"We will most likely have to cancel that show now and push it back to this summer," says Bobby Smith, Lemon Tree Records founder and Milpool vocalist. "So we decided to just put this album up online now while everyone is in quarantine. Hopefully, people dig it and it is even a tiny bit helpful in combating cabin fever."
Eventually, Milpool (Smith, Tommy Kellander and Hiro McNulty on guitar, Jason Hosterman on bass, and Justin Burket on drums) will have tapes and CDs of their EP to sell, but for now, the focus was putting the album online and introducing themselves potential fans with the help of online media outlets.
To assist them with their efforts, City Paper chatted with Smith about the new band and We Are All We've Got — which was recorded, mixed, and mastered by Rik Golden at Golden Studios in Lilly, Pa.
How did Milpool come to be? What inspired you to make music together?
We are likeminded people who cut our teeth in the Central PA Punk/DIY scene. We've all played in bands together or just played shows together before this. With all of the craziness of everyday adult life, we all just want to play music with other people who are laid back, have similar interests, and are OK with planning a two-hour-long practice two months in advance because of family engagements.
Describe the EP in one-to-two words.
Honest & Fun.
What song changed the most from inception to recording?
"It Doesn't Get Any Better Than This." When we wrote the music for this song, it was super uptempo and almost poppy sounding and we had no idea how that would turn out because none of us have the vocals to match that sound. As we pieced together the words and vocal arrangements to the music it came together in a way that we didn't necessarily expect, but are very proud of. Also, the title is a vintage Old Milwaukee slogan and it is appropriate for this song on a few levels.
With this being your first EP, and its release coming out amidst the pandemic, what are some ways you're getting it out to new listeners without the help of a release show?
We're really kind of relying on the good folks of PGH City Paper and a few other independent media outlets. But really we will just be sharing on social media with our friends and family and hoping that others do the same. The silver lining in all of this is that we can all share our artistic endeavors with one another to help get through this together.
If people like this release, what are some artists you'd recommend?
Danvers, Playoff Beard, The Whatleys, The Snipped, Casey Becker, X's for Eyes.
Anything else you would like people to know?
Things suck right now, but we are all making it through because of content from places like City Paper, music from our favorite artists, and food from our favorite restaurants. So if you have the means at all, please consider donating or buying merch/goods from your favorite bands, restaurants, newspapers, and coffee shops. Things will suck for much much longer if we don't help these people and places make it through to the other side of all this.
