Mildlife’s third studio album, Chorus, is a synthesis of personal introspection and cosmic exploration. The band, consisting of Adam Halliwell, Kevin McDowell, Jim Rindfleish, and Tom Shanahan, present their unified vision of groove, celebrating harmony and symbiosis, both musically and personally. Chorus is firmly rooted in modern electronic and jazz sounds, whilst also drawing from diverse influences like 70s psychedelic, Polish jazz, and Italo disco as their sound sprawls out into the cosmos. Each member contributes to a rich tapestry of sound, blurring the lines between individual and ensemble. Chorus is a dynamic journey inviting listeners into Mildlife’s immersive world of rhythmic communion and sonic experimentation.
Dive deeper into the hivemind of Mildlife with Jim Rindfleish...
Jim, you said this about the new album, “It’s about cosmic compatibility and chemistry: what makes things work? Not just what makes the band work, but what makes good music, art or love? It’s the rhythm of nature”. How did you harness the flow of nature when coming up with and recording this album? Could the whole band feel it?
I think we like to take stock of what makes playing together fun when leading up to recording an album. Essentially our chemistry as people is at the bottom of anything that happens musically, so I think we put some thought into how to work together in a way that made us happier. We like to work first thing in the morning for instance. We like to record everything we do as a way to pick ideas apart or expand them. Harnessing the flow for us, is as much about staying in a playful mood as it is about listening, focus or obsession. If the day goes quickly, then we were probably flowing.
Is there anything you took away from this project that will have an ongoing impact on your music, thoughts, perception etc?
Every album teaches you a lot of things; what to focus on, what not to bother with etc. I think efficiency is something you cultivate as you gain experience. I’m excited by how we’ve expanded our ability to write in new ways. I think it’ll lead to some new sonic worlds. From a writing perspective, I think we move forward with a little more confidence as writers every time we finish an album.
Chorus is described as a sonic testament to your love for 70s psychedelic and cosmic sounds, among many other things. How did you balance paying homage to these influences while still crafting a contemporary sound?
I don’t think it’s intentional for us to pay homage to anything... We all just tend to be primarily inspired by music from the past. It’s a tough one because I wouldn’t want to sound like something totally modern, but I hate the idea of serving as pure nostalgia-bait too. I suppose we’re excited by sounds that have an otherworldly aspect to them and I think that a lot of music from the past takes on that quality the older it becomes. We haven’t ever set out to craft a contemporary sound, per-se - but we’ve definitely been known to give each other compliments for tones or arrangements sounding ‘old’.
You’ve played a crazy amount of live shows and are about to go on your Aussie tour, how do you capture the energy and freedom that you have live and translate that to a studio setting?
This album was the first instance that I’m aware of where the skeletons for some material were birthed on stage. We try and give ourselves sections to improvise in a headline show, so if we hit on something together in those moments, we’ll try to take those ideas into the studio and flesh them out. The track “Musica” began as a jam during the encore of our 2022 Tour. The final version is a totally different song, but it’s hard to say if we would have written it without the initial inspiration on stage.
You mentioned the album links microcosmic personal meaning with a macro view from on high... are there any personal moments on specific tracks you want to go into depth about that could be fun easter eggs for listeners?
I like that the lyrics for this record we’re a more collaborative effort. The result is a strange soup of all our personal experiences or feelings. Some lines began as in-jokes or phrases that we would repeat like a broken record until they took on a new, deeper meaning. Sometimes the best stuff is equal parts deep and absurd. Being in Mildlife is sometimes like being trapped inside a random word generator stuck on loop. Most normal people would find that very strange and alienating, but I enjoy it. “Yourself” definitely began that way, lyrically.”
Where do you see this cosmic groove union you’ve crafted taking the group next?
A picture paints a thousand words...
Catch Mildlife in a city near you!
Europe
May 29, 2024: Zagreb, Croatia -Peti Kupe
May 30, 2024: Milan, Italy - Apollo Club
June 1, 2024: Mannheim, Germany - Maifeld Derby
June 3, 2024: Brighton, UK - Patterns
June 4, 2024: London, UK - Scala
June 5, 2024: Ghent, Belgium - De Centrale
June 6, 2024: Paris, France - New Morning
June 7, 2024: Lille, France - L’Aéronef
June 8, 2024: Hilvarenbeek, Netherlands - Best Kept Secret Festival
June 10, 2024: Aarhus, Denmark - Voxhall
June 11, 2024: Copenhagen, Denmark - Loppen
June 13, 2024: Stockholm, Sweden - Fasching
June 14, 2024: Oslo, Norway - Piknik I Parken
June 15, 2024: Bergen, Norway - BergenFest
Mildlife - Yourself (Live)
MildlifeAustralia
June 21, 2024: Boorloo/Perth - Freo Social
June 29, 2024: Northern Rivers, NSW - The Northern
July 5, 2024: Eora/Sydney - Factory Theatre
July 6, 2024: Naarm/Melbourne - Northcote Theatre