Soulful groover Millar Jukes to headline Brunswick Ballroom’s mini-festival JUKEFEST
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10.06.2022

Soulful groover Millar Jukes to headline Brunswick Ballroom’s mini-festival JUKEFEST

words by sidonie bird de la coeur

We chat to indie, soul-groove musician Millar Jukes ahead of his headline appearance at JUKEBOX, the mini festival happening at Brunswick Ballroom next weekend.

Taking place from 4pm on Saturday June 18, Millar Jukes is playing alongside six piece band The Muscle at JUKEBOX, a festival that will see eight bands take to the Brunswick Ballroom stage. Alongside some stellar Melbourne acts including Headphone Jones, Squid Nebula, Quality Used Cars, Bailey Judd, Aunty Blue, Tamahau and DJ Salinger – Millar Jukes and The Muscle are back to celebrate the release of their new single ‘Tongue Tied’ from their upcoming EP.

Q: How has getting back into performing live post-pandemic been?

A: It’s been amazing to be back on stage again! To get to play with the band and see the crowd having a good time has been awesome. I think people have really tried to support each other coming out of pandemic. Live music has suffered the past 2 years so it’s great to see people coming out and supporting local bands and artists.

Keep up with the latest music news, features, festivals, interviews and reviews here.

Q: How has playing + recording with The Muscle shaped your writing / live performances?

A: It’s been a massive step up for me. The Muscle consist of the amazing musos who all play at a ridiculous level so I’ve had to up my game. We are all great mates so makes writing and performing so much easier. I feel so much more confident when performing when I’ve got The Muscle behind me. We get up there and try and blow the roof off!

 

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A post shared by Millar Jukes (@millarjukes)

Q: What did you learn while writing and recording your debut self-titled album? Did the process surprise, or challenge, you in any unexpected ways?

A: I’m really proud of the debut album. It was a tough because we had to get it completed through the pandemic and there were only 3 of us making the record. The new EP that we’ve just recorded was much easier experience as we had 12 musos all coming together and got most of it recorded in a week. We’ve got Bumpy, Emma Volard and Shannen Wick (Fulton Street) singing backing vocals on it which I’m so stoked about! It’s coming out in August and a bit more rockier than the album so hopefully people dig it.

Q: What are your musical influences – and how have they inspired your writing?

A: For the new EP we got inspired by Arctic Monkeys, Catfish & the Bottlemen, Kaleo, Rival Sons and Royal Blood. We wanted to go down the rockier route but still keep our groove so people dance and sing along. It’s about my relationships and me being self-deprecating (a very Scottish thing to do ha). It’s out end of August.

JUKEBOX takes place on Saturday June 18. Doors open at 4pm. Grab your tickets before they sell out by heading here.