Tow'rs sounds a bit like getting lost in the moment while sprawling in a meadow. There's a sonic open air vibe to husband-and-wife duo Kyle and Gretta Miller's harmony-rich folk-rock that feels unrestrained and freeing. Inspired by the nature surrounding their hometown of Flagstaff, Ariz., the couple has crafted a musical and personal life full of expression.
"We met in college (at Northern Arizona University), and we actually started playing music together before we were even dating," says Gretta. "We were just friends. So it's always been a part of our relationship. We don't really know our relationship without music being an element of that. But it wasn't until after we'd been married for about a year that we had a collection of songs [where] we were like, we just need to just record these and just see what happens."
What happened was Tow'rs found an audience. Since 2014, the band has put out four albums of original tunes, plus a 2020 Christmas album (The Holly & the Ivy). The pair work in tandem with Kyle often being the poetic jumping-off point for songs and Gretta being the editorial voice in the room. The way the duo describes the process, it's almost a metaphysical experience.
"There's kind of this mysterious feeling that I have with each [song]," Kyle says, "if it feels right in our bodies and has the right amount of lightness. And communicates clearly, but also poetically."
The lightness of their music draws on many influences which they're not afraid to wear on their sleeves. Early in Tow'rs' existence Kyle was particularly influenced by the ambient sounds and floating vocals of Sigur Rós, but more recently he has drawn from Canadian songwriter Leif Vollebekk and his songwriting storytelling hero, Jeff Tweedy (Tow'rs' 2019 LP, New Nostalgia, specifically drew from the organic feel of Wilco's Sky Blue Sky). For her part, Gretta has been inspired recently by the likes of Sylvan Esso and Madison Cunningham.
There are certainly many unique elements to being both a band and a married couple. While it's fun working and traveling together, the biggest benefits of such a relationship — both positively and negatively — are felt most acutely during the song-creation process.
"In songwriting, my goal at least is to try to be as honest [as possible] while also being poetic. And sometimes those things are really tough for me. I feel like I can get a little bit greedy with the poetry when I'm writing upfront," says Kyle. "And one of the best things about writing with Gretta is that she's so great at being able to help me decipher the things I'm feeling and put them into language that might be a little bit clearer, even to me."
"The hard part is that there's an extra layer of vulnerability that you continue to have to dig up in songwriting," he continues. "Sometimes that vulnerability can be really uncomfortable and cause a lot of tension. And you just have to be careful about how you communicate ideas, but I think we're better because of our songwriting relationship. We've been able to dive into parts of our life that maybe wouldn't have come up quite as naturally or easy."
An added element for the Millers is that they're also parents. They have two children, ages 4 and 6. That can understandably add obstacles to a musical life. While still a baby, their oldest child joined them on the road because it was the only way they could work while Gretta was breastfeeding. At points, they've hired touring nannies to assist with the somewhat chaotic nature of road life. But the couple enjoys touring with the kids and will be bringing them along for the second leg of this upcoming tour.
For now, Tow'rs is just trying to approach its music with a bit more joy and lightheartedness after the struggles of pandemic times. They're scheduled to record a new album in Colorado in July with a full band, but currently they're just in the mode of songcraft that sounds like an incredibly comforting creative version of domestic bliss.
"Most of our energy right now is going toward just trying to write songs that Gretta and I enjoy sitting together in our kitchen." ♦
Tow'rs • Tue, Feb. 22 at 8 pm • $15 • Lucky You Lounge • 1801 W. Sunset Blvd. • luckyyoulounge.com • 509-474-0511
