Meet alt rock musician Tristan Miller

I recently had the pleasure of collaborating with Tristan Miller, who is an incredibly talented alternative rock musician from Charles Town, West Virginia. I listen to his music daily and I think you should, too! He kindly agreed to let me interview him about his musical journey, so without further ado, meet Tristan!

When discussing his songwriting process, Tristan explained that it comes in waves. "Spurts of songwriting come and go. There are usually periods when I write a large-ish number of songs, and then I might not write any for months. I like my album Forever Home, which I wrote and recorded during the height of Covid. Being cooped up for so long got me to really reach deep, which I think made for some good music."

When asked about the artists and genres that have had the biggest impact on his music, Tristan stated, "The Strokes have definitely outward affected me the most, as I attempt to virtually rip them off at every turn. But I’m also a huge fan of the Beatles, Foo Fighters, Arctic Monkeys, etc. So I’m not entirely brainwashed by one band, at least I don’t think so."

Discussing the challenges he has faced as a musician, Tristan highlighted the overwhelming sea of information and music available online. "It’s made the world realize that there thousands upon thousands of talented musicians everywhere. It’s hard to convince people you’re special enough to pay attention to," he admitted - something I think all of us independent artists can relate to!

I originally found Tristan through his YouTube channel, which has garnered a large community of musicians. Tristan shared that he turned to YouTube during the coranavirus pandemic as a creative outlet. "I did YouTube during Covid just to do something and tried to write songs in the style of multiple bands. I hoped to inspire people to write songs by giving little pointers as how I their favorite bands might do it, which I think some people appreciated. Now, though, I mainly just use the channel to for my own music stuff. I don’t really have the time anymore to post as frequently as I used to. I’m not entirely upset about that either. The YouTube grind is tougher than it seems," he said.

When asked about his proudest achievement to date, Tristan reflected on his work Forever Home. "It’s one of the few things I’ve done where I don’t cringe even once listening back. There is my EP, Grim Leecher’s Pear (out 31 May), that I like a lot, too. Other than that, I think it’s cool that I broke a few thousand on YouTube. That’s like three times as many people than went to my high school. Crazy!"

Reflecting on his musical collaborations, Tristan stated, "I deeply appreciate that I’ve been able to work with, or at least be in correspondence with, people from all over the world. I’ve worked with people from Europe and Australia just because we all just wanted to have a bit of fun. Not many people can say they’ve worked with such a diverse group purely for the love of music. These experiences have shaped me and my music in profound ways."

Tristan Miller is a fantastic artist you should definitely add to your playlists! Check out his newest album below, Grim Leecher's Pear:

Follow Tristan here!