Q&A: We Are
the Willows
We are the Willows has turned the concept album into a
heartwarming homage with its recent release “Picture (Portrait)”. The
bittersweet—and sometimes brutal—songs on the band’s second LP were inspired by
350 letters that Miller’s late grandfather wrote to his grandmother over a
period of four years during World War II. Evocative lyrics, impeccable
instrumentation, and Miller’s distinct high-register vocals make for a tender
take on a dark time in the country’s history.
We spoke to 29-year-old, Minneapolis-based Miller about making
music from this epic love story.
Q: How did you get your start in music?
A: I started out playing drums in high school. As I
got towards college age, I decided I was going to try to be a singer. I sang
really poorly for a long time and it evolved from there. We are the Willows has
been around for seven years. I also played in a band called Red Fox Grey Fox
that has been around for ten years.
Q: How did We are the Willows evolve from a solo
project into a six-piece orchestral pop band?
A: It was a place for the outcast songs—the ones that
didn’t quite cut it or feel right—for Red Fox Grey Fox. It was an exploration,
something that I wanted to invest in more. Three years ago, I was touring
full-time all over the country and when I’d come home every November, I’d do a
residency at the 331. One year, I decided that every Tuesday for the month, I’d
try a different band set-up. One night, I had an 11-piece band; something about
that arrangement struck a chord with me and felt really true to the project, it
sounded like it was supposed to. Over the course of a year, I whittled it down
to a more refined sound and collection of people.
Q: How did you initially find out about the letters
your grandfather wrote to your grandmother?
A: While I was going to college [at Bethel
University ], my grandparents rented
out their basement apartment to me. They would invite me up for almost every
supper. Once in a while, one of them would mention the letters. When I
questioned them further, they said, “Oh, the letters are so boring. You would
never want to read them.” I expressed interest in reading them and finally
after graduation, my grandmother gave me the letters. In 2009 and 2010, when I
was touring a lot, I read all of the letters.
Q: How did your family feel about the songs and
making their story public?
A: So far, everybody seems really supportive. My
intention is to honor who my grandpa was. For me, it’s an attempt to get to
know him better and in some ways, get to know myself more. I think everybody
sees that and values that. I haven’t gotten any negative response.
Q: Did you do any other research about World War II
for “Picture (Portrait)”?
A: No. It is something I’m trying to be more
culturally knowledgeable about, but what I was really interested in was my
grandpa’s specific experience. It’s a glimpse of him at a particular time and
place, how it affected him, how he felt about it, and what he communicated
about it. That’s what felt the most compelling to me.
Q: Instrumentally, how did you arrange the songs so
they evoked that experience?
A: I found consistent themes that my grandpa was
saying that struck me. Those themes created a sonic palette. As we were
experimenting with what sounds to use, certain things sounded right with the
thematic parameters in place. It’s not like writing something prescriptively. It
felt more like, “I see these ideas and themes; how do I mutate it or translate
it?”
Q: Did you find the structure of the theme conducive
to writing?
A: It’s nice to be able to throw sounds against the
wall and see if they stick. With parameters is in place, it’s a lot easier to
know if something is the right fit or not, if it’s true to the theme.
Q: Do you think the kind of romance that your
grandparents had is possible in today’s high-tech society?
A: That’s a great question and I’ve thought a lot
about that. The factors that contribute to our concepts of romance and
compatibility are so different now. I think about my grandparents’
generation—especially people who lived in rural parts—and they probably had
four or fewer possible partners in their region. If that’s how scare the
resources are, the parameters for acceptable partners will be really different.
Now, you can know so much about a person just by going on
the internet. More than ever, we have the opportunity to find compatible
partners, but I think the thing that’s consistent today as it was 50 years ago,
is if you find somebody you care about, it still boils down to choosing
to be with them. Today, you don’t have to be married. You can succeed in
society without a partner. So once you find that person you choose to be with,
it’s super beautiful.