Milo&Otis

We caught up with Milo & Otis while they were on the road and asked them a few questions. Brown Unheard hosted Milo & Otis last Thursday at The Underground. If you weren’t able to catch them then, they’ll be playing today, Sunday, April 21st at 5pm at The Parlour on North Main.
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MJ: When did you start writing songs-- together and individually?
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MO: In high school in Baltimore, Otis had a rock band where he was the bassist and arranger. I started writing little songs in high school using Garage Band and the limited guitar chords I knew. As a team, we made a few one-offs during college, where Otis would send me an instrumental and I would d write on it. However, since then our process has developed significantly. Now we're more deliberate in our composition choices, and we communicate every step of the way.
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MJ: How did Milo & Otis come to be? What's the story?
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MO: We met at an MPC workshop at Brown in 2007, and later realized we both shared an interest in music. After unsuccessfully attempting to start a musical project during our stint at Brown, we finally linked up four years later in Chicago as alumni.
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We put out a short EP sort of as an experiment, and it cemented our chemistry as a musical duo. The Chicago music scene really encouraged us to follow our sound wherever it would lead us.
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MJ: Speaking of following your sound, how would you define your musical style?
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MO: We classify our music as "adventure soul". "Adventure" because the goal of our music is to take you somewhere. Our music has a transitive power. It's "soul" because we use whatever ideas and influences speak to us, without confining ourselves to a specific style or genre.
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MJ: What's happening in your near future? Where will Milo & Otis be going? How's your tour?
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MO: The two things we're doing right now are working out our summer show schedule by getting on some of the bigger festivals. We're also working on a new release for the end of this summer! We’re hunkering down in the studio to generate sounds. These Spring Weekend shows represent the end of touring behind "The Joy", and we're excited to introduce the next chapter of Milo & Otis' sound to our fans--and to those who don't even know us yet.
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MJ: What has been your favorite venue/performance to date?
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MO: We've had some pretty awesome shows, from sold out thousand-person crowds in Chicago, to countless open mics across the country, to DIY backyard farm venues right here in Providence. But our favorite has got to be our most recent Chicago show, which was at a tavern called Schuba's. It was our biggest headlining show to date, and it was awesome to feel the energy in the room. It’s amazing to see all the love and support we've started to cultivate in Chicago.
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MJ: What do you do besides music?
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Otis ( aka Owen Hill) teaches math and chess to the under 18 crowd. When I'm not making music with O, I go by Jamila Woods and I teach poetry to high schoolers, write & perform my own poetry, and do freelance dramaturgy work at local theaters. I also run an arts venue out of my apartment along with fellow Brown grad Fatimah Asghar '11.
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MJ: What did you concentrate in at Brown?
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MO: Otis concentrated in Mathematics & Africana Studies. I did Theatre Arts and Performance Studies & Africana Studies.
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MJ: Speaking of Brown, how do you feel about the lineup for Spring Weekend this year?
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MO: It's dope. Our only complaint is that we're not at Brown right now and can't get tickets!
(No worries! I saw them on Saturday so they for sure got to see some of the acts!)
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MJ: What's your favorite place on campus?
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MO: Otis used to stay chillin at the Gate and the OMAC. I'm gonna have to go with either the Friedman at the Sci Li, or the Main Green in warm weather.
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MJ: What do you miss most about Brown?
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MO: We both miss the constant brain stimulation that comes with being at Brown. We definitely miss Africana classes. And of course the parties!
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MJ: Brown is considered one of the most stylish schools in the country, Unhemmed readers would love to know how Milo & Otis would define their style.
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MO: My style is very detail oriented. I wear a lot of black, both on stage and in my everyday wardrobe. I love black clothes because they accentuate my jewelry and head wraps and really make any other colors I wear stand out. I like to find one or two pieces, like a colorful top or patterned dress, and then build the rest of my outfit as a frame around that centerpiece.
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Otis' style is a lot about contrast. He likes to pair button ups & suspenders with jeans and a fly pair of kicks. He plays with color and text a lot, and wears a lot of bright graphic tees.
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MJ: Do you have any advice to give to students at Brown that are wanting to pursue music?
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MO: Follow you - Unhemmed Magazine

Yesterday we gave you a preview of The Joy, the newly released album from Milo & Otis, with the song “Lift Up” – a beautiful ode to growing old with a loved one which features Chance The Rapper. After diving further into the album, I can’t say enough about how impressed I am. The composition and production, handled by Owen Hill, on The Joy are flawless and often times euphoric. While the other half of Milo & Otis, Jamila Woods, offers soothing, soulful vocals with poetic lyrics reflecting on the highs and lows of life and love. Listen through the album below and head over to the Milo & Otis Bandcamp to add this one to your collection - See Beyond Genre

Yesterday we gave you a preview of The Joy, the newly released album from Milo & Otis, with the song “Lift Up” – a beautiful ode to growing old with a loved one which features Chance The Rapper. After diving further into the album, I can’t say enough about how impressed I am. The composition and production, handled by Owen Hill, on The Joy are flawless and often times euphoric. While the other half of Milo & Otis, Jamila Woods, offers soothing, soulful vocals with poetic lyrics reflecting on the highs and lows of life and love. Listen through the album below and head over to the Milo & Otis Bandcamp to add this one to your collection - See Beyond Genre

While Frank Ocean and Miguel were the most visible practitioners of groundbreaking, eclectic soul this year, Chicago duo Milo & Otis did some mold-shattering work, too.

“The Joy,” Milo & Otis’ debut effort, has made the virtual rounds since its May release, and everyone who listens seems charmed by singer/poet Jamila Woods (she’s Milo) and bassist/composer Owen Hill (he’s Otis). As one would expect of a group that takes its name from an ’80s movie about the friendship between a tabby kitten and a pug pup, the music is often adorable, but always has a little bite.

Take “Black Sheep,” which couches social commentary in a twee soundscape. Words from the nursery rhyme “Baa Baa Black Sheep,” lead into Woods praising her natural hair (“Since I cut my perm off, life ain’t been the same/I been taking long showers and long walks in the rain), but also staving off people who want to lay a hand on her crowning glory: “Don’t touch my [expletive] hair,” she sings — clearly serious, although her voice remains sweet.

“1108 Troy Davis” doesn’t get into specifics of Davis’s controversial 2011 execution, but captures the emotion of the day, as well as the surrounding debate. “Art of the Toast” is a broken-hearted ballad that takes its cues from obscure ’90s alt-soul artists such as Grenique and Bilal, while the title track starts off sounding like an intentionally distorted version of Maxwell’s “Pretty Wings,” then morphs into a surreal slice of dream-pop — just the sort of thing that makes one want to share “The Joy.” - The Washington Post

While Frank Ocean and Miguel were the most visible practitioners of groundbreaking, eclectic soul this year, Chicago duo Milo & Otis did some mold-shattering work, too.

“The Joy,” Milo & Otis’ debut effort, has made the virtual rounds since its May release, and everyone who listens seems charmed by singer/poet Jamila Woods (she’s Milo) and bassist/composer Owen Hill (he’s Otis). As one would expect of a group that takes its name from an ’80s movie about the friendship between a tabby kitten and a pug pup, the music is often adorable, but always has a little bite.

Take “Black Sheep,” which couches social commentary in a twee soundscape. Words from the nursery rhyme “Baa Baa Black Sheep,” lead into Woods praising her natural hair (“Since I cut my perm off, life ain’t been the same/I been taking long showers and long walks in the rain), but also staving off people who want to lay a hand on her crowning glory: “Don’t touch my [expletive] hair,” she sings — clearly serious, although her voice remains sweet.

“1108 Troy Davis” doesn’t get into specifics of Davis’s controversial 2011 execution, but captures the emotion of the day, as well as the surrounding debate. “Art of the Toast” is a broken-hearted ballad that takes its cues from obscure ’90s alt-soul artists such as Grenique and Bilal, while the title track starts off sounding like an intentionally distorted version of Maxwell’s “Pretty Wings,” then morphs into a surreal slice of dream-pop — just the sort of thing that makes one want to share “The Joy.” - The Washington Post