All images courtesy of Sister Doll/Silver Tiger Media


By Andrew Daly
andrew@vinylwriter.com

Conjuring memories of the past, guitarist Brennan Mileto and his cohorts in Australian glam rock outfit Sisters Doll are a throwback to an era once relegated but now revived.

Having beaten the odds stacked against them as an independent band, and with zero major label support, the erstwhile trio has ambitiously toured up and down the coast of Australia, and from horizons far and wide throughout the world in support of their first two records, Welcome to the Dollhouse, and All Dolled Up.

Unfazed by a polarizing pop landscape that at times is indifferent to rock ‘n’ roll, Sisters Doll has not only held serve, but triumphantly seized the day in sharing the stage with the likes of Bruce Kulick, Peter Criss, Ace Frehley, and even holding court as one of many seminal acts invited to participate in 2022’s Creatures Fest.

Harboring a no holds barred, take no prisoners attitude, for Brennan Mileto, and Sister Doll, the best is yet to come. Be it gracing the stages of L.A.’s famed Sunset Strip, or manifesting childhood dreams in ways never imagined, Sisters Doll have moved to put the greater rock world on notice.

As the band works to complete its yet-to-be-titled third album, Brennan Mileto dug in with me to pull back the curtain on the past, present, and future of Australia’s modern-day favorite sons, Sisters Doll.

Andrew:
Sisters Doll has been on quite a run which has included a show on the famed Sunset Strip. What has stood out most during the tour?

Brennan:
This tour was targeted to be a promotional tour for the band throughout the USA. It all started with the opportunity arising to play at Creatures Fest in Nashville alongside our dear friend Peter Criss. We were stoked to be asked to play Nashville, so we decided to make a promotional tour out of it. We ended up playing 9 shows in the USA hitting Los Angeles, New York, Las Vegas, and Nashville. It was a great trip, and we couldn’t be prouder of what we achieved in the 3 weeks we were there. We jammed as much as we could into our time, and it was our way of getting the feelers out and pushing our name out to the USA market so when we do come back in 2023 with new music and our 3rd album, the beautiful people of the United States will be ready for us.

Andrew:
Taking the stage at the Whiskey, what thoughts were running through your mind?

Brennan:
It was such a surreal moment. We had played the Whisky exactly 10 years prior for the first time when the band was just starting out. To play the iconic venue again 10 years later was an amazing experience. We soaked it up a lot more this time as we are a little older and wiser, and we made sure we captured and enjoyed every moment. It was so amazing to just be playing in L.A. on the Strip on such an Iconic stage, and to win the crowds over was the best feeling in the world. We treated the Whisky like every other show we do, we knew we would go out and do our best and rock the stage the only way we know how.

Andrew:
You also backed up Peter Criss in NYC. Walk me through the experience.

Brennan:
The night in New York City was a night that we will never ever forget. We played to a full house at the Cutting Room in the heart of NYC. Never in a million years did we think 3 brothers from a small country town in Western Australia would now be headlining a club in NYC alongside our hero and dear friend, Peter Criss. The night was amazing seeing people sing our own songs back to us is a feeling you can never explain. It was an amazing experience to get Peter Criss out halfway through and smash out some classic Peter Criss songs with him. It added a nice touch to our show and for the fans in the audience. We are very blessed, and we have worked so hard over the years, so to get opportunities like this it really feels like things are finally paying off.

All images courtesy of Sister Doll/Silver Tiger Media

Andrew:
Paint a picture of Creatures Fest for me. How important has KISS been for Sisters Doll in terms of influence?

Brennan:
Creatures Fest was the ultimate KISS party. It was honestly a KISS ARMY heaven. [Laughs]. I remember saying to someone, “Is this what the KISS KRUISE is like?” And they were like, “Believe it or not, the KISS KRUISE is even crazier.” Hearing that comment really shocked me because this was a one-of-a-kind event for the KISS ARMY. This event was a 3-day event run by a great team and staff of loyal KISS fans.

It all started at the pool party where Austin and myself were a part of the all-star band. We played KISS MTV Unplugged in full by the pool to over 800 screaming KISS fans. Bruce Kulick then hit the stage and then we got to play alongside Ace Frehley, it sure was a surreal moment in our lives. Creatures Fest continued for another 2 days and it was an honor to be a part of it. We played alongside Peter Criss, we got to open up the last night of the concert series, and we met so many lovely people and friends that allowed us to cherish this moment forever.

KISS has been a major influence on us as a band. We all grew up loving KISS, mimicking those guys, and dressing up as them when we were kids. They really gave us the ultimate inspiration to do what we do today. They were our first concert when we were kids, and to witness KISS is just another experience where we were in awe. We are very grateful that our dad played all the great eras of music, and we got to grow up listening to the best of the best. That era of music is really injected into our veins. 

Andrew:
What was your introduction to music?

Brennan:
Music was always in the family growing up. Dad was always in cover bands and wedding bands so from a very young age all three of us were exposed to the joy that is music. Dad was always playing music within the house, so we were well educated about all the great stuff. I was a drummer in my first band and the family instrument was drums, so we all know how to play the drums which is pretty cool. My first memory of music would be playing along to the KISS MTV Unplugged VHS tape and playing the song “2000 Man.” I was about 2 years old at the time, and there is footage somewhere of me smashing the drums. I will have to find the footage one day. [Laughs].

Andrew:
Given your initial interest in the drums, what first gravitated you toward the guitar?

Brennan:
I was originally a drummer in my first band, but I always wanted to be a guitarist. I guess the drums came more naturally to me when I was younger because my dad was a drummer, so I just stuck to drums. When my first band started getting some attention, and we started to record seriously, I thought I would be a drummer forever, but my heart was always with the guitar. I remember one day when I was about 15 or 16, I started picking up the guitar a lot more, and then something suddenly clicked, and I could play. I then spent all my time on YouTube and learned everything and anything I could. I’ve always loved guitars. I can’t explain it, but there’s just something therapeutic about them for me.

Andrew:
People often cite players as influences, but what experiences in life shaped your style and sound most?

Brennan:
I think as a musician you grow and become who you are meant to become. I’ve always taken influence from other artists, but I have always tried to stay true to myself. I’m not someone who is trying to reinvent the wheel, but I think if you stay humble, and true to who you are inside, then people will see that and connect. What I do onstage and in my music world I have worked my ass off and It’s not easy. People think the music industry is all fun and games, but if you don’t love it there is no reason to do it because there is so much hard work that goes into it. What we have achieved over the years all comes down to how hard we have worked. I still want more, and I crave more. I crave the audience and the on-stage adrenaline. I will continue to chase that dream at 110% for as long as I can while the hunger and drive are still pushing me.

All images courtesy of Sister Doll/Silver Tiger Media

Andrew:
Going back, how did Sisters Doll first come together?

Brennan:
We are blood brothers, so naturally, we all grew up together in the same house as a close-knit family. Like I said, music was always in our bones growing up, so it was only a matter of time before we started jamming together. We were very lucky we grew up on a 5-acre property and dad had built a music room off of his shed, and had all the equipment from his old band days. We were fortunate that we could go and play up in that room whenever we wanted. It all started with the 3 of us jamming in the back shed which then led to playing our first show as a cover band at a family friend’s 60th. We then got the taste of performing and wanted to keep doing it. I had been in a band before Sisters Doll and loved performing but my brothers Bryce and Austin who were 12 and 15 at the time, they loved the feeling they got on stage too. It just sparked something in all three of us and we kept working hard and taking the next steps to conquer all our dreams.

Andrew:
Welcome to the Dollhouse was a stout debut. What memories do you have from the sessions?

Brennan:
The Memories from the Welcome to the Dollhouse sessions are times in my life I will never, ever forget. We were young, green, and excited to be recording our first album. We won a band competition that allowed us to record 5 free days in a beautiful, proper recording studio. Because we got 5 days for free, we thought, “Well rather than do just an EP, what about we do an album, and pay the extra so we have a full album?” The album is beautiful because it captured us in a time of hunger, drive, and excitement. The first album always has a special place in my heart because even though it wasn’t a worldwide success or a number one selling album, it was the start of a great journey, and our dreams becoming a reality. 

Andrew:
How do you feel the band progressed between its debut and All Dolled Up?

Brennan:
We progressed so much between our debut, and All Dolled Up. We really grew as a band and a lot happened to the band within that time frame. We moved across the country from Western Australia to Victoria. We left our family behind to chase the dream. We did countless gigs up and down the east coast of Australia, and in that time, we really found ourselves and worked our asses off winning over crowds the only way we knew how. We always put 110% into every show we did, whether there was 1 person in the audience, or 700, we would give them our best every single time. We met a lot of great people during this time, and we got the opportunity to do some big things. We were runners-up in Australia’s Got Talent in 2016, we played and toured Australia with Bruce Kulick and other major touring acts, and we really worked on our craft and songwriting using all these experiences to build a solid foundation for the second album release.

All images courtesy of Sister Doll/Silver Tiger Media

Andrew:
Is the band working on a follow-up? If so, what can you tell me about it?

Brennan:
Yes, we are. We are currently working on our 3rd independent album. It’s sounding incredible and we are very excited to be releasing new music. It’s a step in the right direction with this music being a little edgier and the songs being the best we have ever written in the past. I know that’s cliche, and all bands say this, but we believe this will be our strongest release to date, and we cannot wait for everyone to hear it. Get ready DOLL ARMY; this one is for you. 

Andrew:
In your opinion, what’s the greatest sounding rock record of all time?

Brennan:
You could ask me on any other day and my answer would probably be different, but I would have to say the best-sounding rock record of all time at this moment in time for me would be KISS’ Revenge. The whole album just sounds tough, melodic and everything a good rock ‘n’ roll record should be. It’s not my favorite KISS record, but I love the sound of this album, and always have.

Andrew:
What sort of gear do you use in the studio and live to set?

Brennan:
In the studio, we have always been open to experimenting and using equipment that sounds great and will give us the best result. For example, on our current album, we have used a Fender Bassman Amp head plugged into a Marshall Cab, and we captured a great rhythm sound. When live, I have just started using Kemper. I brought myself a Kemper Stage, which has been great for when we travel because I have all my tones in a compact pedal system. I run it through a Marshall Cab and head, and the sound is amazing for me live. I’m a very straightforward player, so all I need is a clean tone, Rhythm tone, and lead boost tone and that’s me. I have never looked past Gibson Guitars I love them, and I have used them in the studio and live all the time.

All images courtesy of Sister Doll/Silver Tiger Media

Andrew:
There seems to be a resurgence for hard rock these days. To what do you attribute that?

Brennan:
I think what goes around eventually comes around. I think we are at a point in life where people want to feel something in music again. Feel the drums, hear the emotion in the vocals and not have everything be so perfect. At the end of the day, you can’t kill rock ‘n’ roll, and while people may say it’s dead, it honestly has never gone away. It’s just unfortunately not been at the forefront of mainstream music in the present.

I do agree with you. You can seriously feel there has been a change. I think younger generations are experiencing it for the first time with the help of shows like Stranger Things, and Mötley Crüe The Dirt. Also, streaming platforms like Netflix have been a big help too. The only way it will come back to the forefront is if the younger generations start believing in rock ‘n’ roll again, and start feeling the same emotions that our parents and generations before us felt. I think with all the biopics due to be released showcasing classic iconic bands, that will also help open the eyes to the next generations coming through.

At the end of the day, we want rock ‘n’ roll to be relevant, and not just be a throwback to the heyday. And I think with bands coming through at the moment like The Struts, Great Van Fleet, and hey, even Sisters Doll, the world is in good hands to get rock ‘n’ roll back to where it needs to be, at least in the eyes of the mainstream people.  

Andrew:
What does Sisters Doll have to do to remain viral going forward?

Brennan:
I think by just pushing forward and releasing new music. We plan to release single after single to build the brand that is Sisters Doll more and more to its full potential. It is also important to take on opportunities when they arise and see where the opportunities take you and not be scared to take them. It is important for bands to embrace the new world of music and how to get their music out there to the world to build a solid fanbase.

Andrew:
Does the band intend to stay independent, or is a record deal in the works?

Brennan:
We are currently independent but we have been talking with a few labels to see if they can take this new album to further heights. We believe this album has the magic to be pushed all the way. We want it to be pushed to its full potential and get in the hands of the right people to give this album and our band, Sisters Doll, the recognition we believe it deserves.

Andrew:
What’s next in all lanes, Brennan?

Brennan:
Next for us is to finish our third album and release multiple singles to build the hype and the album. We will then tour the album extensively in our own country, Australia, with the plans to tour and hit places like Japan, the USA, Europe, and wherever the music takes us. We have been going for a long time but the wheels are still turning, and until those wheels stop turning there will be no stopping us. I want to thank you for giving me the interview and I look forward to seeing you at a show very soon. Rock on. Stay safe. And much love to you all.

All images courtesy of Sister Doll/Silver Tiger Media

Andrew Daly (@vwmusicrocks) is the Editor-in-Chief for www.vwmusicrocks.com and may be reached at andrew@vinylwriter.com

One response to “An Interview with Brennan Mileto of Sisters Doll”

  1. I enjoyed “Sisters Doll” in Nashville, TN. Very energetic band with catchy tunes. Fans are happy to hear they’ll be sailing with us on “The KISS Kruise XI” so maybe we’ll hear some of their new tunes? Halloween weekend. Rock and roll is very much alive and well.

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