by Aja Landolfi, staff reporter
Picture this, standing in the middle of New York City where the population is 8.406 million people. Now go to a state in the Midwest where the population of the entire state is less than that of New York City. One will find themselves in Wisconsin where the population is 5.743 million people. Take it one step further and go into Eau Claire, Wisconsin where the population is 67,545 people. From this small town of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, a band call The Millenium was formed.
The Millenium was formed in May of 2014 when two small bands from Eau Claire broke up. Matt Hasenmueller who is now the lead singer of The Millenium along with Kyle Culver who is one of the guitarists came from the band The Last Semester. Kyle Featherstone, who plays the guitar and the keys, along with Sean Koran, the bassist, came from a band called The Picture Perfect.
The Millenium isn’t an average pop/boy band. They incorporate indie, acoustic and electronic realms to try and bring together a sometimes eclectic, yet genuine sound.
“We often feel like a pop band in a punk world,” the band said.
The songs that they write are a testament to love, loss, and learning. These themes not only reverberate on an individual level but go as far as defining this generation as a whole. The band members favorite lines from their songs are;
- “That bag of bones in the corner has it’s own demons too, and they’re right next to you – No Knock Tonight,” Culver said.
- “I don’t care about our history, I care about you and me. – Garnish Our Love,” Featherstone said.
- “I burned all my bridges so I learned how to swim – Garnish Our Love,” Hasenmueller said.
- “They say we outgrew the city, but I know damn well the city outgrew me – No Knock Tonight,” Koran said.
Even though the band is relatively new, they have been on a few tours. Their first tour was on May 2, 2014 where they opened up for The Summer Set, at University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Since opening for The Summer Set, they have toured with Hollywood Ending and Late Nite Reading.
By going on these tours, The Millenium has traveled about 2,500 miles from their home town. They have been as far east as Boston and as far south as Atlanta. The band’s biggest venue, they have played at was the Highline Ballroom in New York.
However this freshly formed band has had some struggles along the way. These struggles have not discouraged their dreams but have only made them work harder to achieve them.
“Being in a very competitive industry, it’s keeping up with the times in a sense. In this day of age you are not just a musician. You are a businessman, you are the writers, you are every facet of the band. Delegating those duties to everyone in the band and making it run as efficiently as a business as well as a band has taken time to adjust to and to run smoothly,” the band said.
Even though they have had their fair share of struggles, The Millenium has pushed through them and have found some things to be proud of.
“The idea that some songs I wrote, some in my downtime, some for hobby, have ended up resonating with people all over the country. It’s an unparalleled feeling. Hearing people scream back the words we wrote never gets old. [It] gives me chills,” Culver said.
For other members, it’s more about a personal triumph.
“In high school, I was picked on a bit. I’m proud of myself for saying f the system and doing what I wanted to do instead of what everyone told me to do,” Koran said.
Like many bands The Millenium is already thinking of their future. They are striving for success and trying to achieve their desired goals.
“As a band, it’s important for us to continually be on the road. It’s a humbling experience to see a growing number of people who are interested in the success of our band, all around the country. We’re very excited to begin studio work recording a new album in 2015, and growing together as songwriters. Pushing the limitations is what we strive for,” the band said.
For anyone who doesn’t know who The Millenium is go and check them out on iTunes, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and at www.themillenium.net
