Thyla: "It’s all moving fast for us!"

Hopefully you're already acquainted with Brightonians Thyla because they were supporting INHEAVEN on the recent Dork Live! tour, which you definitely went to, right? Singer/guitarist Millie tells us more about her band.

Hey Mille, how was your tour with INHEAVEN, are you guys buds? Any fun stories from the road?

Tour was amazing! Playing every night for two weeks straight in cities some of us had never even been too was the dream. We met so many awesome young people that love the music we write. It was our first time on the road, and we couldn’t have dreamed of better company. INHEAVEN are an inspiring lot to watch; their live show is massive! Music aside they are beautiful humans, and we got on like a house on fire. The highlight for me was our snowy day off together in Manchester, we went to a wicked place called The Troff in the Northern Quarter, had an epic roast and equally epic amount of wine.

When did you realise you wanted to make music, did you have a musical upbringing?

I learnt the clarinet and some piano as a kid. My mum is a concert pianist, her dad is a conductor, so the gene definitely runs in the family. My passion for writing music, however, developed later than most. I didn’t pick a guitar up till I was about 16. I could hardly string a chord progression together, but as soon as I could, I had something to say over it. Songwriting made me feel good; it was extremely natural to me, so I just kept doing it. When I moved to Brighton and met the rest of the band, my musical taste developed. I scrapped the acoustic for an electric and immersed myself in guitar music. We all share a love for the same bands, countercultures, and their respective musical movements. That's where it all comes from.

How did you guys get together?

We met at Uni in Brighton, we were all in bands, playing every week wherever we could get gigs, the scene down here is very inclusive, so you quickly get to know all the players. After a few years of cutting our teeth in different lineups, we found each other started writing together, and Thyla was formed.

What would you most like to achieve during your music career?

Of course, there are definitive markers in every musician’s career that you dream of hitting… Pyramid Stage at Glasto is mine. But I think I can speak for everyone here in saying that most importantly we want to write an album that stands the test of time, inspires future musicians, and connects with people on a personal level helping them through whatever struggles they might have. Critical acclaim and industry recognition boosts your ego and can make you feel a sense of achievement, but the best part about doing this is having a fan come up to you after a show and tell you how much your music means to them.

Are you creative in non-musical ways too?

Definitely, the band is where we focus our creative energy but we love photography, art, film, dance, it all plays a part in our every day lives, and most definitely manifests itself in our music.

What do you do for fun?

Find a friend and see where their company takes things. Organised fun never washed with any of us.

Tell us a secret about yourself?

I’m left-handed, but I didn’t know left-handed guitars existed when I got first got one. So I learnt right-handed.

What’s been the highlight of your time as a musician so far?

I’d have to say this recent tour with INHEAVEN. It’s been an unforgettable experience and astonishing first tour for us. We’re bursting to get back out on the road again.

What are you guys working on at the mo? Do you have lots of exciting plans?

It’s all moving fast for us! Expect an onslaught of music this year and hopefully something physical to take home. We’re supporting our mates [and current Dork cover stars, no less - Ed] Fickle Friends at Concorde 2 in Brighton on 19th March, that's the next chance to catch us live, and we have a bunch more shows to announce so stay tuned.

Taken from the April issue of Dork - order a copy or subscribe below. Thyla's single 'I Was Biting' is out now.