Interview: Miller Blue [@MillerBlueMusic] talks his new Sunflower EP

Miller Blue is back with his third EP Sunflower and kindly gave us some insight into the project as well as his journey.

Sunflower is Miller Blue‘s third project outing and we get a mix of what he has come to be known for as well as some twists that definitely pay off. Ahead of its release, we spoke to Miller on all things Sunflower including why he went with the Sunflower name and if lockdown affected the project at all.

Who is Miller Blue?

I’m a 6ft 4 friendly giant. I love hip hop and soul music. I also love Italian food. I hate 5G. I also am not a fan of those big crumpets that Warburtons made that one time. They didn’t have the same bounce to them.

How did you get into making music?

Many small moments throughout my life certainly had influence on when I first began making music. Seeing the joy my mum got from singing and dancing around the kitchen, to seeing my dad’s admiration for analogue synthesizers. However the first time I remember being inclined to make my own music came from a combination of trying to make beats like a number of producers I had been listening to at the time on datpiff.com like Jahlil beats and Erick Arc Elliott (Flatbush Zombies) and trying to write acoustically in a way Ed Sheehan was doing at the time, by blending some melodic rap into my songs. I guess from this point forward things were just slowly added into my melting pot of knowledge, both in songwriting and producing. This, combined with my changing taste in music, created the fusion I have currently I guess.

When did you know you could make a career out of it?

Quite honestly, not until very recently. It’s always been an ideal, however not a reality. The reality of it is that I worked many jobs for a long time after moving to London as it’s not easy to succeed in this industry. I accepted that it was going to be hard, and always reminded myself that I was on the right path and that if I kept moving with the right intentions and work ethic that it would pay off and slowly but surely, it is. But I don’t take it for granted, I know it’ll take a lot of work to keep moving in the right direction but I have a great team and people around me which is so important to stay level.

What inspired the name of the new EP?

I grew up in a rural village, surrounded by a lot of nature. Sunflowers have always given me this nostalgic feeling of home. There weren’t even many around there, I’m not sure exactly what it is about them, but something. This whole journey reminded me of home. It came full circle to me. I lost my way a little and then came back. It just felt fitting. After discussing the idea with my friend Jane Quan, she went on to paint the EP cover for me. Such a beautiful piece. I was so happy when I saw it.

You continued your intro theme from Cotton with a ‘Streets of…’ opening track, why do you feel it’s important to start in this way?

A moment captured in time, a real experience of mine. I like to start off each project with something real, as close to home as possible that means something dear to me. An ode to that time in my life I guess. I also think it’ll just be nice to look back on.

Tell us a bit about the lead track ‘Sunflower’, what does the song mean to you and why is it the best representation of the project?

It was an expression of my last relationship. Just me openly reflecting on how I feel about the situation now that some time has passed. The project itself is a journey since that time and I feel this song discusses, for me, the most notable moment that became the catalyst for the project.

‘Make You Move’ has you rapping which is a new turn for you, how come you decided to add that to your repertoire?

Rap is what I listen to most, always has been. I love to freestyle, however just never really applied rapping to my music. Maybe I’m afraid of it being accepted, I’m not really sure. It’s something I’d love to do though, I’d love to make a rap project, I have to find my Madlib or Dilla first though.

Was Sunflower or its rollout affected by quarantine? If yes, how did you adapt/what had to change?

Not as badly as you may think. Beyond live shows, everything has been able to run as planned. I have seen how people have changed their approach to social media which has definitely opened my eyes to the power we have to reach fans without even having to leave the house.

What is currently your favourite track from Sunflower or the one you enjoyed recording the most?

‘New Love’. It was a different process for me which I enjoyed. It’s the only track on the project that I wrote with someone else. Matt Mason, a drummer I’d met at a jam a few years prior. We set up a session and everything just flowed seamlessly. Super fun day. Then when I was working on the production a few weeks later I brought in my friend and band member Callum Connell to play some sax on the record. Again it was my first time recording sax and I had so much fun with it. Another thing I enjoyed was adding backing vocals with my friend and artist Meron T. We’d met in Croatia the year prior, she has such a beautiful voice. I knew she’d bring the extra sparkle needed to complete the track.

What else can we expect from Miller Blue?

I have so much music in the works, another EP is on its way and then I plan to release my debut album. I’m looking forward to some collaborations that’ll hopefully be coming out soon, I’ve been able to work with some people I really admire musically so it’s been amazing to be able to share energies with them and just create. 

If you’re a fan of Sunflower, check out his previous EP Cotton and our thoughts here.