Miller and the Hunks perform at Skully’s Music Diner in the Short North. The band released their latest EP, “And Jeff Part 2,” in February. Credit: Courtesy of Burson Sprague
When Miller and the Hunks began, there was only a Miller — Colin Miller. The Hunks came later.
Vocalist Colin Miller, released the first Miller and the Hunks album by himself. The day after it came out, current bass player Josiah Ogden asked him if he could get in on the project. Shortly after that, guitarist Jon Leonard joined ranks and drummer Ethan Joseph joined later on.
All four members of the alternative-rock group are Columbus natives, so the band has deep roots in the city. Columbus has seen the band at its worst; they “sucked” when they first started out, Miller said.
“You’re going to suck when you first start, so you got to get all the suck out. I feel like more or less, at least in one city, you’re going to play every week to prove yourself,” Miller said, adding that playing in only one city amplifies the need to “drain the suck.”
While the band is thankful for its beginnings here, Miller and the Hunks is looking to visit different places to expand its fan base.
“We’re definitely focused on branching out –– that’s what we’re worst at,” Miller said.
If booking shows in different areas is the band’s weak spot, releasing new music is its strong suit.
Miller and the Hunks has released either a full-length album or EP every year since 2015. Their latest release, “And Jeff Part 2,” came out in mid-February, and was preceded by “And Jeff Part 1.”
“Originally it started that we were going to do an album, but we had too many songs for one album, so we decided to split it into two EPs,” Miller said. “We kind of organized it a bit, part one is more of the darker stuff, and part two is more of the poppier stuff.”
The songwriting process is not an exact science for Miller and the Hunks; it differs for each piece the band puts out. Sometimes, things they expect to work on a song don’t go how they intended; other times, the craziest combinations end up sounding the best.
“Song to song it changes, but normally one of us brings an idea and we just elaborate on that,” Ogden said. “It’s a mixture of things.”
Miller and the Hunks plays classic alternative-rock –– hard and loud, with a consistent beat. Even its more pop-style songs have a bit of an edge to them.
Regardless of how laid-back Millers and the Hunks might seem, the band members are incredibly serious about pursuing their music.
“This is it, this is what I want to do,” Ogden said.
Miller and the Hunks will be playing at Ace of Cups on May 17. Tickets are $5.
