MILE

Working to keep the Swedish tradition in metal, that’s Mile. A Swedish band working at their third album which will be released  in the first half of 2021. And curious as always Ons Nieuws Music asked the band about this new album and about playing metal in times we have to deal with corona.

But first something about the band:

MILE was created in 2012 by former members of the band Cabinett – Marcus ”Masken” Karlsson (vocals), Fredrik Palm (guitar) and Marcus Folke (bass) – The line-up was completed by drummer Dennis Kjellgren and guitarist David ”Dave” Wallberg. The new project was then named MILE but we did not start playing live until 2013, because we wanted to rehearse in order to keep a certain level on our live shows. The current line up was completed in 2015 when Niklas ”Nike” Tidholm replaced one of the founders, bass player Marcus Folke. The debut album “Lost” was released in December that same year.

Let’s start with the interview:

Bands have a very difficult time at the moment in our country (Holland). How is it to have a band in this “corona time”. Is it possible to play live for a real audience or are their other ways to reach the fans during times like this.

We have, as many other bands, worked hard trying to do as many gigs as possible to show people who we are and try to make a name for ourselves. We tried from the beginning to show venues that we are a real live band. Soon more and more festival shows was available for us and at the time of the release of the second album “The World in Focus” (2018), we went on a release-tour in Brazil where the support had increased during that last year. After the European tour as support to Corroded 2019 we are now focusing on the release in 2021 of our third album.

I asked you the question above because I know you’re very busy recording a new album. And after the release it’s very important to reach the fans. So if live on stage is very difficult how will you reach them?

You can still play live in Sweden for a real audience but there is at the moment a limit of 50 people for events where the audience is standing up. But many venues can’t limit their capacity because of live music, they also need as many guests as possible to survive of course. The most common way to still communicate with fans is through live-streams and releasing new material more often. We also try to increase our presence on social media through more frequent updates and different activities such as live rehearsals and competitions.

Hopefully we can reach our fans through the help/use of social media and the help of our management Kingart and the label that will release the album. We hope that the album will be good enough to be spread through the word of mouth as well. Since the release will be in 2021 we still hope that we will be able to play more live by then and therefore spread it live too.

I think this is your third album. Is this one different than the other two.?

Yes, it’s our third album. We believe it is a bit different. It is even more diverse and melodic than the previous two but still containing some really heavy stuff, and of course keeping the MILE-sound. It is a new approach where we dare to do something new. If it works? We will see.

What can you tell about the album? Maybe something about the title, artwork and of course the tracks?

The title and the artwork remains a secret for the time being. The tracks are, as mentioned above, generally melodic but still with cool riffs and heavy breakdowns. Then there will probably be at least a couple of surprises. It is always a bit scary to see what people think of the album, but we like it.

Who is responsible for the music and the lyrics and can you tell us how (and maybe where) you find the inspiration for the tracks?

Our aim is that everybody in the band should influence the music but the bulk of the music is done by Fredrik. Then “Masken” and Fredrik collaborate on the melodies before “Masken” writes the lyrics. We still have the same influences, more or less, for the music as before. Bands like In Flames and Avenged Sevenfold are still there while the lyrics go back more to the same influence as the first album, which is a more personal and individual approach.

When I read your Facebook page I see  “Mile is a melodic metal band influenced by bands as ‘In Flames’, Avenged Sevenfold’ and ‘Engel’. Can we hear these influences in  your new album?

Yes indeed, the same influences as you listed are present on the upcoming album, some more than others.

I asked this because when I listen to a few of your songs it’s a lot heavier then most melodic metal (nothing wrong with is, I like it). I think you’ve created your own style in stead of being part of the common melodic metal scene.

Thank you! We are happy to hear that you think that because that is what we aim for. To stand out from the crowd and make music that still has some heaviness while still being available to a broader audience.

When can we expect the new album? Is there already a release date?

No, no release date is set yet. But the aim is set for the first half of 2021.

What do you think the fans will say about the new album? Do they like it?

We actually don’t know. As always some people will like it and some won’t. We of course hope and believe that a majority will like it and that there will be a song for almost everyone on the new album. We love our fans and we would be nothing without them, so we really hope they will like it as much as we do.

On which platforms can we find the album when it is released?

All details are not yet set, but we aim for the lager digital platforms such as Spotify and iTunes etc. We will of course have physical copies available for sale like our merch and at live shows. Who knows, maybe even vinyl.

MILE line-up:

Marcus ”Masken” Karlsson – Vocals

Fredrik ”FreddyAwesome” Palm – Guitar

David ”Dave” Wallberg – Guitar

Niklas “Nike” Tidholm – Bass

Dennis Kjellgren – Drums