There isn’t anything mild about the psychedelic jazz-funk group Mildlife.
Rather, the four-piece’s catalogue is like a swishy soup of musical influences old and new, with spicy instrumentation and galactic production to boot.
The release of their 2017 album debut Phase saw Mildlife transcend the noise of Melbourne’s musical cosmic microwave, amassing an ardent fan base and receiving critical acclaim, including three ARIAs for best jazz album.
Mildlife
- Fed Square
- 1 March
- Free
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This didn’t happen overnight though – Mildlife’s key to success lies within their longevity. As drummer Jim Rindfleish puts it during our interview, Mildlife aren’t “a flash in a pan” band. Since their formation in 2010, the band has been working consistently to get to the place they’re at today.
When writing music, there’s a specific flow-state Mildlife aim to achieve each time they enter the rehearsal studio. The band prefers to write ideas on the spot, rather than planning what an album will look like ahead of time. This is perhaps why their music always feels so authentic and natural, as it’s all created in the moment.
Rindfleish emphasises how the band’s creative potential is dependent on the chemistry between each member. “If I had a day job and I was working with someone and they were a prick, chances are we’re not going to do a lot of good work together,” Rindfleish says.
Put simply, the songs are only as good as the vibes are. When the mood turns sour – if someone’s had a difficult week, or work’s crazy – then “you try to come at it as best you can with loving empathy for your best friend”.
Each member responds differently though, and sometimes music is the best medicine.
“You might go in there… carrying something into the studio… and then you know, neck minute, you’ve got the riff for the first song of the next record. And you’re like, ‘fuck, nothing else matters,’” Rindfleish says.
It’s in the morning when Mildlife are at their most productive – those crucial, caffeinated hours from 9am ‘til noon, when the creative juices are flowing and the mind is at its sharpest. Anytime after lunch produces “diminishing returns”. To best utilise their time, Rindfleish often turns up early to make sure all the gear is ready to go, to minimise interruptions.
There’s a slight irony in setting such strict parameters to achieve a rehearsal environment where everyone feels free to jam whatever ideas come to mind. They could pre-orchestrate ideas and produce music a lot faster, but it would result in a sound that’s forced. Mildlife take extra effort to maintain a vibe where ideas come naturally.
“You need a blue collar work ethic when it comes to being a professional musician,” Rindfleish says.
With each member pursuing their own careers outside of music, the time-heavy writing process isn’t economic. “Sure, we’d love to devote more time to the band, but you know, I’m 34 next week and I’ve got to make sure I can earn some money,” Rindfleish says.
Luckily, though, each member’s career all feeds back into the band. Rindfleish is a mixer and producer, McDowell is a videographer, Shanahan owns a graphic design business and Halliwell plays improv jazz.
“We’re all in a position where all the work we do as individuals feeds into the band in some form,” Rindfleish says. “If I’m chipping away [at music production], it just means I can put a microphone in a better spot come the next album cycle.”
Most would think the goal for Mildlife is to get to a point where working a day job isn’t needed, but each member is equally as passionate about their nine to five as they are about the band and wouldn’t want to give it up. It results in quite the precarious balance of work, music and life, but that’s where the dedication pays off.
Next year, the band will be hitting the studio to write new material, with no creative plan in mind, of course. It’ll be the start of another long process: “I think we’ll have to get a few crappy jams out of the way… I don’t expect there to be an album ready to go,” Rindfleish says. “We have to work for it, you know.”
Find out more about Mildlife’s show with Sun Ra Arkestra and Wax’o Paradiso here.
