Melbourne’s The New Savages are coming back to WA at the end of May as part of a 50 date national tour, in support of their new single “Brother, I am Your Keeper.” We caught up with Milan ahead of the WA dates to find out what’s been going on since last time they headed West.
Mark: Hi, Milan, how are you?
Mark: Not too bad thanks. You sound like you’re pretty busy at the moment.
Milan: Yeah, I guess so! I’m going to Brisbane tomorrow, and we’ve got about 6 shows in 5 days, then we are back on the Monday, and we have a weekend off where we are going to record a new single, but after that we’re in Perth, and there’s Blues at Broadbeach as well, Adelaide after that and then every weekend after that, is away!
Mark: Fantastic! So, what’s been happening since you were last in WA?
Milan: Well, I’ve got a new drummer, Darren, who joined the band about 6 or 7 months ago, and we’ve just recorded our first single together “Brother, I am Your keeper”, and we’ve just been playing everywhere, I feel like I haven’t been home really!! I come home and then everything’s revolving around moving again to different places!
Mark: It must be a good feeling to have, getting the music out there? You’re touring a lot, a new single out, when’s that due for release? Around summer time?
Milan: It’s great. Well, it hasn’t been recorded yet, we’re going to go in to the studio next week, and the plan is to probably release it at the end of the year. We want to try and do some new things, and we’re thinking we’re going to try some harmony singing, and we’ve got some songs for it, I’m not too sure yet. I’m going to America for about 2 months in the middle of June to middle of August, I’m heading down south, I want to spend a lot of time in Mississippi. It’s not so much a holiday as an experience, really! I want to visit the gravestones of all my idols, I just want to be there and see this place where all the songs that I love seem to sing about this mythical place, that is actually real!
Mark: It will be the first time for you then?
Milan: It will be, and hopefully I’ll come back different, wiser, I’m looking for something!
Mark: It’s certainly all there, a lot of the old traditions linger in places like that, especially in the South, and I’ll be very disappointed if you don’t at some point immerse yourself in that great river!!
Milan: Oh, of course, mate!! I’ve talked about it before when it was a myth, but now, I’m really going there!! I’m actually very excited about it, and I’m almost nervous about it to be honest with you.
Mark: Are you going anywhere else on this trip?
Milan: Well, Mississippi is the main one, I want to see Texas and Louisiana also, and Tennessee. There’s so much there, but I don’t want to rush through and try and see everything. But, I’m hoping to focus on Mississippi; it’s the one I think about the most.
Mark: Are you taking the guitar?
Milan: I’m hoping to buy one while I’m there, that I can bring home and hopefully will inspire me, and I can have that personal connection with it.
Mark: Sounds great, what’s next after the single? It’s been great hearing little snippets of the band, but I’m just waiting for that epic album!
Milan: Epic album? Well, I don’t want to rush it, as I feel like I’m still growing artistically, the other records have been EP’s and I want the first album to be something that I am happy to let it define me, I want it to be that important. So, I’m very cautious about rushing it, I want it to be interesting and original, and still well and truly be within the old Delta Blues tradition. I would like to say that I want to record the whole thing by the end of the year, and release it sometime next year, but that might be a little bit ambitious! There are a lot of songs that I’ve written in the past few months that are lying around which I do think are a little step above what I’ve been doing, but I wanted this album to be about 20 steps above!!
Mark: I can feel it coming from the trip you’re going to take; I think it might be all the inspiration you need to get to that level.
Milan: I hope so, and that’s why I’m going there, for that inspiration, and a holiday too, I want to enjoy myself. It’s a pilgrimage though really, if anything can be called that, I feel this is it!!
Mark: I think you’re right! So, let’s talk about the Australian tour, when are we going to see you here in WA?
Milan: It’s the 24th May, we’re in The Prince Hotel in Bunbury, 25th we’re in Yallingup at The Caves House Hotel, and the 26th we’re in Margaret River at the Settlers Tavern, and on the 27th we’re at The Indi Bar in Scarborough. We’ve also got an interview on the ABC windup in Bunbury as well, which I’m pretty happy about! I’ve noticed that the press seem to be a bit more receptive in some realms, we’ve been playing a lot of shows and people slowly seem to be getting to know what we are doing, and I think it’s starting to resonate, and more people are coming to the shows and it’s nice. I felt like before I was just biding the tide, but now I feel like I’m not fighting the world anymore!
Mark: That’s great. I look forward to seeing you again on that last date. Thanks for talking to us and see you soon, take care.
Milan: Thanks mate, see you there.
TOUR DATES
24/05/18 Bunbury Prince Hotel Bunbury
25/05/18 Yallingup Caves House Hotel
26/05/18 | Margaret River Settler’s Bar
27/05/18 Scarborough, Perth Indian Ocean Hotel
