our story
Where it all started
Whilst studying to be classical musicians in the city of Glasgow, Guitarist Austin Miller and Cellist Chris McVinnie realised that becoming a classical musician was not the be all and end all of their lives. In late 2017, Austin began a solo project, in which he recorded the EP, “Some Degree of Comfort”.
“A stunning record that has turned out better than we could have hoped, with a continuous rise in quality as it advances from the beginning to the end.” — Small Music Scene
Right from the get go, he envisioned the project to be in the form of a band and not a solo undertaking. Austin and Chris met whilst students at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS). Excited and intrigued by the idea of working together, Chris agreed to collaborate on this project, forming the core band.
ORIGINS and INFLUENCE
The fascination with different musical worlds and the desire to explore new styles led them towards diving into a variety of various projects. Separately, they have managed to gain experience playing solo performances as well as chamber music concerts, musical theatre, session work and pit work alongside several other projects. Realising the complexity of the music industry made them more enthusiastic to experiment with different sounds and even reminded them of why they wanted to become musicians in the first place.
As an alternative rock band, Austin Miller draws inspiration from bands such as Foo Fighters, Biffy Clyro, Muse and even the Brit-Pop sounds of Coldplay. Blending heavy guitars with lush strings and colourful harmonies, the band have managed to showcase and express different musical pathways into their sound and are always looking to explore different avenues to keep their music sounding fresh and exciting.
“Dishing out a batch of fun, large-sounding tunes that drew in and held the attention of the audience before capping off in extravagant fashion. Very good stuff, we must say, and the potential is plain to see in this fellow.” — Small Music Scene
Being classically trained has given them a way into understanding other musical concepts and encouraged them to think outside of the box. They set out to make a sound that wasn’t solely based on rock material, but had that as an overarching influence.
our message
As a band, Austin Miller hope to instil a sense of optimism and community in the face of adversity. The band’s upcoming releases reflects on this and the current climate we all find ourselves in. This is a true reflection of the short journey the band have been on thus far as well as their desire to grow and evolve as the music world returns to normality.