M1LDL1FE Moving Forward: A Comeback Journey Of Rediscovery And Reflection

The rise of M1LDL1FE has been extraordinary to say the least (Credit: Jasper Tan)

I reckon it must’ve been around 2012 when I first saw the potential of M1LDL1FE during my university days – a technically gifted indie-rock unit full of promise and polished riffs, with an earnest, well-mannered persona your hip friends and parents would fancy. In their nascent form, I thought they were already a cool bunch, even if they themselves didn’t think so.

Known back then as Take Two, they found their feet during their school days, fresh with a fire to cut loose from the humdrum of student life; a commonplace development that dictates the inception of many local bands. For many, however, that spark tends to fizzle out once post-education adulthood swallows expectations whole, as it so often does. Eight years later, not only has this band pulled through spectacularly, but they’ve resolutely followed their yellow brick road to become one of the music industry’s top men.

2014 saw the group burst into the cognizance of the community with a dynamite debut EP, titled Pairs, that continues to stand the test of time. A crash course for those who had yet to catch their zestful shows, it was a formidable exhibition of the band’s penchant for suave riffs and hummable counter melodies, mingling amongst airtight grooves and dominant vocal performances.

The debut was a turbo-charged propellant for the band, thereafter rebranded as M1LDL1FE, opening doors for international tours in Southeast Asia, China and Spain. They would go on to open for acts like Death Cab For Cutie, Travis and Walk The Moon, and rapidly became scene staples and industry darlings. 2018 even witnessed the band perform for the annual National Day Parade; not shabby one bit for a band with humble, DIY origins.

M1LDL1FE share their first single in three years after long bouts of touring and personal commitments (Credit: Jasper Tan, Artwork: Marina A)

As M1LDL1FE remained busy on the road, new releases were kept on the back burner following their self-titled EP in 2017, a sophomore showing that introduced more electronic edges of the band’s evolution. Three years later, the band is finally ready to reveal the fruits of their labour with new single, “Small Lanes”, a glowing composition about taking risks and moving forward.

So how does a band like M1LDL1FE move forward when they’re already ahead of the curve? In this interview, I discover that their journey is about to begin all over again, as they talk about growing up in light of their tremendous success, and understanding each other better as a band.

“Small Lanes” marks a comeback single for the band, with the last major release being your self-titled EP back in 2017. Was there any pressure on the band to deliver?

Three years is a long time to wait for new music, and we want to thank our fans for being so patient with us and being unwavering with their support. We wanted to make sure we got the ingredients right before putting anything out, and we are really looking forward to working on the next releases.

The single emphasises the need to keep moving and take chances. As a band, have you ever felt like you were stuck in a rut, and do you adopt this moving-forward mentality vehemently?

We are the worst when it comes to taking our own advice [laughs]! The past couple of years were personally a bit rough for some of us, so it took a while for us to get the gears going, and to get into the thick of things creatively. So the song is kind of like us looking at ourselves in the mirror, trying to give ourselves a pep talk, to keep going in spite of everything. A lot of times it’s easier said than done though, but we try!

M1LDL1FE are, from left to right, Tan Peng Sing (guitar), Paddy Ong (vocals), David Siow (bass), and Jeryl Yeo (drums) [Credit: Jasper Tan]

The band sure has come a long way through the years; that definitely calls for some reflection. How do you feel that it’s grown and evolved?

Musically, we all have expanded in the diversity of songs that we listen to, and that has allowed us to experiment with different influences when writing our songs.

On a personal level, we have all become more mature, and understand each other on a deeper level – personalities, strengths, weaknesses, and fears. It's something that everyone goes through and is part and parcel of growing up, but we're just glad that we could do it together as a band.

“Small Lanes” is the first single off an upcoming full-length in 2021. What can you tell us about the album so far?

It’s something we feel is a natural progression for us – the next step in our journey together. We usually take our time with songwriting, so committing to an album helps us to step out of our comfort zone and forces us to grow. It’s both daunting but exciting at the same time.

So the band is going to be venturing into new territory?

It’s going to sound quite diverse, almost disjointed in a sense. After our first EP, we experimented with a few different sounds, and have been influenced by artistes within and outside of what we usually listen to. So we reckon a few of the songs are going to sound vastly different.

Thematically, as mentioned before, the past couple of years have not been the best for some of us, so some of that is going to creep into the songwriting for sure. If we were making an avatar in some MMORPG, it’ll be one of those weird class mixes of mage-assassin-warrior-arcane-orc or something. Different spells (or songs) for different situations.

The single is being promoted on Where Are The Fruits, which I understand is the label of your guitarist, Peng Sing. Can you elaborate more on the label?

 

Peng Sing: Actually, the M1LDL1FE EP in 2017 was released on the label (Where Are The Fruits) already, but it was still a super low-key thing which I didn’t talk about in public. The band was basically the label’s first “signing” because we couldn’t really find a proper label in Singapore that could support us the way we wanted. And with a DIY spirit, I decided to start my own label and do it myself. Releasing on your own label definitely gives you max freedom because we trust each other 100%, and we know we’ve got each other’s backs.

Let’s talk about the band’s success over the years. Personally, I find that M1LDL1FE sits in that snug spot between national recognition and indie credibility. Was there ever a fear of getting too big in the commercial sense?

Peng Sing: A little bit of “national recognition” is unavoidable, I suppose, especially after the National Day Parade in 2018. We don’t know about indie credibility because it’s such a subjective thing, and with all the strong personalities in the music scene, there’s bound to be a lot of chatter about whether or not a band is “legit”. We just focus on the things that matter – making music that we enjoy playing, being professional, and treating our fans and friends well.

It’s very easy to feel like you’re becoming “somebody” when the music scene is so small and tightly knit, but realistically if you think about it on a cultural level, there are many other, much more successful local artistes out there. So commercially, getting “too big” isn’t really a serious problem for us. I don’t think we’re anywhere close. That being said, it’s not like we are averse to working with major labels, should an opportunity come knocking. But there are many ways to grow a band, and I guess we are still working towards doing music closer to a full-time thing.

Paddy: To add on to Peng’s point, maybe pursuing music doesn’t need to be an “all or nothing” approach. To paraphrase one of our friends, Ben Mah from Astronauts, playing music shouldn’t have to be viewed as a part-time or full-time binary, but a fluid life-time pursuit. Life ebbs and flows, and sometimes it’s okay to take care of other parts of your life and put music on the back burner for a while. As long as you’re not giving it up completely, and you have a sustainable way of having a music career that works for you, that’s a perfectly okay way to do it. Of course, playing music all day, every day is the dream, but before you reach that point, you have to accept reality as it is and work with your circumstances.

Now household names in the industry, M1LDL1FE have everyone’s attention for their upcoming plans (Credit: Jasper Tan)

Do you remain discerning in the opportunities the band gets presented, like picking gigs that adhere to a certain style and calibre that matches the personality of the band?

Peng Sing: Matching a certain style and calibre is one thing, but the real serious constraint at the moment is actually time. All of us have day jobs, families, and loved ones to take care of, so the opportunity of time is very high. But to be in a position where we can “pick and choose” our gigs is really a privilege on its own, and we are really grateful for that.

David: When it comes to touring, the choices become trickier, because the time and money output is much higher than a gig in our lovely Singapore. But sometimes you just gotta go with your gut instinct.

M1LDL1FE performing at All Of The Noise 2019 in The Philippines (Credit: Ted Orsenado)

The band has flown around the globe for gigs at festivals. What’s been your most memorable overseas gig so far? And how is the reception from fans elsewhere?

It was actually a case of bad-experience-turned-good for us when we were supposed to play for a music festival in Madrid, Spain. Long story short: We only got notified about the festival’s cancellation upon arrival in Spain but decided to head to the festival venue anyway, and the very warm and friendly townspeople gathered their personal music equipment to set up an ad-hoc stage for us in the town plaza. It was so memorable for us because we were just so touched by the hospitality shown to us.

As for the reception overseas, it's frankly quite surreal to us that we actually have people in other countries listening to our music, even coming down to our shows and singing along to our songs! We're always deeply appreciative of the support shown to us by our fans, be it local or overseas.

That’s amazing. M1LDL1FE has definitely become a shining beacon for local DIY bands. How do you feel about being such an inspiration for other emerging bands out there?

A bit paiseh to be put on some pedestal, and while we don’t feel like we have “made it” anywhere, we’ve definitely learned quite a bit after being together for a few years now. We are always happy to connect with new artistes and bands to help them out in any way, so hit us up! Our community is always stronger when we encourage and help each other out.

With COVID putting the industry in a chokehold, the industry needs to come together now more than ever. How has the band kept creative and proactive in these restricted circumstances?

We still will have our band meetings over Zoom. Committing to creating new music and a release plan helps to keep us focused as well. The current circumstances give us the space to digest musical ideas in our own spaces, and work remotely with each other, something which we haven’t really done much before. A new way to write music alone, together!

The recent lockdown has given the band space, physically and psychologically, to grow cohesively as an entity (Credit: Jasper Tan)

And individually, how have you been surviving the Corona-pocalypse so far?

Paddy: Been working from home and trying to work on my mental and physical health while the world slows down for a bit.

Jeryl: I've used the spare time to learn some skills through online courses, and have also been trying to exercise a bit more to deal with the increased sedentariness.

Peng Sing: Both mental and physical health not so great; I’m pretty swamped with the label, band, and my day job at the university. Thankfully, summer break has started so I’ve got a bit more time on my hands now.

David: Workload has tripled because SGMUSO has to attend to the needs and gaps of the music scene and my producer career is starting up, but still alive and kicking!

Listen to the new single by M1LDL1FE, “Small Lanes”. For more updates from the band, follow their official website.