While most bands make a record and hope it captures the intensity of their live show, local rock ‘n’ roll trio Magic Milk had other aims for its debut album. Out this week, “Mellow,” is just that. The home recording is quiet and even-keeled, essentially the opposite of the band that will take the stage at the Empty Bottle this week. Magic Milk’s reputation is that of a furious live act … that likes to disrobe. Frontman Kenny Alden talked about the band last week.
Q: How did the band come together?
A: I have been playing as Magic Milk since about 2009 when I moved here. Nick (Spiese) joined a year ago and then Maggie (Laleman) joined around the end of 2011.
Q: If you were already solo, and recording, why not stay a solo act?
A: I had always wanted to get a band together, it just took a really long time to get solidified. We had other lineups where different people were in the band, but they weren’t really, you know, in the band. We played a show without a drummer with Maggie’s other band, Tiny Manatee. We thought she looked cool, her hair flying everywhere when she played drums. We ran into her a week later at Sultan’s [Market] and asked her to jam with us and we did that once and knew she was in.
Q: How did you manage without a drummer?
A: I rigged up a snare drum to a kick drum pedal, so I played kick drum with my right foot and snare with my left, standing up, while I played the guitar. That wasn’t how it always was. We’ve had a full band at some points, and sometimes I have just played harmonica and sang.
Q: I see the custom-painted Magic Milk minivan around town a lot. What’s painted on it seems to be evolving.
A: When I moved here I painted it purple and put all the shoe stencils on it, then an artist friend did the big owl on it. We painted one side white. I just wrote a bunch of stuff on it.
Then, when we were on tour in Arkansas we invited everyone who was at the show to come draw all over it, which was a bad idea.
A bunch of kids drew (male genitalia) all over it, which is what kids do. So it kind of needed a fresh coat after that.
Q: Talk about the new album — what do you hope listeners come away with?
A: “Mellow” is all just me. Our shows are all just crazy energy, but I wanted to make something you could just sit down and listen to, so that’s why it’s called “Mellow.”
Q: How would you describe your live shows? You have a reputation for being bombastic.
A: Our show is rock ‘n’ roll. To the max. We get loose. A big influence is James Brown. Not in the music, really, but I want people to dance and get loose. I always take off my pants.
I think that encourages people to get comfortable, when they look up and see that I am comfortable.
Twitter @chitribent
When: 9:30 p.m. Thursday
Where: Empty Bottle, 1035 N. Western Ave.
Tickets: $10 (21+); emptybottle.com
