Fresh Talent: Mile High
Author: Lydia Jenkin
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Auckland’s Mile High members having all been jamming in their bedrooms (with or without instruments) since a young age, finally finding each other and forming as a five-piece in late 2008. From there it’s been a quick take off, with their first single Now getting noticed with radio play on The Rock and Zone FM, along with appearances on Sunrise, The Big Night In and C4, also recently performing at the Big Day Out.
Kevin Nolan, Chris (Kitty) Chamberlain, Dity Maharaj, and Paul Nolan (along with recently retired drummer Rad Jrad) shared a love of music, and while they may have begun as a rock band jamming in a storage unit, they quickly realised they wanted to record together.
They began writing in January last year, typically starting the song process with a guitar or bass riff.
“If we all like the idea we try to figure out some other parts and then sequence it. Dity [whose strong vocals come from a previous life in an RnB band] likes to try different lyrics and melodies over the top of the riffs while we jam them out. Then once it’s all sequenced he takes a rough practice recording of it home and works out his lyrics and melody. We can be quite picky though.”
Kevin then approached award winning engineer and producer Andrew Buckton, after spending hours listening to recordings of other local bands, trying to find the right sound for them. Buckton’s work with Ruptus Jack was the sound that sold them.
“We then went and met Andrew at his studio and had a chat, we were 100% convinced he was the right guy to record us after talking with him for five minutes.”
It was their first time in the studio so they had little idea of what to expect.
“We were so scared of getting in there and failing that we prepped and practised far more than we needed to.”
They recorded the four-track EP (entitled #957) in two stages, several months apart, and cite working with Buckton as the best decision they’ve made.
“Our last session in the studio with Andrew was really awesome. He really took on the producer’s hat and worked with us to come up with some amazing ideas for the tracks. It couldn’t have been easy for him either - the air conditioning unit in his studio broke and he spent 10 hours a day for three days recording, mixing and mastering our songs in around 30+ degrees heat.”
Having released the EP late last year, while the guys are keen to record again, their primary aim for the coming months is to play enough to polish their live performance.
“Our plan for this year is to play as many shows in as many places as we can. It’s time to put in some good stage time.”
Kevin Nolan, Chris (Kitty) Chamberlain, Dity Maharaj, and Paul Nolan (along with recently retired drummer Rad Jrad) shared a love of music, and while they may have begun as a rock band jamming in a storage unit, they quickly realised they wanted to record together.
They began writing in January last year, typically starting the song process with a guitar or bass riff.
“If we all like the idea we try to figure out some other parts and then sequence it. Dity [whose strong vocals come from a previous life in an RnB band] likes to try different lyrics and melodies over the top of the riffs while we jam them out. Then once it’s all sequenced he takes a rough practice recording of it home and works out his lyrics and melody. We can be quite picky though.”
Kevin then approached award winning engineer and producer Andrew Buckton, after spending hours listening to recordings of other local bands, trying to find the right sound for them. Buckton’s work with Ruptus Jack was the sound that sold them.
“We then went and met Andrew at his studio and had a chat, we were 100% convinced he was the right guy to record us after talking with him for five minutes.”
It was their first time in the studio so they had little idea of what to expect.
“We were so scared of getting in there and failing that we prepped and practised far more than we needed to.”
They recorded the four-track EP (entitled #957) in two stages, several months apart, and cite working with Buckton as the best decision they’ve made.
“Our last session in the studio with Andrew was really awesome. He really took on the producer’s hat and worked with us to come up with some amazing ideas for the tracks. It couldn’t have been easy for him either - the air conditioning unit in his studio broke and he spent 10 hours a day for three days recording, mixing and mastering our songs in around 30+ degrees heat.”
Having released the EP late last year, while the guys are keen to record again, their primary aim for the coming months is to play enough to polish their live performance.
“Our plan for this year is to play as many shows in as many places as we can. It’s time to put in some good stage time.”
