- Words Darcy Culverhouse
Grunge-folk breakout star, Aggie Miller, discusses her musical firsts, to mark the release of her self-titled debut album.
Treading the fine line between the gentle intricacy of soft-indie and the raw groove of grunge, Aggie Miller is undoubtedly bringing something new to the scene. Through her rustic ballad songwriting—that whisks you away to a dreamy meadow—and her DIY tristate rock and roll sound, Aggie’s objective is clear: to express herself authentically baring her soul within the process.
Drawing from her classical music training as a youngster, Aggie unleashes sui generis soundscapes that meld the grit of New York’s 2000s rock scene with her burgeoning underground influences. Through a grunge-tainted lens, she explores the tumultuous journey of young adulthood, as she strikes equilibrium with her ethereal vocals amidst the gritty backdrops of her work
Sewing sincerity into the fabric of her inaugural album, Aggie Miller, she unravels the complex paths to self-discovery. Balancing the dichotomy of unravelling polished soundscapes—where every note and lyric is conscientiously chosen and deciphered—with the grit of rock, the 9-track album unfolds as an otherworldly journey.
Penned between the tender ages of 18 and 21, Aggie draws from her own experiences to architect a young adult’s relationship with themselves. From pulsating synths to acoustic guitar melodies and hypnotic drums, each track offers a glimpse of Aggie’s psyche, with lyrics that read like an internal monologue, as she whisks up an album that paradigmatically captures the essence of contemporary young adulthood.
Out now, Aggie Miller, stands as her biggest and most profound work to date. But before we revel into her celestial soundscapes, we catch up with the boundary pushing artist to discuss her musical firsts, from writing songs at three years old, to fangirling over Belle & Sebastian. Tap in below.
First song you ever made?
It was called ‘shandrew shandrew wockabee wockabee’. I wrote it in the car on the way to Florida with my parents when I was three. All the lyrics are in the title. Pretty complex stuff.
First time you fell in love with music?
We had a binder of CDs we kept in the car, and I requested The Life Pursuit by Belle and Sebastian again and again. My favourite song was ‘Dress Up in You’.
First CD or record you owned?
When I was old enough to have my own taste in music, I gravitated towards Kesha. I think the Cannibal album was my first iTunes purchase. My mom didn’t think her music was good so she bought me Parallel Lines by Blondie as well. I have no idea why she thought they were comparable but I’m really glad she steered me in that direction lol.
First time you realized you wanted to be an artist?
I’ve been writing songs since I was 13, but I don’t think I ever had a “this is what I want to do” moment. It always felt like a natural progression.
First gig you went to?
I would see my friends play around New York in high school, at the Bitter End, Webster, Rockwood, etc. I feel lucky that I knew so many people at a young age who were playing out. My first “real” show I went to was probably Gov Ball 2014.
First instrument you owned?
I had a ukulele (as all other 14 year old girls did) and wrote my first songs on that. I also played trombone in middle school for about five seconds.
First time you felt like giving up?
I feel like giving up all the time. Mostly I try to think about how much more embarrassing is it to give up than to try.
First time you felt starstruck?
I mostly feel starstruck when I’m playing on a bill with someone I respect a lot as a writer. Hard to tread the line between flattery and fangirl behavior. Also when I was ten I met Victoria Justice and that for sure freaked me out.
First time you ticked off a bucket list goal?
This is definitely one of them!