Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Millionyoung Interview


Millionyoung is  ambient surf project of Mike Diaz.  I have no idea if that is how he would actually describe his music, but I think that is a great description.  His songs recall the beach, the warmth of summer, and good times.  His new album, Replicants, is out now and he is on tour.  Check out the interview below!

What inspired this record?  I hear a bunch of really diverse sounds in the songs, that sometimes make it feel like very different record from song to song.  That last sentence was meant as a total compliment.  The album has a much cleaner production that previous releases, what was the rational behind that?

Well, the record was written over the span of about 2 years. Most of it around the same time as the Sunndreamm EP, but we just kept trying different versions of the songs over several tours and seeing what crowds responded to most. I have a pretty eclectic taste in music and wanted to make something that reflected that.

How has the tour been going?  Whats been your favorite show so far?  Are there any plans to extend the tour, or at least come up to Boston?

Tour has been great! We've had the opportunity to share the stage with some awesome bands like the Concretes and Class Actress now, and have had a really good time. Don't think I could pick one favorite show, but the west coast has definitely had some of the best crowds.

What is the south florida scene like?  Are there any bands that you really enjoy?  I am actually originally from Ft. Lauderdale, but have lived there in over a decade.  Is the local scene cool? Seemed like for a long time a lot of the music that came out of Florida was not like your tunes.

The Florida scene has been picking up again over the last couple of years. I've been really into what our friend Judson (of Sumsun) has been doing. He's definitely onto something with his bass and visuals. When we were growing up there was a lot of pop punk and hardcore, and that was about it, but now everything's gotten much more diverse and we're really thankful for it.

What do you think of the music that other more southern states are producing?  Seems like in the south east lots of great hazy beach music is being made with you, Toro y Moi, Washed out, Small Black (think he is in Brooklyn now), Neon Indian.  Is there just a vibe in the area that inspires this type of music?

I love all those bands, and have been lucky enough to play some shows with them. There's definitely a common thread running through all of us, but I think the differences are even more interesting. The beachy, feel good sound is at the center, but from the looks of everyone's recent releases, there's a lot of room to grow still. I'm definitely excited to see what it all evolves into.

Tour Dates
03-21 Little Rock, AR - Arkansas Community Arts Co-Op *
03-22 Kansas City, MO - Crosstown Station *
03-23 Iowa City, IA - Gabe's *
03-24 St. Louis, MO - Old Rockhouse *
03-25 Chicago, IL - Lincoln Hall*

*With Class Actress

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