Editor’s Note: Miller and The Hunks are here to party and get you in the mood to… dance. And other things too, I suppose. They were a fan-favorite at CCC ’18 with their covers of The Turbos “Circles” and House of Heroes “Lose Control” and the way they ad-libbed certain songs. We caught up with frontman Colin Miller ahead of their set this weekend.

TUNED UP: Can you please introduce yourself?

Hello! My name is Colin Miller. I am 25 years old, and I sing and play keys in Miller and The Hunks. 

What made you and your band want to participate in this festival?

I think the CCC festival is a really cool idea. I think it lets bands show other bands some respect while also representing Columbus as a music city. So many other scenes are clique-y and kinda “Mean Girls” you know? This festival makes Columbus feel like a big family. 

What is next for you and your band?

That’s a hard question for me to answer. The basic answer would be to keep moving forward. I would like to see us start touring this year and potentially put out another EP or album. I am 100 percent confident that this band will do huge things. It’s just a matter of patience, hard work, and most importantly smart work. We are ready to hit the ground running, we just need that perfect team to get this product in every market we can. 

What is your favorite venue to play in Columbus? Hidden Gem?

The best sounding venue this band has played at is Skully’s. The room is big, and the sound has been great the last few times we’ve played there. Columbus has some great venues, though. I love playing at Ace of Cups, Ruby Tuesday, and Shrunken Head too.

If there were a Columbus Music Hall of Fame, what three acts would you induct?  

When my band first moved here about two years ago, there were two bands that were kinda the big dogs in our eyes. They were playing killer shows and pumping out some really cool songs. The Turbos and Zoo Trippin’ continue to impress and motivate me personally, and I think they deserve the respect they have. For my third pick I’m gonna get a little Kanye West on ya—I think my band should be in it too. If I didn’t think that, why would I be playing in this band? I think we work really hard and write killer stuff. 

Who are some local acts our readers should be listening to?

Man, there are some amazing bands in this city. I’m just gonna rattle off the first ones that come to mind. I’m sure I’ll forget some but here we go: Zoo Trippin’, The Turbos, Tourist Trap, Ghost Soul Trio, Girl Fox, Cousin Simple, Damn the Witch Siren, Radattack, Lilly in the Weeds, and Miller and The Hunks!

What is your favorite winter activity?  

My favorite winter activity would probably be listening to music while watching the snow fall. There’s a couple albums that always come back into my rotation when it’s really coming down. Angels and Airwaves’ album I-Empire, Mumford and Sons’ album Sigh No More, and Brandon Flowers’s album Flamingo are three that I just think are perfect “albums to listen to while it’s snowing.” 

What is your favorite winter drink?  

My favorite winter drink would have to be hot chocolate. I’m a slut for hot cocoa.

I am a huge fan of covers; what is your all-time favorite cover?  

I love Marilyn Manson’s cover of Sweet Dreams. I think he really made that song his own. I love both versions of the song, but the creepy darkness he added to it really made it unique to me. 

I also have a few songs that I feel should never be covered; do you have any songs that you feel should not, and if so what are they?

I don’t necessarily think there are any songs that are off limits. There are plenty of bands or artists where I may like the song, but the vocals bother me or maybe the recording quality bothers me. Covering could really bring certain songs to a whole new light of fans. There are so many bands who actually got famous from covering. I don’t know. I say go for it! 

If you could eat one sandwich for the rest of your life, what would it be?

I really love a nice ruben. I really like a lot of food. I’m probably the least picky eater there is.