Treading Paper is the brainchild of Michael Miller, an astonishing Rock n' Roller on the rise. His latest release "Comfort Zones," brings an eclectic mix of Rock-infused-Punk which keeps our ears intrigued throughout. We had the chance to catch up with the artist recently, for an exclusive interview which you will find below.
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1. What is the inspiration behind the latest album release "Comfort Zones"? Let's dive in shall we?
"Comfort Zones" has been in the works for quite some time now, a few of the songs had been rolling in my head for the past couple years or so and a couple of them are actually refurbished songs I wrote with my old high school band Conflict Theory. The name Comfort zones actually comes from the idea of stepping out of my own comfort zone to put out this album which is my first ever solo album and a lot of the songs are deeply personal to me.
2.What made you discover your passion for creating an eclectic blend of Rock with a Punk flare?
Punk rock is my roots and has shaped a lot of who I am. For pretty much all of high school, all I would listen to was punk. As I got older though I started to branch off and listen to different kinds of music with my favorite band being Thrice. So the music I write I would say is a fusion of my past and present coming together.
3. What places in your mind do you channel to craft your songs?
Most of my lyrics are pretty personal to me. I have one song about my dad who left when I was like 5, One about old friendships coming to a close and feeling alone, and one about an ex girlfriend. I like to write songs that are personal but also that I think other people can relate to. Also I love telling stories and most of my songs have interesting back stories that go beyond just the song. For example my song Calm before the Storm is about a reoccurring dream I've had since I was a little boy.
4. What are your favorite venues to perform at? and if you had to choose, do you feel more comfortable in the studio or onstage, and why?
I would say I'm more comfortable in the studio mainly because as of right now I'm recording in my own home studio and then handing it off to a professional mixing and mastering engineer. I enjoy that a lot more than being in an actual studio, mainly because I'm writing all the parts myself and it might take me a while to come up with something I like for each instrument. As for shows, for me it really depends on the crowd more than the venue. I've played some house shows that were so much fun just because of the people there.
5. How do you create your songs? What is the process like? Does it take you days, weeks, even longer? How does the perfect Treading Paper piece come together?
A lot of times the idea for a song will come just from a cool guitar riff I come up with while messing around. Then I'll try to build a basic song structure around that riff and then slowly add bass and drums. Vocals/lyrics almost always come last and I try to write lyrics that fit the groove the song already has. Once I get the song done I'll go back and look to add or subtract things to make the overall song better. I almost never just work on one song at a time. I'll usually be working on a few different ideas and bounce them from one song to another or sometimes go back to a previous unused idea I had and see if it fits this new song. I would say no song is completely done until I record it which can takes months.
6. How did you create a sound throughout time that is so uniquely your own? What defines your sound to you?
I have listened to so much music in my life that at this point when I look for new music to listen to I'm looking for something unique. Something I haven't heard a thousand times already. So when I write music I try to look at it with the same approach. Some songs might have a basic chord progression but I try to make sure some element of the song stands out as unique and memorable.
7. This coming year is already shaping up to be a huge year for you. What do you hope to accomplish in the new year?
Yes it is. Currently I'm working on my second album and am about 60ish percent done with it. This one will have a more rocky feel then my last album. Also starting the first week of 2018 I've hired some marketing teams to help me out. I plan to keep building my fanbase, and I'm even thinking about getting a band together to start playing some shows.
