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Every Monday we will be bringing you interviews with UK or Ireland artists for Independent Music Monday. Recently we caught up with Liverpool band Sam Millne & the Virants to find out more…

Who is in the band, how did you meet, where are you from and how did you come up with the name?
Known by many on the Merseyside music scene, Sam Millne is making a name for himself with Sam Millne & the Virants. With catchy riffs and memorable melodies, the band bring something for everyone to their shows where the audience know the songs by heart, whether they’re fans of cheesy pop or indie rock. Seeking to expand his repertoire and audience, in late 2023, Sam was joined by university coursemate Max Conyers (drums) to form a backing band to perform his songs. This was then expanded with the addition of Frankie Conyers (bass) and Alex Jones (lead guitar) joining shortly afterwards to create Sam Millne & The Virants. The end of 2024 and 2025 promises to be an exciting time as they release their best music yet and play live to new audiences.

Who were your musical influences when you were growing up and who are your influences now?
For Sam, my musical influence growing up was very much from The Beatles as well as musicals like Les Miserables and Jesus Christ Superstar.

Now, influence comes from mostly Merseyside-based artists, past and present, as well as other bands such as The Snuts.

How would you describe your sound?
Difficult to describe but I would place it probably closest to pop-rock.

What is your latest release called and what was the influence behind it?
Annie came out on September 27, 2024 and is the catchy new pop-rock single from Sam Millne & the Virants.

With influence taken from the likes of The La’s, Deacon Blue and The Snuts, this is a track for almost anyone to enjoy, no matter their usual musical preference.

Before forming Sam Millne & the Virants, this was one of Millne’s most-requested songs on the acoustic circuit. He now feels this single, produced by James Gaugler at Briar Street Studios, Liverpool, is finally fitting for the melody he dreamed up. ‘Annie’ is a song that was written after a night out in late 2021 and is a light-hearted tune that takes you on a journey through the subject’s head as they overthink a late-night kiss. Millne said: “Annie is an upbeat song designed to be memorable for its unique chorus and post-chorus. While it’s a relatively carefree tune, the lyrics should be relatable for listeners as everyone has been a situation whereby they need to decide whether to let things be or take a risk. Maybe most importantly, though, this should be an easy song to learn and join in with at our live shows!

What’s your local music scene like?
It’s fantastic on Merseyside. I, Sam, actually run merseymusic.co.uk to try and highlight the rest of the scene and how much talent there is out there.

There are so many artists to bounce off and work from, it is a great for youngsters. Now, we just need the support from those in the industry.

What do you have planned for the next 12 months?
We have more singles being recorded very soon as well as plans to take the show outside of Liverpool again in the near future. Hopefully summer 2025 will bring us gigs at festivals, too.

Is there anyone you’d love to collaborate with?
Dream: Paul McCartney
Dream but potentially realistic: Red Rum Club

Any funny stories surrounding your live performances?
As a band, there aren’t any particularly funny moments while being on the stage but off it, we’ve had our fair share of technical problems that have had to be ironed out!

What is the one thing that you want readers to know about you?
That we’re versatile and all about the music.

There is so much to come in terms of songwriting, nobody should be writing us off or pigeon-holing what we can do.

We can’t wait to share our songs that you should be able to sing along to!

Upcoming live dates and performances
Friday 4th October 2024 – the Jacaranda, Liverpool

You can find out more about Sam Millne & the Virants on their website or via Apple Music, Facebook, Instagram, Linktree, Spotify, Threads, TikTok, X (Twitter) or YouTube.