Amy Milner

Photo Courtesy Of Amy Milner

WHERE WERE YOU BORN AND RAISED AND WHERE DO YOU LIVE NOW?
I was born in Bury St Edmunds, a really lovely market town in Suffolk, UK. I grew up not far away in the middle of the countryside, but Bury was always my local town and I went to school in and around there. I spent a while in London studying, but I’m currently back out in the sticks, commuting to London as and when I need to. I like being in the city, but I’m undoubtedly happiest in the midst of mud, trees and fields.

WHAT'S THE BEST THING ABOUT YOUR PRESENT CITY OR YOUR HOMETOWN?
Just being able to walk out of the gate, turn right, then left, then there I am in the middle of verdant pastureland. Most of the time it feels like I have the whole place to myself, and it’s perfect for clearing the head, mulling things over, listening to great music, or simply getting a dose of fresh air to the lungs.

WHAT WERE YOUR INFANT ASPIRATIONS?
My grandparents gifted me their piano when I was five. Cue: hour upon hour of little hands darting over the keys pretending to be Beethoven reincarnate. I was exposed to a lot of classical music from day zero - I loved it and wanted to get involved as early as I can remember. The only other potential vocation vying for top spot back then was being an archaeologist. Forget cartoons, I was the biggest fan of Time Team on Channel 4 (- how did I have friends?!), and after being inspired by the antics of Tony Robinson; could often be found digging up great holes in the garden. Sorry Mum and Dad...

WHAT HAS BEEN A PIVOTAL MOMENT?
Meeting and getting to work with Adam Royal at Aesop. I don’t think anything to do with this industry will ever be straight forward. Regarding my own musical journey, he always helps me get down to what’s intrinsically important, what it is I’m really about, what it is I’m really trying to do. And after talking to him I always feel like I can see more clearly, and am generally more happy and optimistic. It’s so easy to get bogged down with ambition and trying to get somewhere, so easy to listen to the wrong people and feel like failure is tugging at your heels, that you forget how much you’ve achieved and are achieving. If you work hard enough at something in a meaningful and consistent manner you discover patience reaps reward; there’s only one way for things to go, and that is up.

WHY MUSIC?
I guess I started to cover this with my infant aspirations. I was lucky enough that my mum booked me in for music lessons from a really early age. I started piano at five, clarinet at seven, flute and singing a little later down the line. I was never the greatest at practising what I was supposed to between lessons, but I loved making things up and playing when I was playing the things I wanted to. A lot of music was also played around the house and in the car - notably I knew all the words to the Eagles, Cat Stevens, Fleetwood Mac and The Commodores. The thing I remember most from road trips down to the South of France for family summer holidays is the car karaoke! When it came to performing in all the millions of school concerts, open mics and similar, the feeling of my own pieces being well-received was such a rush and felt like the best thing ever. People would come up to me afterwards and say I was going to make a career of it, and my heart was most definitely already set.

HOW WOULD YOU CLASSIFY YOUR SOUND?
I write with the piano, my songs start out in that acoustic form and consequently can always be stripped back to that. When it comes to production it’s a matter of building on that foundation, injecting more life and taking the song to where I want it to go. Sometimes that’ll be leaving things relatively untouched, sometimes I’ll end up with layer upon layer upon layer. I love going all out with the epicness and drama and reeling things in again. I’ve worked with many different people using many different methods, I don’t like to close any doors on how I go about the process - I’m really interested in creating music that has an original twist on it, things that make it identifiable as my music - but so far my favourite way to go about producing a song is moving away from the computer and working with real instruments. According to digital platforms the result is Indie Pop. Who knows.

WHAT THEMES DO YOU PURSUE THROUGH YOUR LYRICS?
I write about things that impact me emotionally. I write about myself, I write about things happening to other people, things I’ve heard about which have affected me. I don’t usually consider what I’m going to write a song about too much, my writing is by far most successful when I’m acting on impulse. If I’m really upset about something, I’ll head for the piano. If I’m completely exasperated, I’ll head for the piano. If a line pops into my head, I’ll head for the piano and see if I can take the idea anywhere. If I’m really happy about something, well, I don’t tend to run to the piano so often.... typical?! All that’s not to say I won’t write a song that is initially more considered or for a particular purpose; I have done, and I still will, it’s just not my go-to habit. So far. But I really do take solace in my songwriting. My songs help me feel better by voicing inner thoughts and feelings so that I can step back and assess them better, and I always really hope that other people can identify with or take comfort in them too.

IS THERE A SONG OR MUSICAL PASSAGE THAT NEVER FAILS TO MOVE YOU EMOTIONALLY?
Better answer: The Pearl Fishers’ Duet from Bizet’s opera The Pearl Fishers - preferably the Pavarotti version. Oh beauty and bliss by the bucket load. Also Joni Mitchell’s “A Case of You” - piercing, perfect simplicity. The I-hate-to-admit-it-but-truthful answer: “Hands Down” by Dashboard Confessional - turn that song on and I’m a wreck. School days, young love, when the big wide world didn’t stretch much further than 30 mins from the school gates...

WHAT OR WHO HAD THE GREATEST INFLUENCE ON YOU?
Ha, there’s an easy answer to this one too... Brandon Flowers of The Killers. I don’t think that’s what I’m supposed to say, but they were the first band I went to see play live, and I just remember it being the most euphoric experience. All roads in life suddenly pointed towards the specific ambition of playing up on that stage myself. I really think his songwriting is incredible though; songs with mainstream appeal containing truly interesting lyrics - which following that gig I would spend many an hour endeavouring to equal, and a hymnal feel which I have often found myself gravitating towards with my own writing.

WHAT’S YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS?
As described above - ideally something will prompt me to rush to the piano where I will arrive, inspiration brimming. Preferably my own piano, preferably alone. Sometimes I write a lot in one go, sometimes I piece the song together gradually over a longer period of time, seeing how various sections sit with me and settle before finalising ideas. When it comes to the production stage, for the best results it’s vital that I’m comfortable in my surroundings and with the people I’m working with - recently I’ve had a really enjoyable and successful time working with Aquilo and Raffertie here in London and Jens Kuross in Los Angeles (sidenote: L.A. equals also fantastic food following day’s work. Hard to beat. Hard. To. Beat.).

HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE YOUR PERSONAL STYLE?
Pretty independent of any current trend. I’ll always make an effort, but I’m perpetually trying to pass off casual and comfortable clothes as smart and presentable - I’ve definitely benefitted from the rise of athleisure and sports chic. I like outfits in which I’m ready to run for the train, dash to Costa for a last dose of caffeine before they close, then stick on a pair of wellies over so I can go for a walk after a day in London. My true loves are my All Saints leather jacket my mum bought me when I turned 21 - I just know we’re in this life together forever that jacket and I, and a vermillion Whistles sweater saying “Vacation” across the front, which makes me feel like I'm on rec even while I'm working, and is the cosiest of all cosy jumpers. I’m wary of anybody who doesn’t adore a cosy jumper.

HOW DOES YOUR AESTHETIC TRANSLATE IN OTHER ASPECTS OF YOUR LIFE? 
I think my taste is predominantly of a temperate nature. I love art, design, exploring culture and discovering new places, I love to create things that are aesthetically pleasing, but I’m not particularly brave about it, and shy away from anything too outlandish. I’ve been raised a country-lover, I tend to reel from things that seem to go against nature.

HOW DO YOU GET STAGE READY, ANY BEAUTY RITUALS YOU SWEAR BY?
I’m not much of a cosmetics connoisseur - I’m rather unexciting in that respect and I tend to keep things quite natural. I think it’s important to feel good though, I’ll make sure I take the time to try and look nice. Having said that, I’m now thinking about all the times I’ve had last minute dashes to get ready and drive to London in the height of summer in a car with no air con for a show. Oh well - life’s a merry mayhem.

HOW DO YOU SPEND A DAY OFF?
My ideal day off would probably involve a satisfying long walk or hike before refuelling with a hearty meal at the pub. I also love to cook when I can take my time about it (growing up in a large family I’m used to hurried food prep for the masses). Also catching up on music I’ve not had the chance to listen to yet, playing - because piano time really is one of my favourite kinds of time, and I love to read as well.

HOW DO YOU RETURN TO CENTER?
By walking to the middle of the biggest field near my house. It’s on top of a hill, you can see for miles around and it’s generally deserted. The feeling of being little-me in the midst of massive Earth encourages unimportant worries to melt away, let’s me just “be” for a small while, and helps me refocus. Alternatively a chat with Aesop Adam, for reasons stated above.