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Music

Stream Tracks of Totally Mild’s Perfect, Skewed and Disjointed Pop

Front woman Elizabeth Mitchell has an exciting tendency to sing in a falsetto not many can match.

It seems that every time Melbourne’s premier ‘dolewave’ heroes the Ocean Party perform, guitarist and vocalist Lachlan Denton states that Totally Mild are the best band in Melbourne. There could be some bias – after all he is best buds with them - but Lachlan’s claims seem strengthened with the release of Totally Mild’s new album, Down Time.

What started as a solo project for Elizabeth Mitchell, has developed into a full four piece, and the sound has developed from twee-lo-fi to skewed, disjointed pop gold. Although on the surface everything seems bright, the lyrics and themes of Down Time deal with the personal issues of Mitchell. They’re certainly not overbearing on record, but they illustrate the effect that everyday bullshit has on the mind of a 20-something artist.

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We spoke to Mitchell briefly about what of the album came from personal experience, and the cathartic effect of putting them into song.

NOISEY: What themes run through the album?
Elizabeth Mitchell: Most of the songs are about relationships, but a common theme that stretches the record is a kind of stagnancy, the in-between of being young. That sadness that you have once your first love ends and you worry that you might never feel anything that new and exciting again. But also being scared of whatever being a grown up and having new experiences will mean. Insecurity, romance and sexuality - discovering “who you are”. Many of the songs were written during a time when I was very sad, but very party - so there’s that too.

Is this fear of stagnancy something you've dealt with personally?
I’m always worried that things won’t change! Even if I feel happy in doing something, I’m like ‘I kind of wish something would give!’ I think that when I was writing these songs, my way of dealing with the feeling of nothing happening was to drink too much and make bad “romantic” decisions. But yes, I always feel like I’m not doing enough, like I’m wasting my life, even when I’m probably getting stuff done and in happy relationships. I have bees in my pants.

Why do you put your personal experiences into the songs?
I’ve never really known how to write any other way. Every time I actually sit down and try to write a song, they come out bad. It’s better for it to just fall out of me. A few of the songs on the album actually started about other people, but they always come back to me eventually (laughs). I worry sometimes that it’s lazy or totally narcissistic to mostly write about yourself, but I guess I find myself really interesting… No, songs usually just come when I have feelings, and that’s most often when things happen in my life, or to someone very close to me.

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Does it have a cathartic effect to do it that way?
Sometimes writing a song can help me feel better about something, but sometimes it’s just a means to wallow in old feelings! I get very stuck on themes, so i’ll usually write heaps about one thing or person. But now I’m happy and settled, I’m not writing a lot! I suppose that I do more music when I’m feeling down, but I hate the idea that you have to trade good mental health for creativity - so I’m trying to change that!

It seems that every time Melbourne’s premier ‘dolewave’ heroes the Ocean Party perform, guitarist and vocalist Lachlan Denton states that Totally Mild are the best band in Melbourne. There could be some bias – after all he is best buds with them - but Lachlan’s claims seem strengthened with the release of Totally Mild’s new album, Down Time.

What started as a solo project for Elizabeth Mitchell, has developed into a full four piece, and the sound has developed from twee-lo-fi to skewed, disjointed pop gold. Although on the surface everything seems bright, the lyrics and themes of Down Time deal with the personal issues of Mitchell. They’re certainly not overbearing on record, but they illustrate the effect that everyday bullshit has on the mind of a 20-something artist.

We spoke to Mitchell briefly about what of the album came from personal experience, and the cathartic effect of putting them into song.

NOISEY: What themes run through the album?
Elizabeth Mitchell: Most of the songs are about relationships, but a common theme that stretches the record is a kind of stagnancy, the in-between of being young. That sadness that you have once your first love ends and you worry that you might never feel anything that new and exciting again. But also being scared of whatever being a grown up and having new experiences will mean. Insecurity, romance and sexuality - discovering “who you are”. Many of the songs were written during a time when I was very sad, but very party - so there’s that too.

Is this fear of stagnancy something you've dealt with personally?
I’m always worried that things won’t change! Even if I feel happy in doing something, I’m like ‘I kind of wish something would give!’ I think that when I was writing these songs, my way of dealing with the feeling of nothing happening was to drink too much and make bad “romantic” decisions. But yes, I always feel like I’m not doing enough, like I’m wasting my life, even when I’m probably getting stuff done and in happy relationships. I have bees in my pants.

Why do you put your personal experiences into the songs?
I’ve never really known how to write any other way. Every time I actually sit down and try to write a song, they come out bad. It’s better for it to just fall out of me. A few of the songs on the album actually started about other people, but they always come back to me eventually (laughs). I worry sometimes that it’s lazy or totally narcissistic to mostly write about yourself, but I guess I find myself really interesting… No, songs usually just come when I have feelings, and that’s most often when things happen in my life, or to someone very close to me.

Does it have a cathartic effect to do it that way?
Sometimes writing a song can help me feel better about something, but sometimes it’s just a means to wallow in old feelings! I get very stuck on themes, so i’ll usually write heaps about one thing or person. But now I’m happy and settled, I’m not writing a lot! I suppose that I do more music when I’m feeling down, but I hate the idea that you have to trade good mental health for creativity - so I’m trying to change that!

It seems that every time Melbourne’s premier ‘dolewave’ heroes the Ocean Party perform, guitarist and vocalist Lachlan Denton states that Totally Mild are the best band in Melbourne. There could be some bias – after all he is best buds with them - but Lachlan’s claims seem strengthened with the release of Totally Mild’s new album, Down Time.

What started as a solo project for Elizabeth Mitchell, has developed into a full four piece, and the sound has developed from twee-lo-fi to skewed, disjointed pop gold. Although on the surface everything seems bright, the lyrics and themes of Down Time deal with the personal issues of Mitchell. They’re certainly not overbearing on record, but they illustrate the effect that everyday bullshit has on the mind of a 20-something artist.

We spoke to Mitchell briefly about what of the album came from personal experience, and the cathartic effect of putting them into song.

NOISEY: What themes run through the album?
Elizabeth Mitchell: Most of the songs are about relationships, but a common theme that stretches the record is a kind of stagnancy, the in-between of being young. That sadness that you have once your first love ends and you worry that you might never feel anything that new and exciting again. But also being scared of whatever being a grown up and having new experiences will mean. Insecurity, romance and sexuality - discovering “who you are”. Many of the songs were written during a time when I was very sad, but very party - so there’s that too.

Is this fear of stagnancy something you've dealt with personally?
I’m always worried that things won’t change! Even if I feel happy in doing something, I’m like ‘I kind of wish something would give!’ I think that when I was writing these songs, my way of dealing with the feeling of nothing happening was to drink too much and make bad “romantic” decisions. But yes, I always feel like I’m not doing enough, like I’m wasting my life, even when I’m probably getting stuff done and in happy relationships. I have bees in my pants.

Why do you put your personal experiences into the songs?
I’ve never really known how to write any other way. Every time I actually sit down and try to write a song, they come out bad. It’s better for it to just fall out of me. A few of the songs on the album actually started about other people, but they always come back to me eventually (laughs). I worry sometimes that it’s lazy or totally narcissistic to mostly write about yourself, but I guess I find myself really interesting… No, songs usually just come when I have feelings, and that’s most often when things happen in my life, or to someone very close to me.

Does it have a cathartic effect to do it that way?
Sometimes writing a song can help me feel better about something, but sometimes it’s just a means to wallow in old feelings! I get very stuck on themes, so i’ll usually write heaps about one thing or person. But now I’m happy and settled, I’m not writing a lot! I suppose that I do more music when I’m feeling down, but I hate the idea that you have to trade good mental health for creativity - so I’m trying to change that!

It seems that every time Melbourne’s premier ‘dolewave’ heroes the Ocean Party perform, guitarist and vocalist Lachlan Denton states that Totally Mild are the best band in Melbourne. There could be some bias – after all he is best buds with them - but Lachlan’s claims seem strengthened with the release of Totally Mild’s new album, Down Time.

What started as a solo project for Elizabeth Mitchell, has developed into a full four piece, and the sound has developed from twee-lo-fi to skewed, disjointed pop gold. Although on the surface everything seems bright, the lyrics and themes of Down Time deal with the personal issues of Mitchell. They’re certainly not overbearing on record, but they illustrate the effect that everyday bullshit has on the mind of a 20-something artist.

We spoke to Mitchell briefly about what of the album came from personal experience, and the cathartic effect of putting them into song.

NOISEY: What themes run through the album?
Elizabeth Mitchell: Most of the songs are about relationships, but a common theme that stretches the record is a kind of stagnancy, the in-between of being young. That sadness that you have once your first love ends and you worry that you might never feel anything that new and exciting again. But also being scared of whatever being a grown up and having new experiences will mean. Insecurity, romance and sexuality - discovering “who you are”. Many of the songs were written during a time when I was very sad, but very party - so there’s that too.

Is this fear of stagnancy something you've dealt with personally?
I’m always worried that things won’t change! Even if I feel happy in doing something, I’m like ‘I kind of wish something would give!’ I think that when I was writing these songs, my way of dealing with the feeling of nothing happening was to drink too much and make bad “romantic” decisions. But yes, I always feel like I’m not doing enough, like I’m wasting my life, even when I’m probably getting stuff done and in happy relationships. I have bees in my pants.

Why do you put your personal experiences into the songs?
I’ve never really known how to write any other way. Every time I actually sit down and try to write a song, they come out bad. It’s better for it to just fall out of me. A few of the songs on the album actually started about other people, but they always come back to me eventually (laughs). I worry sometimes that it’s lazy or totally narcissistic to mostly write about yourself, but I guess I find myself really interesting… No, songs usually just come when I have feelings, and that’s most often when things happen in my life, or to someone very close to me.

Does it have a cathartic effect to do it that way?
Sometimes writing a song can help me feel better about something, but sometimes it’s just a means to wallow in old feelings! I get very stuck on themes, so i’ll usually write heaps about one thing or person. But now I’m happy and settled, I’m not writing a lot! I suppose that I do more music when I’m feeling down, but I hate the idea that you have to trade good mental health for creativity - so I’m trying to change that!