who I am as a person growing up around such a variety of different/interesting people."
Is there a story behind the band name?
"The name comes from the movie ‘A Clockwork Orange’ where characters drink milk laced with hallucinogens and alcohol. Collectively we liked the idea of something as innocent as a glass of milk having sinister undertones."
When did you start making music, separately and as a group?
Morgan: "Separately, all as young kids. I started playing drums with my uncle when I was three, and never really stopped. I built the rest of my life around that constant. We’ve been a band since New Years’ Day, 2019."
Conor K: "I started playing bass to form a cover band with my friends back in Mayo when I was 14, I knew I wanted to pursue music as a career which led me to study music in college."
Mark: "When I was 16 I learnt how to play drums after years of curiosity and begging my parents to let me have a drum kit in the middle of a suburban estate. While playing drums was very fun, it was also very loud, so when I was 17 I moved onto guitar." As a group, myself and Gormie start sending each other music around 2017(?) and eventually decided to make a band. Soon after we brought King and Morgan in and started writing collectively as a group."
How would you describe your sound in 3 words?
Conor K: "Fun to make."
Conor G: "Easy listening, Variety, Catchy"
Mark: "Clean, Progressive, Fun"
Who are your 3 biggest inspirations?
Morgan: My mother and father and all of my friends. I’m motivated and inspired by them; I try to avoid hero worship of other artists to make sure that it doesn’t end up a stick to beat myself with."
Conor K: "I love all my family and friends, from an artistic point of view I draw from artists that don’t intentionally confine themselves to one type of sound, I like when artists are brave enough to try something different instead of doing something that feels forced."
Conor G: "1. U2 - I think in pop culture at the minute it feels like the majority of people come from either the U.K or America and U2 always give me a sense of belief that our little island can produce people who can affect the whole world.
2. The 1975 - Merely for their lack of fear in trying new things.
3. Fear of regret. - I’d like to think when I’m on my deathbed I’ll look back at my life and feel completely fulfilled and have fulfilled my potential as an artist and as a person."
Mark: "Bon Iver, The 1975, Porches - 3 artists that I feel have no fear in pushing the boundaries not only in production but music as a whole. Something I strive to achieve."
Although there isn’t much opportunity for live music right now, what can we expect from one of your live shows (when they can finally happen again!)
"We can’t wait to play live again, we’ve been writing a lot of new music that will lend itself to live shows. We definitely like to bring as much energy as possible to a live show. Fans can expect togetherness, maximum effort and a lot of fun."
You’ve recently released a new track entitled ‘I Hate The Way You’re Looking At Me (Lately)’. Tell us a bit about it - recording, writing, inspirations etc
"We wrote the song the first time we were all allowed to be in a room together since the start of lockdown. We went over to Conor G’s house and 'I Hate The Way You’re Looking At Me (Lately)' was the result. We then took the demo over to our good friend Adam Redmond at Flaked Studios where we recorded the final version."
What is an average day in milk. like for you guys?
Conor K: "At the minute it’s not very exciting, I’m very proud of this track from a creative point of view but on a personal level it’s been great to have something to work towards. I try and go for walks as much as possible, thankfully there are some nice parks within 5km of my apartment."
Morgan: "Generally, a large amount of my work in this band is done on my phone, so it looks rather like a normal day unless there is a show to play or to prepare for. I take long walks around the city listening to music to avoid going insane, (both during this pandemic and the rest of the time). I spend an awful lot of time on our social media pages, writing and editing posts and making sure it all looks the way we want it to. I’m also the one in charge of shipping the merch orders, so I’m sure Dublin’s post office workers have grown to hate me for the queues I cause."
Conor G - "Coronavirus has been a bit of blessing for me personally as being able to just sit inside all day and make music without feeling guilty about not interacting with other people has been nice."
Mark - "I try to get out for walks as much as I can. I hate trying to force creativity, almost makes me feel worse than doing nothing. Most days I’ll just work on music production or play warzone and that’s as exciting as it gets. If I feel inspired and up to it, I’ll write a song, but if not I’ll make songs that are usually just for me so I can work on production."
What can we expect from you guys in 2021?
"Lots of new music and hopefully lots of shows."
''I Hate The Way You're Looking At Me (Lately)' is out now.
Listen to the track HERE @milkthemusic
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