On their debut LP, 2022’s Eternal Ring, Los Angeles trio MILLY made an impressive introduction with a sound that felt indebted to ’90s alt-rock and second-wave emo. The group didn’t waste any time creating its follow-up, and today they’re back with their new album, Your Own Becoming, via Dangerbird Records. Surging with colossal riffs and exceptional hooks, plus a newfound collaborative approach between its members, MILLY’s sophomore outing feels like an entirely different band. Its beginnings trace back to New Year’s Day in 2023 when frontman Brendan Dyer urged the rest of the band — bassist Yarden Erez and drummer Connor Frankel — to write and start demoing new songs. By that July, they had a collection of simmering tracks that pulled from ’90s greats like Nirvana and Failure as freely as Death Cab for Cutie. Helmed by Sonny DiPerri and rounded out by guitarist Nico Moreta, who joined the band after recording, Your Own Becoming wears its influences proudly but promises a satisfying slow burn that demonstrates the band’s depth and ambition.
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As they gear up for tours with Fiddlehead and Balance and Composure, MILLY took us through the songs that influenced their new LP below.
Death Cab for Cutie – “Amputations”
When this iteration of MILLY formed, the band we all could agree on most was Death Cab. I’ve always been a pretty big fan. However, once Conner joined, we spent so much time listening to Death Cab, especially on tour. Throughout the writing process, they were a major touchstone. It only helped that Sonny DiPerri, who produced the record, also feels the same way about DCFC. There are too many songs to choose from, but this one is a favorite for all of us, and it definitely influenced a couple of our songs.
Jawbox – “68”
This is a song that Sonny sent to me, and it completely took over my life. I have loved Jawbox for a while, but I never knew this bonus track for some reason. The stops in the choruses are so badass. I really wanted to take the energy of this song and put it into our own songs on the record. It just pushes so nicely, and you can tell they trimmed all the extra bits — no BS.
Cave In – “Anchor”
We were going for a really raw and straightforward rock record in a lot of ways with Your Own Becoming, and Cave In’s Antenna made me feel like that was cool and attainable. For me, this song is like a doper version of Foo Fighters, who I also love and feel influenced by. It was also recorded at East West, where we recorded, so it was cool for the mojo.
Jimmy Eat World – “Work”
Jimmy Eat World is another one of those quintessential MILLY bands like Death Cab. Their approach is so ingrained into our band’s DNA. It only makes sense to shout them out on this list. During the writing process, they were referenced heavily, but funny enough, it was their 2004 record Futures over classics like Clarity and Bleed American (though those also informed us). If I’m not mistaken, they cut some of this record at East West as well. This song punches you in the gut — lots of similar themes here to the other songs on this playlist — heartwrenching progressions and big choruses.
Nirvana – “Drain You”
Sonically, I don’t think that we sound like Nirvana at all. But there are a few things Nirvana did that we certainly learned from. The No. 1 thing was their work regime prior to tracking Nevermind. Your Own Becoming was tracked entirely live, which is something we’d never done before. It sounds funny, but we had a moment where Sonny was like, “You guys are a band. This record should sound like a band in a room playing their songs.” This led to us practicing the songs like we never had before. Sonny’s bootcamp. These Nirvana songs are so precise and to the point, which is also something we definitely stole from them.
Failure – “Undone”
Failure has some of the most unconventional guitar/bass interplay, but when put together, it really gels into something special. We found this to be especially inspiring as we recorded this album as a three-piece — like Failure. It was a conscious decision to write most of the record in more traditional tunings, rather than the past where we’d use different ones every few songs. Failure writes most of their songs in standard tuning but makes it sound like something outside of the box is happening at all times, so this was certainly noted on our end. They have had such a profound impact on me as a songwriter. I am such a huge fan of every Failure record, and it would be a joke to not include them on this playlist.
Autolux – “Blanket”
We bonded over this record so much with Sonny. We’re certified ‘Lux heads. We spent a lot of time listening to records with Sonny and talking about music before recording. Autolux I found in particular to be influential on us with their vocal delivery. It sits right in the mix. Very hushed at times, but they also know how to push without belting. We referenced that a lot while recording vocals. Carla’s drumming is perfect. This song is such a ripper.
Incubus – “Wish You Were Here”
This is one of the greatest songs I’ve heard in my life. This song hits the target for me. 100% every time. It feels so empowering, and there is a lot of yearning to it. Brandon Boyd’s vocal patterns are so cool. It’s never exactly the same, and we really studied this at times while working on vocals. We were conscious of taking influence from non “indie” bands as much as the indie bands we love so much, and Incubus is a great example of that. There may or may not be a song on our album that sorta rips this song off.
Saves the Day – “Anywhere With You”
I mean, fucking come on. Just put this song on right now. Absolute jam. Another group we went crazy over with Sonny. We walked into the writing process Through Being Cool fans and left it debating whether or not they really did it with In Reverie. His vocals are so perfect and interesting, and everything is just so catchy. Perfectly done and no extra bits here to linger on too long.
IDAHO – “Pomegranate Bleeding”
I think IDAHO is the most well-kept secret of the last 30 years. I spent months listening to their music walking back and forth to work and pondering deeply. Their music has such an interesting atmosphere to it, and the lyrics are so good. Living in LA, they are the true LA sound to me. I’m stoked to call Jeff Martin a good friend of mine, and IDAHO’s influence on this record cannot be understated.
