When most people think of Singapore, they think of a squeaky clean city. But beneath this sparkling exterior of glass and steel, a fledgling indie band is trying to find their voice and place in this unabashedly consumerist society. These guys call themselves M1LDL1FE, a play on the word 'wildlife', and there is something unsettling about their intense yet subdued energy, much like the city they come from.

Formerly known as Take Two, M1LDL1FE (pronounced "mild-life") cuts across the indie-pop grain, weaving together lush electronic textures and eclectic dance grooves into the pop sensibilities of guitar-driven indie music of the early 2000s. Formed in 2012 by bassist David Siow, drummer Jeryl Yeo, guitarists Tan Peng Sing and Johnathan Lim, the band later recruited Paddy Ong (formerly of Run Neon Tiger) to take over on lead vocals. First conceived as a university hall cover band, they wrote their first originals in college dorm basements, garnering attention with their brazen indie-rock pop sound and energetic live shows. They debuted their first EP, “PAIRS” in 2015, receiving critical acclaim from the local press and were slated to be “one of the most exhilarating new acts to emerge from Singapore's burgeoning indie-pop scene”.

Fast forward a couple years, the quintet found themselves opening for venerable acts like Walk the Moon, Travis, and Death Cab for Cutie back in their native Singapore, and even went on a few touring stints in Southeast Asia, China, and Spain. In 2016, guitarist Johnathan Lim left the band amicably to focus on other pursuits. The band continued as a four-piece, retreating into the studio to re-work their sound. Now armed with a fresh and grittier sonic palette, the four-piece rechristened themselves M1LDL1FE, with new material in the form of their eponymous EP primed for release on 28 July 2017.

EP: m1Ldl1fe

M1LDL1FE’s eponymous EP is a collection of stories that glows with the residue of loss and change. Following the departure of founding member and guitarist, Johnathan Lim, the band had to readjust and recalibrate, choosing to spend time in the studio to rediscover their sound. “I think we took longer than expected to get used to John not being around, and playing music without his ‘voice’ being a part of it. We had to turn inward and do a little searching for a sound within ourselves,” says frontman Paddy Ong.

Lyrically, this shines through in songs like How You Forget - a dream-like, slow-burning number about how easy it is to forget the people closest to you. The introspection continues in Distraction, which touches on themes of sacrifice and choosing one’s path in life. The pensivity however, belies a gritty exterior from the band's days as Take Two. Straying a little left of field from jangly-pop guitars, M1LDL1FE bemoans the ennui of the new millennium in the synth-rock jam, Super Algorithm Digital Me. The band bear their teeth in the anthemic Backdoor, a composition that spans across two tracks, ending in a grandiose frenzy of modulated synthesizers and grizzled guitars. “A lot of growth and change had been going on in and around the writing of this album. Some of us got married, some of us had left long term relationships. All kinds of crazy things going on in the world as well. We've subconsciously been affected by all these things that were happening at the time,” reflects Ong.

'M1LDL1FE' will be out on all digital stores and streaming platforms on 28 July 2017.

MUSIC RELEASES

How You Forget (Single)
- Out Preview it here - https://soundcloud.com/m1ldl1fe/howyouforget/s-ZcWpL

Distraction (Single):
- Spotify Singapore Viral50 #1
- Download/Stream - http://radi.al/M1ldl1feDistraction
M1LDL1FE (5-track EP): Released on 28 July 2017
- Produced by M1LDL1FE, co-produced by Evan Low of Zendyll Productions
- Recorded at Greenroom Suite with Adin Kindermann

Released as Take Two (2014-2016):

PAIRS (EP): #2 iTunes Singapore Pop (Album), #1 iTunes Singapore Alternative (Album).
- Ariel (Single): Noise Singapore 2014 Winning Showcase, #2 iTunes Singapore Alternative
- In Your Arms (Single): #1 iTunes Singapore Alternative, #2 iTunes Singapore Pop
- Produced by Roland Lim (Gentle Bones, Reuby, The Summer State) and co-produced by Marlon Ingle and Take Two.
  - Recorded at SyncStudios, with Marlon Ingle and Dino Ong
  - Stream it on Spotify - http://bit.ly/taketwostream

gig highlights

RUMOUR HAS IT

Hong Kong
UniteAsia - Distraction MV

Indonesia
Kanal Tigapuluh - Distraction

Philippines
Inquirer - Distraction

United States
Atwood Magazine - NA Premiere Distraction | All Things Go - HowYouForget

SOCIAL MEDIA

4,200 Facebook Fans
2,700 Instagram Followers
6,100 Monthly Listeners on Spotify as Take Two
53,600 Monthly Listeners on Spotify as M1LDL1FE
Top Countries: Singapore (60%), Taipei (20%), Malaysia (9%), USA (4%)
Top Cities: Singapore, Taipei, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur

LET'S BE FRIENDS

Twitter/Instagram - @m1ldl1fe
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/m1ldl1fe
YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/c/m1ldl1fe
Soundcloud - http://www.soundcloud.com/m1ldl1fe

Bookings & Management: Patrick Chan - patrick@metronome.sg

Press & Media Enquiries: Edwin Waliman - edwin@secret-signals.com

If you want to tell us about how mild your life is - info@m1ldl1ife.com