The Obelisk Questionnaire: Tommy Miller of Void King
The Obelisk Questionnaire is a series of open questions intended to give the answerer an opportunity to explore these ideas and stories from their life as deeply as they choose. Answers can be short or long, and that reveals something in itself, but the most important factor is honesty.
Based on the Proust Questionnaire, the goal over time is to show a diverse range of perspectives as those who take part bring their own points of view to answering the same questions. To see all The Obelisk Questionnaire posts, click here.
Thank you for reading and thanks to all who participate.
The Obelisk Questionnaire: Tommy Miller of Void King
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How do you define what you do and how did you come to do it?
We’re a loud rock and roll band. But at the end of the day, music is something that has always been a part of our lives. The goal for Void King was always to have fun, drink beer, and really discover what our sound actually was. Our drummer and I are best friends for over 30 years now, and we’ve been playing in bands together forever. Through that whole journey, we really fell into what our sound is. Sometimes it takes a while to figure out what “sounding like yourself” means. But once you get there, there’s a real freedom in being able to do what you want with no pressure on yourself.
Describe your first musical memory.
We were driving to Florida and my uncle, who is ten years older than me, made me listen to Back In Black on his headphones. I was six years old at the time and I just remember how it made me feel. I could almost feel my brain rewire itself.
Describe your best musical memory to date.
Void King touring Europe. Not only was it the most fun we’ve ever had playing music, we had the best time ever. Amsterdam on Halloween night in the red light district is a good place to be for a stoner rock band. But yeah, the crowds were great. The other bands were incredible. I’m not sure anything even comes close to be honest. Hanging out with our label dudes, drinking Belgian beer in Belgium, and playing great shows. It might be hard to ever top that.
When was a time when a firmly held belief was tested?
Speaking solely for myself, but I’ve always been pretty anti violence. Not a pacifist per se. But I never thought that fighting or physical protests did much. But I think that in the last few years, I’ve been proven wrong. Sometimes you need to punch a Nazi in the face. It isn’t what I want to do. But sometimes it needs to be done.
Where do you feel artistic progression leads?
Honesty. I hear a lot of people compare their art to other people to get an audience. We all do it on some level at some time. “OH yeah, we sound like soundgarden meets the monkees” or whatever. But as you progress, you hopefully learn that none of that means a thing. If you’re really being honest, artistry is about being vulnerable and showing who you really are. If you don’t, people can see through that bullshit. You can get away with faking it for a bit, but people aren’t dumb and they will look right through your facade.
How do you define success?
The age old question. For me, being able to produce songs that someone else can relate to is success. Would I love Void King to get huge and tour forever? Of course I would. But as we get older, you’d be dumb not to readjust the goals and be super frank with yourself. I’m always going to play music in some capacity. On some level, that is success. But we all have day jobs. We all have bills to pay, families to take care of, and a myriad of other responsibilities. Music is going to be there. If someone wants to pay us to get out there full time, we’d go. Until then, our success means that we continue to write meaningful songs and try to create something of a cult.
What is something you have seen that you wish you hadn’t?
I saw a motorcycle pass me going at least 140 mph on the freeway, get the speed wobbles, and get thrown into the overpass. He hit and slid like a cartoon character. But what fucked me up was watching his shoes fly off. I have no idea why that part sticks with me.
Describe something you haven’t created yet that you’d like to create.
I am working on a solo record and I want to finish it up sooner than later. Void King is my main musical priority, but I have a lot of weird ass ideas with a lot of different instruments and I really want to get those ideas on wax. Some of my work team is in Turkey, and that music has had a big impact on me. I can’t wait to explore it further.
What do you believe is the most essential function of art?
To provoke a reaction. Whether it’s in the consumer or the artist, I love how art makes people feel. Literature, visual arts, music, etc, I love taking in new to me art. The world is a better place when people are arguing over if something is art or not. I actually love that discussion.
Something non-musical that you’re looking forward to?
I’m finishing a book called Between Two Fires right now and I can’t wait to read the end. It’s a book about the black plague and a group’s journey through the French countryside. It is absolutely brutal, and every page is terrifying and perfect.
http://voidking.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/voidkingband/
http://offtherecordlabel.bigcartel.com/
https://www.offtherecordshop.nl/
