Local band and Baton Rouge natives The Millburns has been together for less than a year, but in that time it has garnered recognition in a particular way.
Looking around the city, one can find Millburns posters and stickers in various places and copies of their EPs in many local businesses. University students may also notice secret messages from the band’s fans located around campus.
Band frontman, guitarist and vocalist Ben Nelson said spreading the word was a goal of theirs from the beginning, and they don’t plan on stopping any time soon.
“The Millburns has created a machine, and that machine cannot be stopped now,” said Michael Lane, the band’s percussionist.
The Millburns’ ambitious marketing campaign centers on the group’s iconic symbol, known only as “The Face” — a dark silhouette of a man with a large beard that can be seen on all of the band’s promotional material. The band remained tight-lipped about the identity of “The Face,” which has been a source of much mystery for the band’s fans.
“The face is a real man, he walks the streets of Baton Rouge,” Nelson said.
“He is my friend and bartender,” said Jason Bossier, the band’s lead guitarist.
“He slept on my couch last night. The face shall remain nameless,” said Ashley Cowart, the band’s vocalist.
The Millburns have worked hard to develop a sound as recognizable as the band images. Nelson said the group’s sound has constantly been evolving since its inception, but the band has always had a particular style in mind.
“It’s ’60s pop meets ’90s rock, if Tom Petty had a hand in it,” Nelson said, describing the band’s style.
“Someone else said it sounds like Tom Selleck’s mustache,” Lane said.
The band has an original style, and the members’ chemistry and sense of humor match that. Some of that humor can be seen in the band’s YouTube channel, which features many skits promoting the band’s upcoming shows. Bossier said this was part of an ongoing effort to provide content to fans, as well as to promote shows.
The band agrees that now is an amazing time for the Baton Rouge local music scene, and encourages aspiring musicians to get together with friends and start playing music.
John Mark Lowery, the band’s bassist, said it is important for aspiring band members to realize the amount of effort necessary to make a band work.
“It’s a job, you need to put the time and effort in,” Lowery said. “If you do that then it will all come together.”
The band is currently working on a full-length album that it hopes to finish in early April.
“I’d like to think this was our ultimate goal all along, to make a rock and roll album,” Bossier said.
While no tour dates are presently scheduled, fans can check out a live performance of The Millburns’ original song “Waste” exclusively at lsureveille.com.
“It’s ’60s pop meets ’90s rock if Tom Petty had a hand in it.”
The Millburns vocalist Ashley Cowart and vocalist and guitarist Ben Nelson rehearse their song "Waste" on Thursday, January 23, 2013 in their practice space in Baton Rouge.
