Sisters Doll is a band created in the image of those timeless Rockers where the music and the songs were key to it all, but where the live show was also part and parcel of the whole experience of music. When you listen to them its easy to tell that the brothers Mileto grew upon a diet of Kiss, Motley Crue and Queen, and when you see them play you can see that their stagecraft owes a lot to their idols. Great news for fans is that their latest single ‘Black Mirror,’ which looks at the effect of technology especially on the young, has spawned a Countrywide tour and you’re all invited!
Originally hailing from Collie, WA it’s nice to see the boys coming home as part of that trip. There’s something special about these brothers – we once described them as “Glam that predates the Sunset Strip explosion of the late eighties.” Welcome to the Dollhouse Australia…
Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to The Rockpit today, we managed to catch you play the new single ‘Black Mirror’ when you supported John Corabi recently – it seemed to go down great?
Hi guys thanks for giving us the interview and thanks for watching us on the John Corabi tour. It went down really great and we were happy with the overall response. We look forward to seeing you guys again when we are in Perth for our own shows..:)
Tell us about the song, its’ something a little different for the band?
Yeah the song Black Mirror is a little darker and has a edgier sort of sound to it which is exiting for us. We still feel we kept the strong essence of Sisters Doll and our formula and that was important to us. We started as a very young band and I feel our music has grown in more ways then one from our first album and I think Black Mirror is a move in the right direction on all levels for us. We are proud of the track and it was a track we all worked on together so that was definitely a highlight for us.
With two great albums behind you is there a plan to release a third in the works or are you concentrating on more single releases like this?
At this stage there is no plans to release a 3rd album so we are just concentrating on releasing more singles just so we can keep putting out new material more freely, regularly and easily. We will go into the studio to work on our 3rd album at some stage but I think this time around it will be more about recording tracks over time as apposed to going in and recording it all in a few weeks. We want to put our money into touring overseas next year and promote the material we already have as well as showcase some new material live.
Since moving from Perth to Melbourne you’ve picked up a considerable number of followers, the scene over there seems so much more vibrant than on the West Coast – what are the main differences in scenes and the drawbacks of coming from Australia’s most isolated City?
Melbourne is definitely the rock capital of Australia and having played all states in Australia multiple times Melbourne is definitely the most thriving city. However states like Perth and Adelaide appreciate music and when you make the effort to tour there I think the real rock fans really appreciate the gesture and come out to support you because they are normally deprived from touring acts. We have a strong relationship with W.A because it’s our home town we would love to come back more often but the flights and costs to come back add up making it hard. I think the main differences is people still enjoy going out to watch live music in Melbourne making the scene stronger. However since moving here 5 years ago we have noticed the difference even in Melbourne that a lot of people just aren’t going out as much as they used to.
One of the drawbacks is definitely there is a lot more bands over here fighting for the same opportunities etc but that is also good thing because it makes you lift your game for every show and makes us work harder so we don’t get lost in the sea of amazing talent.
You’ve set up a National Tour centered around the single release, what can we expect from the show?
Performing on stage is a privilege and we have a duty to take an audience on a journey to escape from reality, through our sound of Rock n Roll, with an visual excitement that we pride ourselves on. The Black Mirror Tour in 2019 is something that brings people into the Dollhouse to play, to feel alive, to share a sense of destiny with us and rock n roll. Every time we get up on that stage we feel it’s our duty to bring people on this roller coast ride where they can walk their boulevard of dreams. The Sisters Doll experience is the escape, the solution, the victory that is live music. If you haven’t been to a Sisters Doll show – you’re missing a chance to experience an adventure and a good time.
There might still be a couple of reads who haven’t come across Sister’s Doll yet, especially in the US and UK – how would you describe the sound to someone who hasn’t discovered it yet?
I would describe our sound as energetic melodic rock and we are influenced by all music – the great Rockers of our time from Motley Crue, to Kiss, to Queen to Bon Jovi. We pride ourselves on our own sound that is a modern day power rock vibe that re-awakens the feeling of escape and destiny. Our lyrics and songs tell a story that we’ve each experienced and it is something where proud of. Melody never dies so we aim to write catchy melodies that one day will have a stadium singing along.
Is there a story behind the band name, or is it just a very cool name?
We were up late one night around 9 and half years ago and it was a really late night and the 3 of us were looking at band logo’s and we came across the “New York Dolls” logo and the “Twisted Sister” Logo and I blurted out hey what about “SISTERS DOLL” and we all kind of liked it at the time and it just stuck. Also being brothers we thought it was a cool cliche and name because we don’t have a sister. We are happy you think its cool. Put it this way no one else had it at the time so we claimed it, the whole dollhouse concept came from the name too.
Take us inside the process of recording the single? Where did you start? Has your process changed over the years?
Generally it starts with demo’s and normally in the past we never did it this way because in the past we had no studio gear whatsoever haha. However this time around we have a little bit more gear so we were able to put down some decent demo’s and we sent them to our producer. Once we were happy with the final demo we locked in a time to go into the studio and record the drums, bass & guitars. Bryce smashed out the drums for 3 tracks in one day and then it was onto the bass & guitars we then usually smash out the vocals last. The recording process has been the same since we have been a recording band once we get into the studio, but this time we worked a lot more at home on the demo’s before we went into the studio. It was a more time and money efficient way of doing things this time around.
Do you enjoy the process of creating? Are you someone who continually writes or does the best come out under a little gentle pressure?
Yes I love creating and I would say I’m continuously writing however I wouldn’t say it’s always great stuff haha. Generally I wont write nothing for weeks or months nothing that I think is worth keeping anyway, but then all of a sudden I will have a brain wave and write maybe 2 – 3 songs in a week which I will keep and decide that they are good enough to work on. I must say though I do like and enjoy working under pressure it keeps me on my toes.
What does it feel like as an artist waiting for the songs you’ve lived with for some time to get released to the fans? Is there a sense of excitement or a little panic in there too?
Yeah there is always excitement but there is also that feeling of self doubt and panic. Especially with Black Mirror we hadn’t released a song for a long time so we new fans and general people were waiting in the corners ready to jump and pounce on it and dissect it. We were proud and excited and as a songwriter it is a very vulnerable and personal thing to release songs to the public eye. So far the response for Black Mirror has been amazing and a lot of people are saying it’s our best track released which is very nice and humbling.
How much stock as an artist do you put by reviews? Do you read them or let them pass you by?
We love reading reviews good or bad. You are always gonna have your haters especially with the style of music we are doing. Unfortunately as humans we always gravitate and remember the bad reviews before the good ones, but we’ve been doing this for almost 10 years now and we are used to all comments good or bad so we just see it now as any press is good press. One thing we are proud of though is we have never read or seen a bad “live” review fingers crossed. That is very humbling because we pride ourselves on always giving 100% with our live shows. I’ve probably just opened a can of worms for people to criticize our live shows now haha…. Be nice now Critics!!!
What are your plans for the remainder of 2019 and beyond?
We are heading out on the Black Mirror tour and that will take us out to October 2019. We also have 2 more songs we have recorded that will get released throughout this year. The Black Mirror film clip will also be dropping this year so look out for that to. I’ll give you some exclusive news too :)….. Our 10 year Anniversary is coming up in February 2020 so we may be planning a big show for that in Melbourne so keep your eyes peeled. Our major plan along with our new management is overseas touring which is very exciting. We have been saying this for years but we are legit this time and we are in the works now planning to get to the USA and Europe.
What are the best and worst aspects of touring and playing live?
The best aspects of touring live is getting out and meeting different people and growing a solid fan base. The best feeling is when you see someone from another state or country singing your songs back to you and wearing your band t-shirt that is a unexplainable feeling. The worst part of touring is getting sick on tour, Last time we were in Perth Me and Bryce were sick as dog’s so I’m ready to redeem myself this time round especially being the singer.
What music moves you? Has it changed over the years?
Anything that is melodic and gives you emotion. You should see my playlist it ranges from country to pop to rock it has a bit of everything my music mind changes like the weather and it depends what mood I’m in. But I always love my rock n roll that will always be my inspiration and love.
Are there any artists that you just can’t go without? Who created that spark and who continues to inspire you?
Kiss will always be close to all 3 of our hearts because we grew up inspired and loving them as kids and adults. However now that we have worked alongside them on a professional level with past KISS members Bruce Kulick and Peter Criss we now class them as friends. As weird as this might sound you kind of lose that star struck mentality after you work with your heroes they all of a sudden lose the mystique and you almost lose the excitement and awww quality. We’ve been very lucky in our lives to accomplish what we have and bands will always continue to inspire us. The new bands that are getting traction now like the Struts and Greta Van Fleet inspire us because they are relevant and making waves in the mainstream market and it goes to show that rock is slowly coming back around and it gives us hope that Rock can make a comeback. We just have to be at the right place at the right time. Our dream has always been to sell out Madison Square Garden so until that happens we will continue to work hard and take on any opportunity that comes our way.
What have been your greatest challenges to date, and your favourite moments musically?
Our biggest challenge to date has been trying to get to that next level and make it on the mainstream market. We always say we are like a ripe tomato ready to be picked in the garden but keep getting missed haha. Our favourite moments musically is getting to stay at the Legendary Peter Criss’s house and having him as our mentor when we went to NYC for his final show.
With technology changing so much over the last few years and seemingly not slowing, and TV force-feeding us the lowest common denominator, what hope is there for rock music?
Technology does have a big influence on the world these days it does have it’s advantages and disadvantages. We wrote Black Mirror about the current situation and the way the world and our generation is and our reliance on social media and technology. Its a good thing for music because it gets music out to the world making it easily accessible with platforms like Spotify etc. However for the musician its not always the best outcome to make a living from it. The hard thing is that Rock music is just not in the mainstream world if it was we wouldn’t be answering this question. Rock music is out there and what is out there is amazing it’s just translating it to the everyday listener and unfortunately TV, Radio & Labels just want to make a quick buck and don’t want to take risks on bringing rock back to the masses. However I do feel a change is coming so lets hope rock can make a revival and hopefully we will still be here trying to find our place.
From what you’ve learned so far what is the most valuable advice you’ve been given so far as a musician?
To never stop believing in yourself. If you believe in yourself eventually the rest of the world will. The moment you stop believing in yourself is the moment everyone else will. If you as a creator and musician don’t believe in yourself how will the rest of the world.
Can music change the world?
Yes music can change the world it’s the one thing that unites every culture and religion. No matter what it is weather it be the song like “happy birthday”, or a religious classic like a hymn at church whatever it is music really unites people and I think it’s the most powerful thing in this world. So yes Music can change the world and I think in a lot of ways it’s saved our world and it will continue too do so.
Take it all the way back for us – what was it that made you realise that music was going to be your life? Was there a defining moment or a gradual realisation? Thinking back to your early memories of music, what was it that first made you decide you needed to be in a Rock and Roll band?
We were always a musical family and I remember watching KISS MTV unplugged and Ace was always my favourite back then and I remember watching him and Peter walk out and surprise the crowd and I remember the crowd going nuts and from that moment on I think I was like 3 at the time I knew I had to play music and do whatever I could to make it my life.
If we had to put you on the spot and ask you to name one single song that really exemplified your feelings about music, it’s power and emotion what would that be today?
I would have to say Dreams by Van Halen. I remember watching the Power Rangers movie as a kid and at the end of the movie when dreams came on and the fireworks are going off in the background of the movie. I remember hearing EVH guitar solo and Sammy haggars voice and I was like wow what is that this is amazing. It’s just a perfect song and moment. The feeling and emotion in that song always resonates with me no matter how many times I’ve listened to it.
Thank you so much Brennan – catch you at the show!
You can read more from Brennan in our new ‘Off the Record’ feature later this month.
