Hailing from Birmingham, England, Tony Mills is one of the most talented and respected hard rock singers alive today.  Known by many as the lead singer of Siam and Shy, we catch up with the man himself to find out how life's been treating him since he joined the mighty ranks of Norwegian rock legends TNT.

MM - Firstly I would like to thank you for taking time out from what I’m sure is a busy schedule to complete this interview, it’s much appreciated.
Tony - No problem !

MM - It’s been almost a year since you first agreed to join TNT as their new lead singer.  A move that at the time caused quite a stir among their die-hard fans.  Were you surprised at the uproar it caused or were you half expecting it?
Tony - I was half expecting it.  After 23 years of having one singer, it's bound to cause dissention in the ranks and understandably so, to have to find a replacement. And I felt an empathy over the situation, as much as they were knocked about by Tony's leaving, they also had the apprehension of who would take the job on.  I think it's taken the year to really to get to grips with that and run with it to the point of the fans either accepting it or not, or compromising, as the case may be.  All I can say is, I've met a lot of great people and made a lot of foreign friends and not just from Norway!

MM - Since then you have made a consistent and concerted effort to allow the fans access to you via the forum and have now won many of them over.  How important is it to you and the band for that matter, to be so fan orientated and accessible?
Tony - I've always been 'up for it' with fans, and this situation was no different, although there were considerably more of them than I realised.  So I have been doing a lot of typing over the last twelve months.  TNT as a band don't really prioritise fan contact to a general degree and I think they were glad to hand that over to me, simply because they are better at doing other things.  Consequently, it means more to me, than it does to them and I suppose, in retrospect, it was particularly important in this case that I did.
 

MM - The release of ‘The New Territory’ hails the 25 year anniversary for TNT.  Other than the new album, does the band have plans to do anything else to celebrate this momentous achievement?
Tony - A new stage show is being built to take out on the road, very much built around the album design.  One video has already been completed and another is in the pipeline.  Many festivals have been booked and more are to come.  It will be a busy year.

MM - I believe the general release of the album will include 13 tracks in total with the Japanese release featuring a further 2 tracks.  You’ve described the album as being quite a diverse mix of songs, with something for everyone. Can you give us a little run through some of the songs and any thoughts behind them?
Tony - The opening track, 'A Constitution' has a very ethnic feel to it and rounded up by Tekro's killer riffing really makes a great album and show opener.  There are radio friendly tracks as well as ballads as well as rockers on the record and the mix is just right.  A 40's swing track called 'June' is a real crooner of a track and one of my favourites.  But the uptempo 'Substitute' and 'Golden Opportunity' are also such strong live tracks too.  The moody and sad end to the album, in 'Milestone River' was hailed as the finishing track the moment it was written and belongs there utterly.

MM - Have you had a chance to ‘test run’ any of the songs in a live environment yet? 
Tony - Not yet, two of the new tracks will be played live next week on May 5 and then the new full show will be unveiled at the Lillehammer festival on 26 May.

MM - Which of the new song(s) are you yourself most looking forward to singing live?
Tony - Probably 'Golden Opportunity', 'Are You Blind?' and 'Substitute'.

MM - Any truth in the rumours that the band will release a single from the new album?  If so which song has been chosen and why?
Tony - I doubt it. If by 'single', people really mean video, then yes there will be a video, which is already in the pipeline, but I can't tell you what song as yet.

MM - You're seen as one of the best vocalists around nowadays.  What do you feel are your strengths and your weaknesses vocally and have you ever had any vocal coaching over the years?
Tony - I was trained by an opera teacher when I was 21, but only because I suffered all the time on the road with laryngitis through strain and poor pacing through shows. That taught me a lot, and how to get through long laborious recording sessions with diaphragm control.  I always struggle when I can't hear what I'm doing on stage; this is traditionally because the band themselves are far too loud for their own good to even make it worthwhile having a monitor system, so in that scenario, the singer has got no chance. 

I'm always stronger when I have side fill monitors and I can pick up the ambience in the room, but you shouldn't have to rely on that.  A band should be considerate towards each other and keep the volume of their instruments at a reasonable level so other people have got a chance.  I have to say at this point, that Tekro is extremely considerate and winds his guitars up very loud, and then makes me even louder !!

MM - You have a great distinctive vocal sound that can travel through many moods, do you find this helps when composing new songs?
Tony - Without a doubt. But then the style of the song also will only allow you to do certain things without it just becoming some strange unlistenable thing.  You need to remember to use all capabilities of a voice from choir to scream, from whisper to shout and from talking to crooning and so on.  A voice can do so much.  It doesn't always have to sound the same, just changing the shape of your face and mouth can give you a myriad of sounds.

MM - The band have already released details of a number of large festival appearances over the coming months in Norway.  For all your fans based outside of Norway, are there any plans to do any shows further afield?
Tony - It really depends on the UK signing.  That would be instrumental in certainly UK bookings, but we are also actively talking to other agents now we have spent a year together, to move out of Norway into other regions of Europe.

MM - In March this year the band filmed the video for ‘Harley Davidson’.  What were the reasons behind this particular song being chosen and was it a straight re-production of the original song or more re-vamped and updated version?
Tony - The original lyrics were used and it was really filmed to be used as a marketing tool for the coming months, especially in the U.S. as they have a big Harley year.

MM - Last Summer there was talk of TNT being involved in a rap version of ‘10,000 Lovers’. Did this go ahead and what was the story behind that?
Tony - It was really devised by a TV station that were re-vamping old well known songs and placing them in different styles.  TNT were first up with 10,000 lovers.  For some it was fun, for some it was their worst possible nightmare.  But the TV company didn't do their homework and it wasn't released after all.

MM - There have also been rumours of a TNT book/documentary being made on the band spanning its whole career.  What can you tell us about that?
Tony - Terje Singstad is rather an amazing guy who trawls around after TNT with a veritable 'War and Peace' under one arm and a CD recorder under the other.  I have undergone interviews with him and I have more to do.  He has been compiling it since the 80's I believe, and plans to complete it this year.  A serious piece of work.

MM - You’ve worked with some of the biggest names in rock over the years, is there any one person you’d really love to work with but haven’t yet had the opportunity yet?
Tony - Maybe Bowie or Ian Hunter again.  I'd say Iggy Pop, but people would think I was completely off my head.  But, and I have to say in all honesty, Tekro is a remarkable individual and one of the real highlights of my career.  So talented and truly gifted and very egotistical, and quite rightly so.  Few people have impressed me in 25 years as much as he.

MM - You seem like a musician that constantly has to be busy, is this assumption correct? Do you ever feel overworked, like you have too many projects going at the same time?
Tony - Not really.  Music is a passion and a life.  You can't party all the time, you still gotta eat etc.  I work with many and varied people from folk to metal and in different capacities.  For some they need backing arrangements, for others they need a lead vocal, for many, they need everything.  There is only so much you can do, but I prioritise my workload and TNT sits at the top.

MM - In addition to the new TNT album, 2007 will also see the release of Dante Fox’s latest release ‘Under The Seven Skies’ on which I believe you provided backing vocals.   How did you become involved in this?
Tony - It's got somewhat of a tradition really, Tim and Sue only live about 10 miles from me and I worked on a lot of their material in the past.  Great people and a bloody good album.  Their best, I think.

MM - Having been in the music business for some time now you must have seen some radical changes over the years.  Some good, some bad.  What do you think has been the biggest shake up over the years and what if anything would you like to see change?
Tony - The biggest change has been Internet, I don't think anyone could deny that.  But I know that is all for the good, I find it irreplaceable.  Regarding change, I would like to see the smaller labels stop ripping musicians off and for a change, actually registering product properly with the MCPS, making sure people get regular statements, have proper promotion and marketing done on their new product instead of labels just pressing up the risky 1000 copies in the hope they'll sell and then shelving the band when they've sold their first press.  That really pisses me off.

MM - What short phrase best describes the band and it’s mood right now?
Tony - 'Now We're Talking !!'

MM - What does the future hold for Tony Mills, do you have any other projects in the pipeline that we haven’t spoken about?
Tony - I am fairly devoted to TNT and they have me tied up for most of this year.  But I will enjoy the release of Lasse Dale's album 'Screaming For Silence' which I've been working on for the last year.

MM - Finally is there anything you’d like to add or any words of wisdom for your army of fans out there?
Tony - If TNT haven't reached you yet, we'll do our best over the coming twelve months.  Check out 'The New Territory', it's been an experience to write and record, and it's very addictive to listen to.  Enjoy it and many thanks for your support over the years.

Cheers, Tone.

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