Ever heard someone ask for Milk on the Rocks? Anywhere else, someone might hand over a glass of milk and ice. In Bowling Green, Ohio, the request means something a little different.
Milk on the Rocks (MOTR) is a local band debuting their first album, The Milky Way, on Friday, Oct. 25. This album has been in the works for four years.
“The songs were written so far apart from each other, so it’s kind of hard to relate them,” Brennan Hiser, bassist and lead singer of the trio, said. “I would say it’s almost a musical journey.”
The three-member band performs locally, and two of its musicians attend Bowling Green State University (BGSU).
“We hope to play some more kick-ass shows,” said Kyler Hiser, lead electric guitarist for the band. “And getting more shows in places outside of Wood County, like Columbus or Ann Arbor.”
Brennan is a freshman at BGSU studying systems engineering and his older brother Kyler is majoring in media production.
Jake Tinney, the band’s drummer, doesn’t attend BGSU but works in Maumee.
MOTR started four and a half years ago during the COVID lockdown. So, what is the band name’s origin story?
“There was no inspiration behind it, necessarily,” Brennan said. “Milk on the Rocks is just something we thought sounded best.”
Their method was simple: throwing ideas at the wall to see what stuck – but they did make sure the name was unique.
“We would come up with a band name idea and then look it up on Spotify,” said Kyler. “Milk on the Rocks was the first one that didn’t have another band with the name already.”
The band wanted to ensure there was only one “Milk on the Rocks.”
Unique names come with unique music, though not all of them will end up in their live shows.
“I just recorded a song for a school project on the Cold War, and it’s kind of silly,” Kyler jokingly said. “Maybe we’ll put it out at a Milk show one night.”
The story behind the band’s name stirs curiosity, but so does the latest single cover.
All three members stand in front of BGSU’s Moseley Hall, along with a mystery guest sporting a jug of milk on their head.
Who is this mystery member? The band said it’s confidential.
“No one’s going to know anything about it until they know everything about it,” said Kyler.
The band hopes to write more music once the craziness of an album release passes.
To promote The Milky Way, MOTR will perform at Howard’s Club H on Nov. 8. Doors open at 6 p.m., with the show starting at 7 p.m.
The band will announce additional news Thursday afternoon on their Instagram, @milkontherocksband.
The Milky Way will be available on Spotify Friday, Oct. 25.
