It was initially the very lush modern-standards of Rufus Wainwright that inspired us to form the band so we named ourselves after the song Millbrook on his debut album. IN addition to that, we simply didn't want a name that sounded ridiculous when we get old

We do play live and it's quite an experience for us and we hope that it's just as meaningful for the audience. Gone are the days when it was fashionable to wear jeans, put your head down and play. We want to save the young boys from the perils of a garage band and we want to save the young girls from the meritless, artless 5 headed beast that is the Backstreet Boys.

It's fantastic four artist like ourselves who are not already well known to get known. 10 years ago the thought that our music would stretch from America, to Germany, to Armenia, to Sweden, to South America and more. It brings the world to our doorstep and besides making our music so much more accesible to other people, it makes other music accesible to us - all corners influencing each other.

Under circumstances I believe so - if it would mean making a comforatable living making music that is able to keep it's artistic integrity & leave control in the hands of the artist then sure

Since it’s genesis, Millbrook has perpetually set out to create the music that they love. Drawing from a deep well of inspiration, Millbrook has managed to whittle their own unique style exuding creativity. Their love for odd instruments, vintage synths and other musical peculiarities, coupled with a strong sense of melody and lush cinematic production tinged with experimentation makes for what one reviewer called, “a uniquely enjoyable sound”.

Millbrook officially was born on November 9th, 1999 but there was a gestation period of many years leading up to it’s creation.

Steven Moser and Daniel Jacob Horine were responsible for the forming the band but their initial intent was not to have a gigging band, or a touring band, nor did they even expect any amounts of success in the beginning of the Millbrook project.

The two met while still in high school and both their musical passions bonded their swift friendship and eventual collaborations. Steve and Daniel Jacob were both in different bands at the time they met and for fun they hastily formed a Queen cover band appropriately named “Queen For a Day”, intended to only play one show. Within the rehearsals for “Queen For a Day”, Steve approached the rest of the band with an original he’d penned titled, “Walking Down That Road” and from that point what eventually formed was the locally popular band, “Marble Jelly Boo” in which Steven Moser, Daniel Jacob Horine and David Birch were the sole songwriters. Marble Jelly Boo played locally for a couple of years, all the while preserving their original material on homemade four-track recordings done in Steve’s parents house. Their goals were never lofty ideals of stardom nor financial successes. Though they’d long been hoping to someday record an album of songs, they were content to make tapes of their songs and give them out to friends and family to enjoy. Unbeknownst to them at the time, these songs they were writing and recording would become the skeletal framework of what was to come.

Marble Jelly Boo dissolved in February of 1997 and all of the members drifted off to other musical projects. Horine and Moser both joined different bands but regardless of their separate groups, they still regularly wrote and recorded songs together in the years that followed. Having hundreds of songs between them, the music was growing more complex and matured as the writers matured.

After many songwriting sessions in Steve’s college dorm room it was decided that the it was time to initiate their ambitious dream of recording a CD of their own music. They chose the name “Millbrook” as a nod to Rufus Wainwright, an recent inspiration of theirs, and began the monumental task of choosing material from the mounds of material they’d written and recorded of the years for inclusion on their new project.

They soon recruited a host of friends to come together and breathe life into these songs that had been trapped in low quality four-track recordings, and have never been played live up until that point.

“I think The Shores & The Plains was the one of the first songs we had worked on as a band and I can’t explain how amazing it was to hear this song in the open air for the first time, having had written it so many years before” said Daniel Jacob.

For months this new cast of players honed these songs and polished them for recording for the album, which at this point, was still thought to simply be of interest to Steven and Daniel Jacob and a few close friends and family. There was little thought to anything beyond that until they began recording this album on May 5th, 2000 with Ben Eggehorn behind the faders and co-piloting the producer’s chair with Steve and Daniel Jacob. There was a certain magic in this project as it unfolded and fleshed out. It thrived on innovation and went against the grain of “popular” music. As the band began to showcase the material live it was evident that the Millbrook sound was accessible, fresh and unique, and translated well to the listener.

Capitol Records A&R representative Marshall Altman was given a chance to hear early versions of the album and enthusiastically commented, “This is some of the most original sounding material I’ve heard in a long, long time…when I first heard it I thought it was too good to be true”. Even singer/songwriter Rufus Wainwright, Millbrook’s namesake, had only praise for the soon to be released album. “It’s absolutely gorgeous”, he said of the album candidly during his Poses tour.

Nearly three years after recording was initiated on Millbrook’s debut album, “The Simple Words We Wasted” is finally available. They’ve acquired a growing following of faithful fans over these three years as they’ve been playing live while in the midst recording the album.

Millbrook is already working hard on their sophomore album of songs penned by Moser & Horine. It’s decidedly different stylistically from their first, but no word on the release date only a promise that it won’t be another 3 years.

Millbrook has seen many faces and now has finally adopted a permanent lineup of players and songwriters which have all been integral to the movement and progression of the band and their new material, successfully transforming a duo into a group.

Singer/songwriter Erin Morales has graciously come aboard and graced the songs with an amazing voice and interpretation as well as her piano playing Abilities.

Drummer Aaron Paul Ballard, also a singer/songwriter, has come all the way from Texas and joined the Millbrook family, lending is charisma and innovative drum and percussion skills to the Millbrook sound, augmenting it’s appeal with sheer flair and showmanship.

Seasoned professional Burke Tackett is Millbrook’s diligent bassist, content to humbly lurk in the shadows yet Burke is one of best players on the stage, adding an enigmatic presence to the stage, balancing this cast of characters as omnifarious as the music they create

"Lush pop/rock reminiscent of the great music of the 60's and 70's. Like Rufus Wainwright and Elliott Smith hanging out at a Queen tribute concert... " is what our CDbaby page says.

As far as straight from the horses mouth, we sound most like the above bands... a mix of Elliot Smith, Jon Brion, Queen, Rufus Wainwright, as well as two cup of the Beatles & a pinch of David Bowie. But our less distinguishable influences run the full gamut...Aimee Mann, Fiona Apple, The Beach Boys, Jellyfish, Neil Young, Badly Drawn Boy, Jeff Buckley, Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, folk, cabaret, jazz

Los Angeles, California - no greater mecca.

besides the usual guitar, bass, drums - our first album included a mellotron, piano, orchestra, irish tin whistle, nose flute, spoons, record player, timpani, navajo flute, weed tiller, gong and much more.

"... [their album] is absolutely gorgeous." - Rufus Wainwright


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

" ...ditch my show and go see these guys" - Jon Brion


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

No mincing words for Millbrook

By Michelle J. Mills of the San Gabriel Valley Tribune

Eclectic could be Millbrook's middle name, but the Pasadena based band is surprisingly listener-accessible. Steven Moser of Sierra Madre and Daniel Jacob Horine of West Covina comprise the group's core, providing vocals and wide range of instruments on its release, ``The Simple Words We Wasted.'' On the road, the duo takes on their task with the help of vocalist and pianist Erin Morales, bassist Burke Tackett and drummer Aaron Paul Ballard.

Horine and Moser share a common musical history, beginning with their high school days in Queen for a Day, a Queen cover band. The group originally intended to perform only one show, but then evolved into Marble Jelly Boo, which stayed in the local scene for a couple of years.

The duo continued recording their own original material on a four track at Moser's parents' home, throughout MJB's stint and after the band's demise. By college, they were ready to embark on a new project.

``The categorization that we fit into in chamber pop, like Rufus Wainwright is put in that category. It falls in that because of the lush arrangements and lots of instrumentation,'' Moser said.

The duo still needed a name. Moser had been disillusioned with pop music and had spent time exploring jazz and rockabilly and then he stumbled on to Rufus Wainwright.

He had gone with some friends to see Jon Brion, Wainwright's producer, perform and left in awe. This prompted Moser to pick up a recording by Wainwright, which he popped into his car stereo as soon as he left the store.

``By the time I got back to my apartment at school, it was the third or fourth song on the CD, I just sat in the parking lot, I couldn't believe it,'' Moser said.

Moser and Horine decided to pay homage to Wainwright, who attended Millbrook School in New York, for his inspiration, but...

``We needed a name that didn't sound stupid as you grow old,'' Moser said.

For Horine, an artist, music didn't come easy. He took some piano lessons when he was very young, but doesn't read music now. He has attended Mt. San Antonio, Citrus and Pasadena Community Colleges and tried his hand at a number of vocations.

``I am the artist in the true sense, except I don't starve when I don't work, I try to get by on odd jobs here and there. I did a mural on the Pasadena Playhouse,'' Horine said.

Moser played violin as a child and clarinet in high school.

``I took piano lessons for a couple years, but I couldn't play Motley Crue songs, so I picked up the guitar,'' Moser said.

He graduated from Azusa Pacific University with a degree in physics and is currently working on a masters degree in electrical engineering at Cal State Los Angeles. He works at Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena as a hardware engineer, but has his sights on becoming a studio engineer and producing bands. Horine and Moser share both completed songs and ideas to create their music. They write easily together, but admit that the majority of the arrangements for ``The Simple Words We Wasted'' were created in the studio.

``We had notions of where it would go. We had a rhythm track set up and we practiced it with some of our musicians for a while and got in and laid down the guitars and bass and we started building on that,'' Moser said.

It is a challenge to reproduce the full orchestrations of Millbrook's music live and it comes out slightly different, but the group finds their audiences enjoying it just as well. Still, they are striving to include other listeners who are not preoccupied with the technical side of their writing, which includes unusual timings and other musical endeavors.``We don't want to make our music exclusive. When we wrote this record we were writing for ourselves. It came out really cool and we were happy with it, but in the meantime we've learned that we have to think of people who listen to our music as we write. I want to appeal to more people,'' Moser said. In addition to gigging and selling CDs, Millbrook is already working on a new release with more fans in mind. This big dream isn't going to their head, as although Moser admits that he practices for interviews, Horine keeps their attitudes grounded.

``We've said we don't want to get to the rock star phase, if we get a hit, we'll play it at every show. You are an artist and a musician, but you are also an entertainer,'' Horine said.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I loved [The Simple Words We Wasted] from the start...it's entertaining, it's engaging...It's not predictable, it's glorious. It's the new Beatles. It's the best of independent music today" - Jeff Diehm, lead singer for The Last Dance


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I was very impressed... I thought the performances were great, especially the vocals. They are what sell the CD.... I was impressed with the quality and dynamics given so many instruments, and honestly I would say it was worth the money...Great work" - Rick Joyce, guitarist for The Last Dance.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Millbrook is one of the most versatile bands we've seen in a long time. They're sound is a hybrid of pop, folk, and progressive styles, with strong nods to Queen and The Beatles. They've got an excellent new CD called The Simple Words We Wasted" - David Bash, Founder and CEO of the International Pop Overthrow


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This is beautiful music. With their gorgeous, inspired melodies and original, innovative arrangements, Millbrook have concocted their own distinct musical brew. I don’t especially like the lead singer’s voice, but I suppose I could get used to it. The background vocals are wonderful.

The problem is the lyrics. They’re just awful. Platitudinous, half-baked, overwrought attempts at profundity, they are embarrassingly lame:

And we’ll walk the distant shores
Reminisce about the sun and moon
And we’re lulled to sleep by the brush of angel wings
And the wind will lay you down
And the water will wake you up
My hands will dip in the Milky way......

is a good example of the mindless, college-boy, dorm-room emo-pontificating that is the result of too much vocabulary and not enough life experience.

And what's with the cover shot? What are these guys, fraternal siamese twins joined at the head?

If they stay together and have their hearts broken a few times they’ll probably come up with a real satisfying record.

- Norman Famous

http://www.elsob.net/normanfamousreviews.html
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Millbrook is one of those new indie bands you've got to experience. A whole new positive twist to the comparable sounds of Queen and The Beatles with good ol' indie rock to give your ears a new listening pleasure" - www.rockinrich.com


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From Garage Band Magazine:

"Millbrook is a band that has a uniquely enjoyable sound. It's one of those groups you spend the first four songs of their set trying to figure out who they sound like. You really really want to compare them to somebody. I couldn't do it. The closest I came: a mix between Barenaked Ladies, Rufus Wainwright, and Queen. Take a moment to reflect on that.

DJ Horine sings lead vocs. Very interesting. (Many might take that as me making a politically correct criticism. I would disagree). The dude truly does and interesting thing going. OK. so here's the closest comparison for that: Rufus Wainwright meets Jim Carrey's karaoke voice in Cable Guy. DJ truly does seem to enjoy what he is doing, stomping, smiling, joking, and looking confused are a few of the things he does to entertain his audience.

Steven Moser is the guitar-gadget guy. The floor in front of him is littered with toys. Looks like a big Line 6 advertisement. Been a while since I've seen someone actually incorperate a Jam Man sample/loop player in a show. He almost pulled it off too.

The tunes evolve continually; some pretty darn obscure, and some make you want to sing along. Musicians especially will appreciate what is happening, and if you listen carefully to the lyricstoy might be moved to jump off the nearest bridge. That saying something for songwriting..(".Then I gave in and I died with the children by my side. That's all that I can say.")

All in all, a good show. There is the potential here for a great following. Mainstream success is always pretty difficult with this type of music. But there is a definite niche for, and lack of bands with this level of originality, humble skill, and musical ability "

Steven Dierkens
GB Magazine, Vol 1/Issue 8
2000





--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From "The Clause":

"Wrapping up the evening was Millbrook, whose existence answers the question, "What would you get if you mixed the Beatles with Queen and David Bowie?" Millbrook has long been a local favorite, but this was their first live performance since a recent restructuring. Erin Morales performed for a second time that evening as part of Millbrook's new lineup of musicians. Somehow, with two keyboards, a guitar, a bass and a drum kit, five performers make the sound of a host of musicians, banging away individually to create an extraordinary conglomeration of sound.

After testing out their new sound on an enthusiastic No Future audience, Millbrook has retreated to the studio...Future shows are sure to be a treat like no other."


By Molly Chance
The Clause
Volume XXXIX,
Number 7
October 18, 2002