how we found them...

we're actually a little late to The Mile After Party. we first fell in love with vocalist Chase Holfelder's Acoustic EP, and then worked our way backwards to the band's release 'Armada'. but better late than never, because now we're totally hooked on the whole band.

why we're buzzing…

the voice of a band is obviously a major defining factor of any band's sound and energy. it's not always a given that one member in a band will have amazing vocals, so it's a major plus when there are 3 guys in one band that could each carry a song their own. that's for sure the case with TMA since Chase, Ben, and Mike are all contributing vocalists.

what we love is that they take that formula and put it into creating amazing harmonies and vocal change ups. it's the harmonies on 'The Only One' that really drew us in. since we love so many different types of music, we love the band's ability to mix powerpop with a capella harmonies, piano, and even a more intense rock sound. on one song they remind us of other powerpop rock bands we love like 'The Starting Line' and 'The Real You', and then they have songs like 'So Young, So Sick' that go in a heavier direction. whichever direction they go… we'll follow… well to iTunes and the music store anyways haha :D .

the interview…

last month Chase was super cool and did an interview about his solo music for our boy crush feature. he just recently made it to the top five of The Folger's Jingle contest where he will be heading to New York City to audition for Kara DioGuardi from American Idol, and is in the running to win 25K! he also took a minute to do another interview for 'The Mile After'…

Pretty Princess Girls:

You guys are for sure a really strong band vocally as a whole. Your harmonies are incredible and definitely a signature aspect of your sound. Do any of you have professional vocal training? And do your harmonies take alot of work to sort out, or does your blend come pretty naturally?

Chase of The Mile After:

Thanks! We really try our best to stand out vocally. It takes a lot of practice to get the harmonies perfect, but the result is worth it. We try to start all of our live shows with an 'a capella' intro; it really grabs the audiences attention right away. Aside from Chase being in the choir in high school, none of us have any vocal training.

Pretty Princess Girls:

You guys have worked with some pretty amazing producers, who worked with some of our other favorite bands… Mark Trombino = uh-mazing (The Audition, The Starting Line, Blink-182, Jimmy Eat World) and Angus Cooke (The Ataris). Is that kind of thing crazy intimidating, or do you think the pressure evolved you into better musicians and artists?

Chase of The Mile After:

Actually, almost the entire record was recorded with Angus Cooke. Mark Trombino just stepped in at the end to mix it. We were a bit nervous to start recording, but Angus is SUCH an awesome, laid-back dude that he immediately put any nerves to rest. He definitely had some great input on the record and we have nothing but amazing things to say about him.

Pretty Princess Girls:

What's the process of taking the songs you've written and turning them into songs for the band?

Chase of The Mile After:

When I (Chase) finish writing a song, I record an acoustic version on my computer to send to the other guys. The Acoustic EP is just a compilation of those first demo recordings.

Pretty Princess Girls:

When you're a kid and you want to grow up to be in a rock band, one of the biggest dreams you have is getting signed. With the way things are today though, and with how so many record deals end up turning out, alot of bands are finding that they just can't put too much importance on that. Is getting signed something you still feel is must happen, or are you happy to go it independent?

Chase of The Mile After:

Every single day, signing to a record label is becoming less necessary. Between Radiohead's immensely lucrative online self-release and Ingrid Michaelson's amazing success as an unsigned, indie artist, it's becoming more and more apparent that already famous and somewhat unknown artists alike can have successful careers without the financial support of a label. Sure, the bank account of a record label would be a nice thing to have behind you, but it should not at all be the focus of any band today. It doesn't guarantee a single thing; fame, money, fans do not come with the signing of a deal. Every band's focus should be touring as much as they can and writing the best songs possible. If you do both those things will, success will find you.

Pretty Princess Girls:

So what's in store for 2010? Touring? More new music maybe? :D

Chase of The Mile After:

Welll… I hate to end the interview on a sad note. Currently, Jim and I (Chase) are in school finishing up our last year, so The Mile After is on an indefinite hiatus. I'm still writing as much as I can and maybe we'll get the ball rolling again sometime soon, but as for a tour in 2010… don't count on it. :(

Pretty Princess Girls:

Thank you soooo much Chase! Congratulations on making the finals in the jingle contest, and tell the band to hurry up and end that hiatus ;D.

meet The Mile After…

get to know a little more about the boys.

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