Island Records Australia

Central Coast-raised, Sydney-based band The Million are ushering in a new era with the release of their new single ‘No One’s Home’. 

It’s an emotive, vulnerable taste of what’s to come from the band, signalling a newfound music maturity. It’s the rawest and most unreserved we’ve heard them, taking their effortless knack for a pop hook and delivering an emotional sucker punch.

‘No One’s Home’ arrives on the back of significant changes for the band, almost a year after the release of their sophomore EP ‘why we’ll never be together. After six months of not seeing each other due to 2021’s lockdowns, the whole band moved in together. It’s a move that’s naturally encouraged a renewed sense of collaboration and creativity. 

The first song that they wrote together face-to-face out of lockdown, ‘No One’s Home’ was an immediate breakthrough. Written and produced with frequent collaborator Dylan Nash (Dean Lewis, Angus & Julia Stone), they felt as if they’d unlocked a new sound driven by unfiltered lyrics and tender instrumentation. 

“We knew what we wanted to say without saying it to each other,” lead vocalist Jacob Thomas says. “My brain went into deep focus and it was coming from a place of vulnerability where I was thinking about a cyclical relationship. About going back to something I knew rather than exploring new territories and not acknowledging if it’s the right thing for you or not.”

Reflecting on their short but sharp discography so far, the band says ‘No One’s Home’ adds a missing dimension. On their last EP, ‘why we’ll never be together, they mastered glossy pop hooks paired with emotional release but this time around they’re digging even deeper. ‘No One’s Home’ embraces a richer sound of psychedelic tinges and delicate vocals. It’s softer without losing the stickiness of the hooks. 

As a lyricist, Thomas has found a new source of inspiration, committing to lyrics that don’t hide behind anything. “It’s getting to a point where if it’s not true to what I want to say at that point in time I don’t know if I should say it,” he says.

The video for the song, directed by Suzanne Kim, translates that vulnerability to the screen. It’s their most affecting visual to date portraying the notion of acting within a relationship that’s not right. Thomas acts in a haunting piece of theatre that plays out a little like a nightmare. 

“‘No One’s Home’ is about a loveless relationship that has run its course, yet the two decide to stay despite feelings of helplessness and isolation,” says Kim.

“I wanted to expand on this concept and explore the performative nature of ourselves in these situations – there’s a certain theatrical aspect to the different identities we ‘put on’  to simply coexist with one another.”

The Million’s willingness to dig deeper both sonically and visually is a product of the comfortable environment that they’ve created together. Now roommates and bandmates, there are few boundaries between them. The result is an increasing confidence of their abilities as a band. 

“There’s more camaraderie than we ever thought possible,” says Thomas. “Everyone has complete input and is as necessary to the process.”

It’s a new chapter for a group that has been forming, piece-by-piece, over the last decade. Thomas met drummer Jay Stewart in high school. Despite, initially butting heads over a girl, they were forced together in a school band kickstarting a long-standing musical relationship.

Thomas and bassist Tamon Mashimo also met in their teens though they lost touch until they were reunited at a Paramore concert. Members had come and gone but Mashimo arrived as the missing piece they had been looking for. Meanwhile, guitarist McKinley Payne joined as an official member before the last EP and has been integral to the band’s creative process ever since. 

The last EP ‘why we’ll never be together’ saw Thomas head to LA to work with writers and producers but the pandemic has grounded the band for their latest music, and it’s proved to be fruitful. While they’re still excited by and open to all collaboration, Thomas notes that this is the most self-sufficient they have ever been. They’re at a place where they’re feeding off each other’s ability.

“We’re starting to find a lot of pride in what we can do just as a band,” Thomas says. 

The new music is poised to add to their impressive list of accolades built over the past five years. They now boast over 5.2 million streams across their discography. Their music has been added to Spotify’s ‘All New Rock’, ‘Pop n’ Fresh’ and ‘New Music Friday’ and Apple’s ‘Heaps Indie’, ‘Breaking Pop’ and ‘New Music Daily’, among others. They have also found rotation on triple j.

The new project is still in the works but Thomas has hinted that ‘No One’s Home’ gives a good clue about the sonic direction. It’s vulnerable and raw while also taking advantage of their natural ability to write slick hooks that swirl around the head for days. 

They have just one goal for their new music, according to Thomas: “We just want to be super honest and vulnerable.”

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