Tony Mills is undoubtedly one of the best Hard Rock vocalists that has existed, over whether his career Mills has sung with many important names of Rock N Roll scene, but it was leading Shy and TNT that Mills got the deserved recognition.

Since 2006 Tony Mills led the vocals on TNT, but last month the singer got the fans by surprise when he announced his departure from the band.

A Ilha do Metal had the chance to talk with Tony Mills and among the main subjects covered are the reason why Mills left the band, his opinion about the current music industry worldwide and his plans about the new direction in his career.

VERSÃO EM PORTUGUÊS

Photo by Jon Løvstad

By Juliana Lorencini

 You’ve been with TNT since 2006 as its vocalist, but some weeks ago you annunciated that you are leaving the band. What are the main reasons that led you to take this decision?

Tony Mills: There are a few reasons I left the band last month, but they all sort of stack up to the same thing.

I’m very keen to write and enjoy recording new material that I get a kick out of and with other people that enjoy themselves too, during that process.

TNT has shown little interest in writing new material in the last three years and the live show has remained the same during that time, to the point of stagnation.

I really feel that I have a lot to get out of my system and every time I sit down to write, I find myself on a flight to some island in the middle of nowhere to play a show and then I have to get back into focus again three days later. So I thought it was time for no more interruptions and time to do what I wanted to do for a change.

The focus in the press on TNT is very much about the guitarist and there is never any communication from him within the band, unless it’s a notification of his unavailability, so, there being little in the way of team spirit, coerced me to move on.

Your latest album is a compilation with mostly non-TNT songs from the members – any fan response on that one?
TM: There being no great desire to co-write together anymore, drove the business end of the company to want to release a product that maintained the profile of the band in between live shows, so each member was asked to submit material that was either previously unreleased or re-mastered as its own, ‘Hidden Treasure’, which we did.

“The Hidden Treasure” album was given away free with a magazine, you also had a bundling of your last studio album “Engine/A Farewell To Arms” with your own book/magazine on the newsstand. Other artists like Prince have also done similar things – what do you think of these alternative methods of distribution? Do they work as intended, reaching a possibly larger audience?

They only really get pressed within the circulation of the magazine, whether it is one or five or ten thousand; in this case the amount is under debate. I think maybe three thousand were pressed, probably no more. The distribution works well, because it sits alongside regular magazine distribution in every news stand in the street and gas stations, but it goes along the way the rest of the record market has gone, with its loss of credibility as a proper record release, since the demise of commercial releases through record companies and their traditional promotion after the download renaissance.

“Girls In Norway” is your new single released last month. The videoclip was recorded in Kristiansand and had a team cast of many Norwegians young girls. How was the filming session and when can we expect for a new full solo album from you?
TM: The single was really some fun for the summer; it took a little longer as all things do, but it is disconnected from my album work.

I’m working on two albums at the moment; a mainstream AOR album for the Japanese market and a metal album, ‘OVER MY DEAD BODY’, which brings to the surface a lot of what happened to me during a heart attack back in 2010. I’ve been very fortunate to have great musicians involved in both projects and I intend to write until the beginning of next year on both albums until I know they are settled.

What is the composition and recording process for this new solo project like, seeing that you’re using musicians and engineers from all over the world?
TM: It’s mixed between file sharing and personal involvement of all the musicians. Some I work with face to face and others have a planet between us.

But the results that you accept, are the results that you should expect. So it goes no different because of distance; on the contrary, I have time to sit and analyze performances from LA, just as I would with a musician sat next to me. Only the Up and Download delays separate the two.

Can “Girls In Norway” also be seen as a reflection of these years living in Norway?
TM: Only my constant refreshment of spirit from meeting such wonderful people, nothing more.
It has little to do with a grueling seven years on the road with TNT.

In a note on your official Facebook Page you said you weren’t going to print any hard copies of your new single as it had become increasingly pointless. Also the industry no longer will keep pressing promo CD’s to send out anymore. What is your opinion about the music industry nowadays? And how do you see the future for the bands and artist in general at this point?
TM: I think it is generally agreed that CD’s are printed to satisfy an obsessive circle of hardcore fans that want the hard copy product on their shelves, whereas, the majority of artists see how futile it is, to try and reclaim all of those costs unless it is financed and promoted by a huge machine that will guarantee that return, by swamping the market with an enviable promo budget.

You’ve played a few gigs with Tore St. Moren’s Gary Moore tribute, is this now a proper band project with more gigs to come, seeing as it has expanded beyond that once a year gig? How did you feel about singing those songs?
TM: I had a great time working with Tore St. Moren, but I doubt it will evolve or even happen again. We have both since gone in very different directions.

This year TNT played at the “Monster of Cruise 2013” in the US, with many other classic Hard Rock bands. Can you tell us about how this experience was for you?
TM: It was an arduous journey to Florida through seventeen hours of flights and connections, but the first show was a great experience and a very consistent performance with our normal concerts in Norway. After a night in the air conditioned cabin on the boat, I woke up to no voice for the second show, which hasn’t happened to me for many years and consequently, the second show was less than memorable. All in all, it was a great learning curve and something I should be aware of in the future having never done it before; but the fans were great and I cherished meeting a lot of great people during that time.

Besides TNT you always kept some side projects. How did you reconcile them with the band? How is the composition process for them?
TM: Everyone in TNT has always ran side projects and worked around the bands schedule; that has never really been an issue.

I have only ever really written work for each specific project apart from Serpentine in the UK, where I had unreleased material that suited their catalogue and they were very receptive toward the songs.

Knowing you’re also a session singer, what is the criteria you use to join a new project?
TM: Credibility and finance. And, of course, whether I can afford the time.

Along your career you have joined many important musicians and been part of bands (Shy, TNT) that were a big influence to many others. How do you feel about that? And which points of your career do you consider the high ones?
TM: I think you kind of bump into a lot of people purely by coincidence, but it soon becomes apparent that it’s a very small world in this business.

Touring with Ian Hunter from Mott The Hoople and Mick Ronson from the Bowie band was a highlight and to sing some of their hits on stage with them was a great moment. Singing with Meatloaf at Wembley was a lot of fun and recording with Cinderella. Touring with TNT was the most prolific performance period of my career and the rock fans in Norway made it greatly worthwhile.

How are things going about Shy? You recently played with them and I saw you commenting about the possibility of bring the band to Japan this year.
TM: It would be an ideal to take the band to Japan; something they never did. But it won’t happen. I have managed to get the band into Norway again next summer thanks to the talents of my partner and her festival skills. But I doubt that experience will be ongoing since the lead guitarist passed away. I don’t think any of us really have a great desire to work together very much after that.

Is there a possibility of touring with Shy again? Maybe even in South America?
TM: It’s completely impractical, from a logistics and a financial standpoint.

Having been at the end of a rope with TNT that kept pulling to Brazil for many years, but was never successful due to economy and reliable people, I doubt very much that Shy would pick up the same rope when we are even further disconnected from each other.

What are your plans for 2013/14, considering everything that is happening right now with you?
TM: Writing and recording my songs and probably an AOR Classix tour of the UK.
I will be playing some solo shows in Oslo early next year and I will take it from there after the Spring of 2014.

Thank you so much for the interview. I also would like to wish you very good luck with your new journey and ask you to please leave a message for our readers.
TM: Well, hey, thanks for the continued support throughout what is always a turbulent lifestyle in the rock n roll business!

The systems and the way the music business runs may have changed dramatically over the last thirty years, but it’s still down to the supporters of the music to make the machine spin smoothly. So, thanks for being there, we might only get to talk to you personally from time to time, but you should always feel greatly appreciated.

Rock On, Tony Mills.

Watch the video “Girls In Norway”:

Related links:
http://www.tonymills-official.com/
facebook.com/Tony.Mills.Official