Name: garbagebarbie
Members: Fletcher Milloy (vocals, guitar), Braedon Huff (guitar, synth), Anson Knopp (bass), Daniel Karasev (drums)
Nationality: American
Current Release: garbagebarbie's new single “kiss” is out now.
Recommendation for Los Angeles: Crawfords - fried chicken and beer
Thing we are passionate about but rarely get to talk about: The city of LA doesn’t want you to know this but the geese at Echo Park Lake are free. Like you can take them home and nobody really says anything. We have about 15 and counting now and have trained them to do all sorts of tasks. We’re very pro geese-domestication.

If you enjoyed this garbagebarbie interview and would like to know more about the band and their music, visit them on Instagram, and tiktok.



When it comes to experiencing the sensation of “energy” as as a listener, which albums, performances, and artists come to mind?

When it comes to energy, the first thing that comes to mind is Punk.

Whether that’s music or attitude, the first artists that come to mind are Iggy Pop, The Germs, Le Shok and the Sex Pistols.

There can be many different kinds of energy in art – soft, harsh, healing, aggressive, uplifting and many more. Which do you tend to feel drawn to most?

We capture a lot of different emotions in our songs, whether it’s a love song like “coldasice” or a more punk-forward energy driven song like “lockjaw,” we tend to explore whatever we are feeling any given week.

That’s kind of the beauty of the project.

I have had a hard time explaining that listening to death metal calms me down. When you listen to a song with a particular energy, does it tend to fill you with the same energy – or are there “paradoxical” effects?

Although the four of us have vastly different music tastes, we feel as though songs tend to fill us with the energy and inspiration to write no matter what genre we are listening to.

Being musicians, one of the greatest gifts we receive from art is the drive to create more art.

In as far as it plays a role for the music you like listening to or making, what role do words and the voice of a vocalist play for the transmission of energy?

Vocals are the most human instrument and because of that it’s something the audience can participate in. As a fan or performer it’s a union of conductor/preacher and orchestra/congregation.

If channeled correctly and honestly people can unify or inspire others through that medium to create together. That’s why even going to concerts alone never feels isolating.
 
When it comes to experiencing the sensation of “energy” as as a creator, how would you describe the physical sensation of experiencing this energy? [Where do you feel it, do you have a visual sensation/representation, is there a sense of release or a build-up of tension etc …]

While we are four different people, we have found the the most common way that energy from listening to music manifests is it hits you right in the chest. In a way, a good song can break your heart, no matter what the subject matter is.

In terms of our own songs and live performances, we use our pent up energy and emotion to deliver a performance that will make the audience feel what we are feeling.

When it comes to composing / songwriting, are you finding that spontaneity and just a few takes tend to capture energy best? Or does honing a piece bring you closer to that goal?

It’s very situational and both approaches can be correct. It really comes down to the authenticity and being present enough to understand when a performance was recorded from an honest place.

With that being said, we’re all very picky about getting the right vocal ‘character’ to represent each song.

How much of the energy of your own music, would you say, is already part of the composition, how much of it is the result of the recording process?

A lot of our music comes from the struggles, frustration and day to day life we experience here in Los Angeles. So we would say the energy is always a part of the composition of our songs. We just carry that energy over to the recording process.

Take our song “thinklikeido” for example, this song is all about energy within composition.

For “kiss”, what kind of energy were you looking for?

Honestly, we wanted people to hear something completely different from the kind of music we are expected to make as a band.

Although “kiss” is a fun pop song, we are kind of poking fun at the superficial world that is Los Angeles.

How do you capture the energy you want in the studio?

Beer, anger and crippling poverty.

What role do factors like volume, effects like distortion, amplification, and production in general for in terms of creating the energy you want?

Production, along with a plethora of effects, more so helps us capture the energy that is already there.

Think of these things more as vessels to speak through.

In terms of energy, what changes when you're performing live on stage, with an audience present, compared to the recording stage?

When we perform live, we tend to transform into more exaggerated versions of ourselves where we perform with more energy, ferocity, and character-like animations.

Without the audience, we have nobody to show off for ;)

How does the presence of the audience and your interaction with it change the energy of the music and how would you describe the creative interaction with listeners during a gig?

We definitely let go more and physically channel the emotions we are feeling.

We are all session players, performing live is something we have only done a handful of time together, but it’s also what has gotten us the most buzz in our community.

In terms of audience, we feel like they reflect the energy we bring onstage, the better we play, the more the feed our live performance and energy.

What kind of feedback have you received from listeners or concert audiences in terms of the experience that your music and/or performances have had on them?

We’ve been told we have cultivated a live experience that either hasn’t been seen in a long time or has never been done before and we’re very honored to have that effect on our fans.

Would you say that you prefer to stay in control to be able to shape the energy or do you surrender to it and allow the music to take over? Who, ultimately has control during a live performance?

It’s a joint conversation between the audience and us. We aren’t in control and neither are they. The energy in certain moments shifts based on audience reaction, band performance and environment.  

Our responsibility is to prepare ourselves to be able to adapt to different energies that are given during a performance.

The energy that music is able to generate can be extremely powerful. How, do you think, can artists make use of this energy to bring about change in the world?

Music is an eternal conversation. Atoms have been vibrating and ‘singing’ long before us and will continue to forever after.

Music does change the world because it is what the universe is made of. If artists are aware of that truth then they are responsible for a positive change according to their calling.