We had a chat with emerging young UK band Crescent about their ambitious new release Milogather Parts 1 & 2 and future plans
An exciting rising UK band who are intent on doing things their own way and carving out a unique path for themselves through their sound and style, Crescent are an outfit who’s distinctive brand of groove-led, blues-tinged psychedelic rock is built around the idea of creative an all-encompassing, atmospheric listening experience that is packed full of ambitious ideas and compelling moments, and their new double-single Milogather Parts 1 and 2 does a great job of articulating their distinctive allure.
The tracks, which we have already covered on the site in a glowing review, are really allowed space to breathe and build, and where other bands are looking for something more hook-heavy and concise in a bid to appease the algorhythm, Cresent are instead searching in pursuit of authenticity and something real, a breath of fresh air in a modern music scene that has felt increasingly shallow in recent times. We love these new tracks, and felt compelled to have a chat with Crescent to find out a bit more about the people behind the tracks, their journey and what else the young band have in store in the near future.
Who TF are Crescent?
We are a 4-piece psychedelic blues rock band! ¾ of us are from ‘‘Artlepool’’ and the others a Mackem. We’re made up of Millie Jones (vocals and keys), Caleb Hay (guitar and vocals), Jake Beddow (Bass) and Adam Willis (drums). Eventually we all crossed paths, either through college or old bands to make whatever TF Crescent is today. When we’re on stage or in the studio were a force of fierce musicians committed to our individual sound, doing our best to look and play the part. When we’re off stage we’re a force of fierce nobodies doing uni work, doomscrolling instagram reels, or working.
How long have you been making music?
We have all done our bits and pieces before Crescent, and we’re working with a barely legal age gap between Caleb and Adam so it depends individually. However, Crescent first set foot in a studio May 2024. We set down most of the songs that you’re going to be hearing on the EP so we’ve been working on those for a while. We were so unbelievably proud of them, and all our Mams and Dads said they were class. Then Ed from our label Shy Bairn came along and told us they were shit. Can’t of been that shit though since he got on his hands and knees and pleaded us to make him a millionaire. A little shorter than a year after we released our “high quality demo’s” we jumped back into the studio and started our EP, Lamentations after we finally believed Ed that they were worth a new breath of life.
PS – the old songs are took down and were really hoping someone in a few years will tell all their mates how crap our big hits are and that they should listen to bootleg MP3s of us pissing about in a college studio.
Why do you make music?
We were all inspired at a young age from the greats of blues and prog, all brought up around music of a similar genre and naturally drifted away from the conformity of nike tech and juicy couture tracksuits. We all had different reasons to get into music properly but that sums it up. Why we make music instead of just playing it is because like most people, we got better than your grade three player and decided that trying to make something that sounds abit like what your listening to was the move. And the hope of endless amounts of wealth…
What are your biggest influences?
As a band it’s got to be the greats of blues rock, like Led Zeppelin but with less pedophilia. Or Jefferson Airplane for the psyched elements, but with less copious amounts of booze that we all love and drive us the most. Another big factor is, the idea of inspiring others. All music lovers remember that artist that really made them think “fuck yeah I’m gunna go into music and be skint all my life” for the first time. We want to be that band that creates the black sheep of the family. We keep the band interests and influences the same as much as possible, but what also plays into the bands development is how much we traverse the world of music. For example Caleb now listens and plays lots of American Primitive music like John Fahey and Gwenifer Raymond, whereas Jake still enjoys the charts with the pop hits from Benson Boone and Billie Eilish. Sounds silly coming from a band playing the sound we are, but it matters!
What would you say has been your best moment so far?
Without a doubt supporting the Futureheads with their hometown Christmas Gigs back in December. The feeling of walking out onto a stage with 800 eyes on you (even when there not there for you) was immense, and Barry from the Heads’ was awesome enough to let us support him both nights. Anyone whose played a big venue knows the feeling of watching so many people head bob to the tunes you wrote (fuming to yourself about something or other two years ago in a sweaty, smokey bedroom) and theirs nothing else any of us have experienced so far that comes close.
How would you describe your sound to somebody unfamiliar with it?
Psychedelic blues prog garage rock avant-garde chill angular proto the next big thing. Hopefully…..
We have had all sorts of comparisons, some great and some just weird. The same with reviews. Naturally we get Jefferson Airplane lots with being female fronted and I think that stands pretty well. Mix up some Rory Gallagher type guitar licks in there, bass licks that were wrote by a guitarist and proper ADHD drums, that’s us. One guy on X ages ago told us one of our tracks sounds like Jefferson doing a cover of The White Stripes in a bathtub at an afterparty. lol
What’s your dream “I’ve made it” moment?
We could say selling out Wembley ten nights in a row or something like that, but you’ve definetly made it before that, we think that really if your headlining any venue over a thousand capacity for a sold out show you’ve made it. We aren’t fussy, any venue would do. Then we would like to make it again in thirty years time, with the nations first Weatherspoons tour. It would be wicked, as long as the double bells and lemonade doesn’t inflate above three pounds. One last factor that might inflate our egos a little, seeing seven figures in our Monzo pot, we could finally afford a couple of Neuman mics.
We love your new release Milogather Parts 1 and 2, what more can you tell us about it?
Milogather (Part I) was written by Caleb, it was the first song Crescent ever wrote. Simple by design, groove-led and unfiltered, letting feel and movement do the heavy lifting. Lyrically, it’s an off-kilter love song, awkward, honest and self-aware. Written about Millie shortly before the two got together. Rather than romance in the traditional sense, it circles around uncertainty, age difference and emotional reassurance, delivered with a lightness that masks its vulnerability. Basically it’s a Buckingham and Nicks song and were all doing the work to make sure we have zero affairs within the band.
Milogather (Part II) marked my Millie as her first full lyrical contribution to the band was her chance to step fully into the foreground. Built around hypnotic bass, wailing vocals and far-out guitar textures, Part II acts as both a continuation and a counterweight to the first track, despite being written years before Millie had joined the band. It was originally drafted as a private rant while trying to hold together a one-sided relationship. At its core, the song explores emotional labour, unmet support and the slow realisation that hope doesn’t always lead to change. Paired with Part I, it completes the conversation that gave Milogather its name. Is what someone who was trying to lie to you would say. The name Milogather was a nickname for Millie from Caleb, and as the songs had no names, Milogather Part I and II worked pretty well as a far out weird sounding type thing.
What else do you have planned for the near future?
We’ve got a busy few months coming up around our releases… Were supporting Plantoid at The Central in Gateshead 20th Feb, were playing Stockton Calling 4th April, Alieus Fest 18th April, and a hometown gig at a skatepark in hartlepool (Tryin HQ) 24th April! Amongst all this we are getting back in the studio too so we can lay some new ideas down. Our EP is releasing the day before we play Stockton Calling, that’s the 3rd of April for anyone who’s calculator app looks like a key stage one appacus. Coming of the back of the EP release, we’re gunna ride that wave right into shore however big or small it is, hopefully it’s gunna give us some more opportunities too play with…
And finally, who is your biggest fan right now?
Probably Ed, especially if he gets his million.
