Austin Miller is a pure soul. He’s a happy man. He has good intentions and he likes great beer. It was truly a pleasure spending an evening with him drinking and laughing, while he recounted his exciting voyage overseas, crossing one of his beautiful dreams. Enjoy.
“Since I’ve played an instrument, I’ve always wanted to play in Europe.” Austin says through his beer-kissed beard. He just toured Europe for the first time. He didn’t have a crew. He didn’t have a tour manager. He didn’t have anyone traveling with him. It was just Austin. And, a dream experience coming to fruition.
“When I was 16. I went to Paris with my family. It was the first city I was really enamored with. One night, my parents kind of let me go out and do my thing. I had just started playing guitar. I heard music coming out of some of the bars. It was at that moment that I knew I wanted to be the man delivering sounds into the world.”
Now, nine years later, Austin’s dream has become a reality. He arrived in Dublin for the beginning of his month-long tour. Three of his dates were already sold out. He booked his tour by himself, sometimes scheduling two shows in one day. Some of Austin’s shows were already sold out when he arrived over-seas. Three sold out shows, to be exact–two in Brussels, Belgium, one in Nijmegen, Netherlands.
European Dates 2015:
April 1 / Dublin, Ireland / The Globe
April 2 / Cork, Ireland / Pine Lodge
April 4 / Roscommon, Ireland / JJ Harlow’s
April 5 / Poynton, England / Acoustic Lounge
April 6 / London, England / Biddle Brothers
April 7 / Paris, France / Pop In
April 8 / Brussels, Belgium / Huis 23 (sold out)
April 8 / Brussels, Belgium / Secret show (late)
April 9 / Bochum, Germany / I Am Love
April 10 / Weimar, Germany / Kasseturm
April 11 / Halle, Germany / Peißnitzhaus
April 12 / Berlin, Germany / Donau115 (early)
April 12 / Berlin, Germany / Mein Haus am See (late)
April 13 / Poznan, Poland / LAS
April 14 / Berlin, Germany / Madame Claude
April 15 / Berlin, Germany / Ä
April 16 / Amsterdam, Netherlands / Mulligans
April 17 / Amsterdam, Netherlands / Club Dauphine
April 18 / Nijmegen, Netherlands / Red Shoe Session (sold out)
April 19 / Rijkel, Belgium / Het Stoofke
April 20 / Manchester, England / Gullivers
His first day, fighting some serious jet lag, he set out on an adventure, that I would have enjoyed sharing, to get a delicious, authentic Irish beer. He found this cool place, reminiscent of the Social in Orlando, called Whelan’s, and enjoyed a Murphey’s Irish Red (good choice, Austin). 😉
“Everything was just so different, the cars being on the other side of the road, everything, perhaps exaggerated by the jet lag.” Austin says, trying to communicate memories beyond words and speech. “The next day, I walked about a mile across Dublin, in the cold rain, to my first show. If I were doing that anywhere else, I would be fairly unhappy because of the weather.” He laughs, before telling me how incredibly surreal it felt. His eyes glistened. I could tell that above all, even though the beard, this man was doing something he truly loved, and the entire experience humbled him as a whole.
“It was my first time in Ireland. Dublin is not really Ireland, it’s more like Austin, TX, in that they’re both different from the rest of their region. About half of the people I met in Dublin weren’t from Dublin, they weren’t even from Ireland! However, the native Irish people have probably the most welcoming personas out of any place I’ve visited thus far.”
Austin’s first show was at The Globe venue in Dublin, Ireland for weekly event called “The Song Room,” put on by a promoter named Hamlet (real name). “I played with all Irish acts so I kinda felt like the sore thumb at first. But, that show was especially cool because there were a lot of people there just to see me.” Austin says humbly, still surprised. What a great way to start a tour, with a warm welcome like that.
“I was pretty impressed by all of the bands I played with. I thought it would be traditional Irish music, but all the Irish bands I saw, though they certainly had that Irish influence, were very progressive and innovative. I also noticed there’s a lot of ‘jam nights’ in Ireland, but the bands weren’t [what us Americans would call] ‘jammy.’ “
Where they trying to buy you shots? “Uh, let’s just say the Irish don’t let you go sober. Lots of ‘cheers.’ I didn’t even mind walking back to my hotel in the rain (the Dublin drizzle).” He laughs, pauses, and exclaims, “After I left Ireland I don’t think it rained once!”
His second show was in Myrtleville, outside of Cork, Ireland, and he had first Guinness draught there. “The Pine Lodge bartender was moving around so quickly until I ordered. Everything stopped when I ordered the Guinness. He took so much care into pouring the perfect Guinness. It was then that it really felt like Ireland. Everything about it was perfect.
Throughout his tour, Austin Miller sold around 150 CDs, which lightened his baggage quite a bit. He had around 90 lbs of gear and belongings and merch to lug around for a large part of the tour.
I was curious what his reception was like in different countries, especially those of which did not speak much English. “I was received really well by a lot of people. Some of them, however, I think the people thought I was too different. Especially in Poland.” He laughs, explaining how English was spoken the least in Poland.
“I feel like my style of music isn’t really what people expect to hear when they go out. For my concerts, I rely a lot on my lyrics. And, I depend a lot on my stage banter. The Poland show was more of a listening room so I felt I should at least try. Talking to people after the show, I realized that some of my banter and lyrics didn’t translate well.” He says with a subtle smile and takes another sip of his golden ale.
“If I’m remembering correctly, this is what happened. First, the Poland show was the farthest away I’ve ever been away from home. So, I was bantering about that on stage, and said something like, ‘Until I tour Russia, this will be the farthest away I’ve ever been from home.’ Trying to convey that making it that far away was a significant milestone for me, and I had no immediate plans to tour Russia in the future. Obviously, it didn’t translate well because someone came up to me after the show and asked, ‘So, you’re going to Russia next?’ [Laughs] I had to simplify everything. Break the habit that we have of speaking so comfortably. It’s difficult to rethink how to speak in basics once you have a full lexicon of dialect.”
“After the Russia thing, I thought of the political implementations of the comment, namely the Soviet invasion of Poland and the Polish-Soviet war, it may not have been the best comment to make.” [Laughs].
We ordered another round and talked about things that stood out the most, like his means of foreign transportation and things that went wrong. “I walked to almost every show on tour [from his hotel]. I took moistly trains the whole way from city to city, a handful of buses, and even a ferry on one occasion. I was suppose to have a rental car for part of it, but it didn’t work out. I was really looking forward to not having to use public transit for a while. When I realized that I was going to have to stick with public transit, it was kind of a turning point for the tour. I put my head down and focused.“
“I had to reorganize my itinerary because I planned everything to the T and when that fell through, I had to begin figuring things out as I went. I even missed one day of tour because of the car thing in Germany.” Austin recalls, almost embarrassingly. His humbleness continues to bleed through, even when the situation was out of his control, he’s still hard on himself for missing a single date. He’s a perfectionist, a man of his word.
“A couple days after [the car thing], I played in Halle, Germany, and was talking to this older German guy after the show. Here’s how our conversation went: ‘
Where are you going next?’ He said.
‘Berlin,’ I replied.’
‘How are you getting there?’
‘I’m not sure.’
‘Well, where are you staying tonight?”
‘I dunno … ’
He paused, looked at me, and said, ‘Man, you’re crazy.’ And I said, ‘I know.’ [Laughs]. I guess I’m used to that now, not knowing where I’m sleeping some nights.” Austin tells me he ended up getting a hotel that night. However, he didn’t really rent a lot of hotel rooms, thanks to some considerate venues and promoters.
“The nice thing about touring over there is the venue takes where the artist is going to stay into consideration when they’re booking. Next time, I’ll know lots of people, since I made so many friends.”
I hit Austin with some rapid fire questions to finish up the interview before another beer.
“My first sold out shows were overseas!”
SIGT: “Do you have plans to go back?”
AM: “Yes. Absolutely. My first sold out shows were overseas!” He exclaimed. “I’ve gone on 12 or 13 tours in the US and I go to Europe for the first time and that happens. It’s crazy. Ideally, I’ll go back to Europe later this year. If not, then definitely early next year. ”
SIGT: “Going to the same places?”
AM: “Some. Definitely Brussels [laughs]. I think next time it’ll be a little more centralized.”
SIGT: “You going solo next time?”
AM: “Ideally, I’d like to go as some sort of acoustic trio. Still pondering though.”
SIGT: “Any ‘Oh Shit’ moments?”
AM: “One moment, when I was playing in Amsterdam, and I performed with musicians that actually learn people’s songs which I thought was going to be weird. They actually played my songs really well, though! [It was his only show with a full band.] When I got on stage I put my phone and wallet and passport on the side of the stage. When I got off the stage, my phone and wallet and passport were gone. Of course, I freaked out. Turns out, one of the band members thought it was one of his band mates and took it as a joke.
SIGT: “Weirdest things?”
AM: “First thing I noticed in Germany is that no one jay walks. Ever. They’re very obedient to the law. Everything has to be done properly. There’s no free wifi in Germany. If it costs anyone something, it’s not free. Even using the bathroom costs money. Also, tap water isn’t free. The weird thing with nothing being free [in Germany] was when I went to more of the developing countries, like Poland, they had free wifi. I feel like the idea of karma is more limited over there. Like, ‘give some away and you’ll eventually get something back’ was not the mentality.”
SIGT: “Anything you’re bummed you missed?”
AM: “I wanted to tour both Jameson and Guinness but couldn’t make it to either. I’m also bummed I didn’t even see the Eiffel Tower, not even from a distance. Although, I did get to go to the top of it when I was younger, with my family.”
SIGT: “When did it all hit you?”
AM: “It was a hectic tour with no time off. It all sank in on that plane ride back, I realized that when I get home, it’s going to feel like I’m on vacation. It was a really weird mix. If I never get to tour Europe again, I would forever be grateful of the time I spent there. But, I’m going back! As soon as the wheels touched the ground, I put my first up in the air to a mental ‘Yes!’ Followed by a tremendous sense of accomplishment. It was a really hectic tour with no time off.”
SIGT: “What do you feel like you gained?”
AM: “Experience. I learned how to deal with things I was uncomfortable with. Like the car thing. More than half of my shows over there were ‘listening room’ shows and it put on a pressure to be entertaining. I began to think of myself as less of a musician and more of an entertainer. There was a lot of pressure to consistently put on a good show. It really helped me be introspective and identify what it takes to put on a good show and learn how to emphasize those things.”
SIGT: “What did you notice most about the audiences?”
AM: Most everyone listens over there. There’s not a lot of talking in the room. All three of the sold out shows I played were really quiet. I even made a comment about it on stage and someone called-back “We’re quiet but we love you!” Also, the applauses were much shorter, but they always wanted an encore. Also,the hospitality overseas was top notch. They were so considerate and it was tremendously appreciative.
SIGT: “Biggest takeaway / Final thoughts?”
AM: “I found it interesting and that most of the Dutch and German bands write their lyrics in English, with the hopes that they’ll tour America one day. I felt like everyone over there had this culture ingrained in them, and everyone just goes to shows, that’s the norm. It was awesome.
SIGT: Any new music coming up?
AM: I’m working on a new album. I’ve already began recording, too. I even tested a bunch out on the road [in Europe]. One of them I actually finished writing while in Germany before a show.
SIGT: “Future touring plans?”
AM: “Yes, I’m leaving for a month long tour of Alaska. This will be my third year in a row touring Alaska. I never thought I’d be lucky enough to go all the way to Alaska on three separate occasions. I’m truly grateful.”
Austin Miller Alaska Tour 2015 Dates:
July 10 – Anchorage – Live After 5
July 10 – Anchorage – Flying Chinook
July 12 – Cooper Landing – Kingfisher
July 15 – Talkeetna – Fairview Inn
July 16 – Denali – Sheldon Arts Center
July 17 – Denali – Salmon Bake
July 18 – Fairbanks – The Marlin
July 19 – Talkeetna – Alaskan Lodge
July 20 – Denali – The Spike
July 22 – Denali – Panorama Pub
July 24 – Anchorage – Taproot
July 25 – Anchorage – Fairview Block Party (afternoon show)
July 25 – Willow – Trading Post Bar
July 29 – Anchorage – Subzero
July 30 – Homer – Down East Saloon
July 31 – Seldovia – Linwood Bar
August 1 – Seldovia – Linwood Bar
August 3- Anchorage – House Show
For more info, visit http://austinmillermusic.com/
Austin Miller Interview by Mitch Foster.
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