Interview with Miller On his debut record Complete Buffoonery, Miller makes “uncomfortably funny songs”…with a keytar. Yes, that’s right – someone’s trying to bring it back to the forefront of rock music. AvoidPeril’s Evan Mauser spoke with Miller about the future of medicinally-termed rock music, the controversial keytar, and Miller’s own feelings on Complete Buffoonery.
1. So ... were you the goofy band guy in high school? Actually no, I wasn’t in the band at all in high school. I actually played baseball and basketball; I was the fat kid at the end of the bench that they put in the game when we were either killing the other team or getting killed, so I couldn’t screw anything up. I guess I was the goofy sports guy. In college, I had a small party and asked everyone to bring an instrument. I had borrowed a dinky Casio keyboard from a friend, and we all banged on pots and pans, played kazoos, harmonicas, someone brought a tuba! It was horrible, but that was actually how my old band, The Family Jewels, started. And that is how I became a <<cough>> keyboard player. 2. There is some uniquely funny stuff on Complete Buffoonery. Would you say that most of these topics, including Hirschsprung's disease, are what you'd be talking about if someone met you? Honestly, yes. It seems somehow my whole world is based on the ridiculous, a lot of funny things happen to me. I just try and turn them into songs and share them with people. Humorous subjects just happen; I really don’t always go looking for them. Not that I’d bring up a bowel disease as an ice-breaker…well, maybe I would. 3. Is this album an accumulation of song ideas over a long period of time (re: ex-college gf, "Mullet" backstory, etc.) or did you quickly come up with the topics once you set your mind on an album? It took some time. When the band broke up, I kind of took a break from music, but I missed it. So very slowly, the songs began accumulating. I find it difficult to just sit down and write lyrics, they seem to just come to me here and there in the oddest places. It’s like someone says something to me, or something funny happens, and I jot it down with plans to write a song about it. Like right now, I have 5 or 6 ideas for the next record, barely any lyrics, but the ideas and foundations are there. So to answer your question, I guess the ideas develop themselves over time. 4. Is this album a big departure from your previous band's style? Yes and no. We had the guitar-bass-drums-keyboards line-up, and the keys were featured prominently for the most part. The material was funny and mildly offensive, though maybe not as slap-sticky. There were members in the band who didn’t want to rely solely on the humor, they wanted to write great songs, and we did, with a humorous twist. The Jewels were a brilliant band, I’d just say my music has a little more pep, and a little more obvious humor. I love when people laugh out loud at one of my shows. I just think the rest of the Jewels wanted to be viewed as a great rock band, not a joke. 5. Any significance to the port-o-potty on the back cover? Not really, the colors seemed to go well with the rest of the artwork, and it seems my whole shtick has become pictures of me and my trusty keytar in very unusual places and circumstances. 6. Do you think further albums will be medically based? I think you've found a niche. I don’t really think this album is medically based, though there are a few songs in that vein. Years ago, I did have plans for “The Disease Album.” I had a song about Narcolepsy, one about Rabies. A friend of a friend did have Hirschsprung’s Disease, that’s how that song came about. A nurse was at one of my shows and commented that I should focus on the medical field. In looking at the new material I have begun work on, I’d have to say no, though I’m sure a medical song or two may creep their way on the next record. One could argue that my newest focus, a song called “Midgets Keep a Low Profile,” is loosely medically based. 7. How often do you play live? I was playing out about once a week when the record came out, but I’m currently taking a little break to work on some new material. I’m hoping to do a Northeast tour in the spring while continuing to write the new record. If anyone has any suggestions on places to play, or would like me to hop on a show, please drop me a line at myspace.com/millerbuffoon. 8. Why is a keytar your musical weapon of choice for live shows instead of a regular keyboard? The keytar just adds to the humor. I have 3 vintage keyboards on stage with me, plus the keytar, and with me changing sounds so much, it’s hard to really move around and play the keytar at the same time. Most kids at the shows have never seen a keytar, many are fascinated by it. They are so young, they probably never saw that Janet Jackson video in the 80’s, and don’t know who Cameo is. It’s just a neat instrument you don’t see that often. If only I could learn to look cool while playing it…
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