Driven by the gritty vocal style of Conor Mcloughlin, The Milkmen tap a vein of dirty acoustic rock, striking gold with masterfully layered songs that delve deep into the heavier realities of life. Following on from spine-tingling first single Pirate Boy, The Milkmen have swung attention to the slow-burning and rewarding State Of Mind, taken from their sophomore album, Behind Closed Eyelids.
Conor says of the track, "State Of Mind is one of the quickest songs I've ever written and was done months after the initial tracking of the album, so it was the last song recorded. We wanted to keep it unplugged sounding so we quickly taught our drummer Marco how to play 12 string guitar which is the tying rhythm underneath. Usually when I write love songs they are very personal. State Of Mind is more universal, a song of hope for people looking for love.”
Raw and honest, the lyrics at the heart of Behind Closed Eyelids match the intensity with which they are sung. Each instrument in the arrangement plays its part to perfection – adding the necessary shading that makes up the album's tone. Together, both band and singer bring the powerful narratives of Behind Closed Eyelids to life – delivering wave after wave of uplifting music, even during the album's bleakest moments. To properly capture this energy on tape, the band enlisted legendary Perth producer Rob Grant to sonically sculpt Behind Closed Eyelids.
Formed and based in Perth, the band have divided their time between Australia and the UK. Now armed with the greatest work of their career, The Milkmen have every cause to get out and take their music to the world.
New album 'Behind Closed Eyelids' out now iTunes - Apple Music - Spotify - Google Music
Upcoming shows (WA)
Thursday September 13 - The Sewing Room, Perth (fb event)
Saturday September 15 - Fly By Night, Fremantle (fb event)
Friday October 19 - The Den, Civic Hotel, Inglewood
Sunday October 21 - Peel Estate Winery, Karnup
Saturday October 27 - Caves House, Yallingup
Friday November 2 - Musical Fruit, Mandurah