News Milk Maid

The first thing you notice about Martin Cohen is either going to be his beard or his hat. Which one you’re drawn to probably says a lot about your personality. It says even more if you remember the face or even the name from the depths of the last decade for his time in Nine Black Alps as they shuffled their way through the music industry.

Working under the guise of Milk Maid for the past 18 months or so, it’s been every amateur journalist’s dream to be gifted such an easy introduction for a piece on a band who don’t really deserve to be dwelling in shadows. Indeed, the project itself seems to have developed through a sense of stunted creativity whilst playing other people’s songs during his previous venture.

The truth is that, regardless of backgrounds of outside interests – Adam from the band also plays in Weird Era, by the by – Milk Maid are an outfit good enough to stand up on their own. In terms of touchstones, it’s best to look to the slacker rock of America and the lazy, melodic fuzz that the checked shirt masses over there seemed to specialise in for a few glorious years in the 90’s. The debut single was put out by local label Suffering Jukebox last year as good of a showcase as any of their unique ear for a good, if slightly warped, pop song.

June sees the release of their first LP, ‘Yucca’, through Fat Cat, with performances finally start happening away from their Manchester base a bit more often. Whilst promoters the region over mourn the loss of one of the best support acts gifted to them in recent years, you can let us all know – did you notice the hat or the beard first?

Such Fun - Milk Maid by Suffering Jukebox