Q&A: Milky Chance Talks Tour, Influences and New Single “Naked and Alive”
CHILDHOOD FRIENDS CLEMENS REHBEIN AND PHILLIP DAUSCH — of the alt-pop duo Milky Chance have had nothing short of a busy 2024 thus far. The two recently closed their South American headline tour as well as several festival gigs, including the annual Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Manchester, TN.
Piggy-backing off their recent tour and festival appearances, the duo released their first single of 2024, “Naked and Alive” under their independent label Muggelig Records. This release follows the footsteps of their first independent release in 2024, “Living In A Haze,” and explores a disco-reggae groove while addressing themes of self-love and solitude.
The band is continuing to stay busy with several festival dates remaining for the rest of 2024, and Luna was lucky enough to chat with the band about their latest single, “Naked and Alive,” their individual hobbies, and the experience of playing their own headline gigs versus festivals. Read the interview below.
LUNA: Congrats on the new single! I absolutely love the song and the way you’ve incorporated elements of disco and some groovy guitar and bass riffs into its production. Can you walk me through the creative process for this track?
MILKY CHANCE: Thank you! Yeah, I feel we felt like going back a bit more to the roots of having more guitars as the core but still create the vibe and tempo of a disco/house grove.
LUNA: You’ve mentioned that “Naked And Alive” is an ode to self-love and celebrating spending time alone with yourself. What were some of the steps you took in your own lives to achieve comfort within yourself and being alone?
MILKY CHANCE: Yeah, that’s right. We are full force diving into the 30s, and besides all the touring we also all have family, and that takes lots of space so I feel we just have been going through the phase of yeah putting a bit more effort in doing things on a daily basis that we need to feel good physically and mentally. Simply starting with sports, therapy, taking walks, or hobbies.
LUNA: Going off that, music obviously plays a hand in helping process thoughts and emotions. What are some songs that have helped each of you through a time period in which you didn’t experience self-love and appreciated being alone?
MILKY CHANCE: Music definitely does help, and so does our family and team that allows us to do so. I don’t think there are songs in particular, rather the fact that we can continue doing music and have the space to express ourselves in it.
LUNA: In 2023, you completed a successful tour and you’re playing a ton of festivals this summer, including Bonnaroo recently. What do you continue to look forward to as you continue this festival run, and what are some of the differences you’ve found between playing your own gigs versus festivals?
MILKY CHANCE: Yeah, it’s been a great year of touring… We really are so happy and confident about being the band that we are today, and all the work and time we put into playing live shows really paid off. Both festivals and headline shows have their very own vibe in terms of energy, and we wouldn’t want to miss either.
[No matter] if it’s the festival with its unifying power, the celebration of music, and [the sense of] being a part of a bigger event, or our own show, where it’s so heartwarming to see people being so delighted and happy and singing our songs.
LUNA: I actually work at the venue you played at in Toronto last tour, and as a silly question based on your band name, my coworkers and I would love to know your favorite type of milk.
MILKY CHANCE: Well, the majority in our team is definitely team oat. I, in particular, am still loving cow milk…
LUNA: How has your taste in music changed since the start of your career versus now? Have you picked up on any notable new influences?
MILKY CHANCE: Well we always had a very broad taste and loved to walk through the genres and get inspiration from everywhere. I think that hasn’t changed.
LUNA: Finally, I wanted to touch back on the theme of taking comfort within oneself. When you do have time to yourself, how do you choose to spend it?
MILKY CHANCE: Yeah, again, we do have busy lives, either on tour or at home, so it really is to take time. Even if it’s for 10 minutes or an hour and that is only on us to do. We all have to take care of our bodies so sports are definitely something we all try to do constantly. We all have individual hobbies — mine [Dausch] is pottery!
