Six Degrees Of Success

It was only 12 months ago that local garage pop collective Millions won the coveted triple j Unearthed slot to open the 2011 Splendour In The Grass festival, the last of its kind at the excellent Woodfordia grounds. The quartet have used the experience as a springboard to bigger and better things, incorporating many support slots into their busy schedule and are now preparing to launch their debut EP onto the masses.

“It's been surprising, I don't think any of us expected it to go anywhere,” Dominic Haddad modestly states. “We started Millions as a bit of fun, so we've been lucky to have gotten this far.”

Luck has nothing to do with it of course, as the boys have relentlessly plied their trade both in Brisbane and down the east coast, forging a tight group dynamic, a notion that Haddad espouses as being a major contributor to their collective success.

“We've always worked well together, and we tend to react to each other's strengths without effort, which is rare. Ted [Tillbrook – guitar] and Campbell [Smith – bass] hadn't played their instruments for very long; Ted used to be a drummer and Cam used to play the keyboards. But they're best friends and everything seemed to gel really well together between them, which we kinda fed on. I think that's why it worked so quickly from the start; they knew their place in the band, which has made everything very easy.”

Their Nine Lives Six Degrees EP was recorded six months ago, and it showcases the quartet at that early stage, their exuberance and excitement in playing together shining through. With half the tracks already familiar to their fanbase through favourable airplay, it's the perfect time to have something tangible that represents the band. “The songs [on the EP] have been in our live set for some time and are very familiar to us and to those who've come to see us,” Haddad agrees. “We've been writing new material that heads in a slightly different direction, that shows where our songwriting is going, but the EP is really important for us now. It's been quite frustrating to be playing so many shows and not have a CD for people to take home. When people are asking for stuff and you have nothing to give them, it becomes a lot harder to retain them as a fan. We're looking forward to finally having something for people to listen to.”

The impending release coincides with Millions signing with Stop Start Music. Haddad acknowledges that timing is key and that the move seemed the best fit for the band. “They really like what we are doing and are aware that we are still progressing as a band. Rob [Giovannoni] has been our booking agent at Select Music and everyone at Stop Start are incredibly positive and understand where we are coming from. It's been great.”

Millions have come into their own at the same time as other Brisbane bands such as Last Dinosaurs and The Cairos, who mine the same creative seam. Haddad feels that rather than create rivalry, it has helped to form some inseparable bonds. “I think that because we are all the same age and we are really good friends with the guys from Last Dinosaurs and Gung Ho, all those guys, we're likeminded people of the same age at the same time. It's created this supportive thing where we all help each other out, we all share the same goals and interests, we all like what each other is doing, not just focused on our own thing. It's a great time to be in a band in Brisbane.”