Nick Milligan's Blog, page 14

Listen to: I Am The Agent

AGENT PROVOCATEURS: I Am The Agent on stage at the Cambridge Hotel. Image by RJB Images

There is an incredible band from Newcastle that all discerning music lovers should be aware of: I Am The Agent. I have written their press bio, so take a peek below for my attempt to explain the dynamic complexities of their sound.

No linear adjectival thread of description does I Am The Agent justice. For every brutal breakdown, tortured howl and obtuse piece of twisted poetry is a gentle interlude, a sweetly subtle melody and a direct, unmistakable sentiment.

The Newcastle-based four-piece weave tightly constructed rock songs. But each track feels on the verge of emotional collapse. Everything could come crashing down at any second.

The band penned debut album Stay Drunk between March and October 2012. Expect its release by the end of 2013, as it follows on the prolific group’s stellar series of well-received, independently released and self-recorded EPs.

In Stay Drunk’s mixture of influences are jazz, folk, rock and the heart-on-sleeve chaos of their post-hardcore, post-rock and emo beginnings.

Singer Michael Gale has a voice wrought with both anguish and quiet reflection. On the colossal opus ‘Birds in My Mouth’, we hear a man at the mercy of forces both external and internal – and a band that seemingly have no floor to the depths of their creative ideas.

I Am The Agent’s songs are built on foundations of dynamics, the designs of which are utterly inventive and savagely engaging. And just when you think you have each song worked out, you realise I Am The Agent have different intentions.

Sonically, the four members of the band have mutated the proto-folk ethos and mutated it into a much heavier creature. Somewhere in the tumult you can hear echoes of Manchester Orchestra, At The Drive-In or Bright Eyes, but any standard comparison to those acts is just as misleading.

‘Your Parents’ sounds as though it was composed in the deep, bottomless darkness of the sub-conscious, borne of raw, unprocessed emotion, still finding shape.

Of the album’s lyrical themes, Gale offers subject matter as abstract and diverse as the band’s sound.

“It follows your typical lyrical contexts, such as love lost, drug factories, theft and arson, naked wrestling, awkward sexual encounters, and drunken adventures – both fictitious and real,” Gale says.

Stay Drunk is an utterly intoxicating experience.

I Am The Agent’s website

Enormity Part Two hits e-shelves

Apologies for the long period between blogs. This lack of communication is a big no-no in the blog world. Allowing your media platform to decay is a cardinal sin. So I’m back!

Many reasons for the lack of blogging:

I’m furiously proof reading Enormity in its entirety.
I’m quietly marketing the book to friends through social media.
I was house hunting for a new property.
Now I’m moving house.
I was temporarily homeless due to a mould infestation and have been living between three different homes.

The idea of “proof reading” is interesting, because in the world of eBooks it really is a never-ending process. Errors are not as permanent as the printed word. I can upload a newly polished copy of Enormity and in 12 hours (give or take) it has replaced the previous copy of the book on Amazon. An eBook is ever-evolving.

PART TWO: Cover concept for Enormity’s second portion.

I have consciously broken the biggest rule in publishing and that is to not have another set of professional proof-reading eyes scan my work. I have done all the proofing and subbing, except for a string of basic errors found by my girlfriend Amanda when she was reading the final draft.

So even though I have released two thirds of the book so far, I know there will be some minor errors. It sounds horrifying to admit that. But the release is small – less than 100 people have downloaded the book so far – and there is time to keep polishing and refining until I’m finally done.

Having the book out there and receiving positive feedback has been hugely inspiring. It feels like I have stepped forward as an author. The refining process will be finalised by the time the “Complete Edition” of Enormity is released.

The next steps in the release of Enormity:

Final sub/proof of Enormity (Part Three)
Cover designed for Enormity (Complete Edition)
An ISBN number
Getting the book and an author profile on Goodreads.com
Distribution through Smashwords.com
Publicity mailout
Pay for a mailout at Bookbub.com
More Facebook advertising

I’ve also been doing some reading up on eBook marketing (on my Kindle). Check these books out if you’re interested in that subject. They’re free:

Secrets to Ebook Publishing Success by Mark Coker

Smashwords Book Marketing Guide by Mark Coker

Last but not least, here is the link to the epic Enormity (Part Two):

Enormity (Part Two)

Reviews for Enormity trickle in

KIND WORDS: Jace Everett read Enormity (Part One) and was kind enough to give me some quotes.

The response to the Anzac Day release of Enormity (Part One) has so far been very encouraging. It’s only been out for two weeks, so naturally a lot of people are still finding the time to read it. But I’m prepared for the process of marketing the book to be a long one.

I was incredibly humbled this week when I was contacted by country rock star Jace Everett. He told me he was reading Enormity (Part One) and has since finished it. Like a lot of other Australians I discovered his music via the television series True Blood, for which Everett wrote and performed the theme song ‘Bad Things’. I soon discovered that the songwriter has an impressive catalogue of music – solid tracks like ‘Lean Into The Wind’, ‘Possession’, ‘One of Them’, ‘Burn For You’ and ‘That’s the Kind of Love I’m In’.

Here’s Mr Everett’s take on Enormity so far:

Raunchy and rowdy, poetic and perplexing, Milligan’s Enormity is aptly named. Much like another favorite Aussie export, Nick Cave, Milligan doesn’t shy away from the grotesque and the absurd as he shines his light on the terrible beauty of the human condition. This is compelling fiction that leaves you wanting more…

- Jace Everett

Here are some other reviews that have appeared on Amazon from happy readers:

Such an amazing read! A definite page turner. Cannot wait for part two. I highly recommend buying it. Get involved!

****

I started reading without the blurb so it took me a couple of chapters to get in to the swing of things.

Then all this stuff happened and it was interesting. Now it’s like the end of a GoT season and I want to read the next installment so hard.

When’s it coming out? When?

Bloody when?

****

Definitely one of the most intriguing stories I have ever read, the kind of book you need to schedule your day around. Destined to be a best seller!

Promising responses so far. Hopefully some more reviews trickle in this week. I’m busily polishing up Enormity (Part Two) for a release by May 30. Stay tuned for details of Enormity (Part One)‘s release across different eBook platforms.

Album Review: Melody Pool – The Hurting Scene

POOL OF TALENT: Melody Pool’s debut record is superb.

MELODY POOL

The Hurting Scene

4.5/5 (Independent)

Say what you like about the suffocating pain of heartbreak, but it continues to be a rich vein of inspiration for emotionally potent and beautiful songwriting.

Such is the case on this impressive, Nashville-recorded debut album, aptly titled The Hurting Scene.

Kurri Kurri singer-songwriter Melody Pool has penned 12 country-folk tracks that shift between moments of calm, fatalistic reflection and melancholic, gut-wrenching honesty.

The pain expressed on The Hurting Scene is not poeticised in any glib, clichéd or teenage manner.

DEBUT: Melody Pool’s The Hurting Scene.

Lyrically, Pool articulates human frailty and strength in a simple, direct way that is contemplative and unwaveringly sincere.

Her voice has the strength and purity of Emmylou Harris and the honeyed inflections of Susanna Hoffs.

That combination serves her well on the astounding and majestic ballad ‘Henry’, which is the most unmistakable break-up song on the album.

It’s a remarkable composition that is so achingly personal that you feel voyeuristic for listening to it – as if you’re eavesdropping on a private exchange.

But in its chorus are breathtaking, revelatory moments.

Pool’s voice gathers power during the slow-building, gutsy rocker ‘Xavier’ and then rolls sublimely through the instantly catchy ‘Lion On The Loose’.

At 21, Pool is unquestionably a formidable songwriter and recording artist.

It’s hard to imagine her flying under many more radars before world stardom arrives.

Enormity released

ENORMOUS: Part one of Enormity has landed.

With little fanfare, I sneaked part one of Enormity onto Amazon on Anzac Day 2013. I had the first third of the book polished and as ready as it was ever going to be. So why wait? I couldn’t think of a reason.

I could have announced an “official launch date” and built some hype, but then I remembered that I’ve been drunkenly blathering about this book to everyone I meet for four years now. Hype-enough, methinks.

The beauty of eBooks is that there’s no competition to get them on the shelf. Once they are available to download, they are already on the shelf. Sure, there is competition to get them noticed. But they are there should people want to look for them. You’re across the first hurdle.

In the physical realm, a book deal might get you into a long list of bookstores. But will it keep you in book stores forever? Will you sell more copies or be more noticed if you’re on a real bookshelf instead of a metaphorical one?

By releasing Enormity in three parts I hope to have an organic interest build around the book. But it’s safe to say I am still learning how to market an eBook and am only dipping my toe into the methods by which to do so. But considering it’s my first book, I can’t necessarily see the benefit in having a massive, expensive launch night which might not equate to any actual sales. But I’m open to a launch night for the second and third parts.

By putting the basic marketing methods in place – social media, this blog, Facebook advertising etc – I can lay a foundation on which to build awareness. That’s the plan.

WINE AND PROOFING: An image taken during the proofing of one of Enormity’s drafts.

Further to this, it does feel strange to have the first 13 chapters of Enormity in the world for people to read. Because it’s such an unusual story, it’s very hard to predict how people will respond to it. The book’s protagonist, Jack, was a subconscious voice and I can’t really explain why he does or says anything. I can’t even remember where I was or what I was doing when I wrote certain parts of the book. It’s all a blur. I would frequently lose time and two or three chapters would be written. Jack somehow commandeered my mind and typing hands.

I suppose it’s unavoidable that the reader will somehow see Jack’s story as a clear reflection of my own personality and proclivities. For those of you willing to believe me, I stress that the reflection is a very blurry and distant one.

Enormity (Part One) can be purchased here on Amazon: Enormity (Part One)

Follow the book on Facebook at:  Enormity on Facebook