Arizona is the true wild west; some western states claim to be such, but Arizona is the real deal. Jared Kolesar, frontman of Jared & The Mill, a fifth generation Arizonan whose ancestors were wrestling the desert landscape into submission before it was a state, takes pride in his heritage and homeland, evidence of which finds its way into his music. “There’s so much mythos about the wild west, we buy into it. We don’t ride horses to school or anything, but we’re proud to represent this place that’s so mysterious to other people,” he says with a laugh.
“There’s something about the desert—if you go spend time out there, you’ll see how special it is. On the surface, it just looks like a dead environment, but it’s mysterious, there’s all sorts of shit that wants to kill you, and it all co-exists. It’s wild. It’s not oil and cattle ranching and powdered wigs and elegant clothes, it’s Pancho Villa, it’s bank robbers making runs for the border, it’s shootouts after a bad game of poker,” he continues. “At the turn of the century, the wildest and most dangerous cities in the country were in Arizona. It’s an amazingly wild history to have. That feeling of pride about where we’re from heavily affects the way our music sounds.”
It’s a sentiment that’s firmly rooted in this band, which spends nine months of the year on tour, presenting its own set of creative challenges. “Being on the road is like living in a different dimension sometimes. Our lifestyle is so radically different than other people our ages; on one hand we’re surrounded by inspiration for songs, because our lives are so dramatic, but at the same time, it’s hard to get away and focus,” says Kolesar of their rigorous schedules. “You just have to roll with the punches. You see the crowds and the fanship build when you tour, and that’s the most exciting thing for me. People singing along and knowing your lyrics, it’s inspiring. It’s an honor to be able to travel and play for people, it makes us feel like we’re contributing to society. It’s an honor to know your music means something to people. There’s so much tension in the world right now; we need more love dammit. Tell your readers we love them. Even though we’ve never met, we 100% love them,” he laughs.
Jared & The Mill will release a brand new EP, Orme Dugas, on September 9th; named after an exit near the band’s hometown of Phoenix, Orme Dugas, distills the wild spirit of the desert into sonic form, and packs quite a punch at only five songs. “It’s the truest representation of what we are as individuals and as a band,” reveals Kolesar. “I’ve never been more excited about releasing music. This might as well be our first record—I’m proud of our previous releases, but I feel like with this one, we went all out. It’s inherently western. It’s what we are. I’m excited to present it to the world.”
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube
Jared & The Mill Tour Dates
Aug 30 – Charlottesville, VA – The Southern
Aug 31 – Sellersville, PA – Sellersville Theatre 1894
Sep 01 – New York, NY – Mercury Lounge
Sep 03 – Boston, MA – Brighton Music Hall
Sep 06 – Cleveland, OH – Beachland Ballroom & Tavern
Sep 07 – Evanston, IL – SPACE
Sep 10 – Minneapolis, MN – 7th St. Entry
Sep 11 – Madison, WI – The Frequency
Sep 13 – Denver, CO – Larimer Lounge
Sep 15 – Tucson, AZ – Club Congress
Sep 17 – Phoenix, AZ – LiveWire
Oct 14 – Albuquerque, NM – The Co-Op
Oct 15 – Greeley, CO – Moxi Theater
Oct 16 – Fort Collins, CO – Hodi’s Half Note
Oct 19 – Salt Lake City, UT – The State Room
Oct 21 – Billings, MT – Pub Station
Oct 22 – Boise, ID – Neurolux Lounge
Oct 24 – Spokane, WA – The Bartlett
Oct 25 – Seattle, WA – Sunset Tavern
Oct 26 – Portland, OR – Doug Fir Lounge
Oct 29 – San Francisco, CA – Neck of the Woods
Oct 30 – Sacramento, CA – Goldfield Trading Post
Nov 03 – Malibu, CA – Pepperdine
Nov 04 – Los Angeles, CA – The Satellite
Nov 05 – San Diego, CA – Voodoo Room @ House of Blues
Leave a Reply