With the release of their latest album, The Milkstains are back in business with shows all over Richmond. “Punch The Sky” did not disappoint breaking out summer-worthy sonic jams at the peak of the season.
The grime surf band began back in 2003 when Katchinoff and Sizemore were in high school. Lopez joined seven years later creating The Milkstains as we know them today and they’ve been jamming out ever since.
“We’re just a group of three individuals that believe in freedom of expression and sound,” Sizemore said. “We try to stay fair in our decisions as group and that it’s a labor of pure love.”
Although they’ve been playing together for just shy of a decade, they’re still trying new things. Sizemore said they recorded the album on tape like they’ve always done, but unlike their other albums “Punch The Sky” has a theme to it.
“This is a record dealing with the idea that the internet opens the world to everyone and how that can feel claustrophobic in its vastness at times,” Sizemore said. “On the flip side, understanding we all have to lead a life once we aren’t connected to it can create a passionate or dispassionate person. ‘Punch The Sky’ is how we personally deal with that.”
“Punch The Sky” took the guys about a year and a half to create. Sizemore said half the album was worked out before the trio even got into the studio then they cultivated the final half in the studio.
“Most of the songs are a complete collaboration between us,” Sizemore said. “I usually write the chords and parts and then Gabe and Raph fill them out or help organize the structures of the tunes. That being said we experimented with some tunes being complete improvisations or with a drum beat first and building a song around that (sink or swim) which is pretty unorthodox for us.”
“Pathos” is one of Sizemore’s favorites off the album.
“That’s a song that Gabe wrote the chords to and Raph stepped up and had lyrics he wanted to do,” Sizemore said. “I remember Raph singing that song first take at 3 a.m. and you can hear his keys rattling from jumping around in the background.”
The guys had a release show with The Whiffs and Cherry Pits at Cary St. Cafe a couple of weeks ago.
“The release show was fucking nuts,” Sizemore said. “It was really amazing seeing all the support Richmond has for our local music scene. We got to share the stage with some of our most favorite people.”
Further into the future, the guys hope to one day get something they’ve done pressed to vinyl and make time for more touring.
Until then, catch The Milkstains at their next gig with Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires and Sports Bar at Strange Matter on the 28th.
