a brief conversation with… milan ring

How did you become a musician? I like to think that I became a musician in the womb, whilst my dancer mother played music and moved and grooved around the house. When I picked up the guitar at around 12 years old, there was nothing I wanted to do but make music from then on. I joined bands; learnt many different styles of music; started to compose; learnt how to produce and soon after beginning to gig, I dropped all other jobs and became a muso. What’s the most challenging part of writing, performing and producing your own stuff? Each element has different challenges, but overall, it would be removing perfectionism – allowing the song’s essence to shine through and not over polishing it – in the songwriting, production and even in the performance. Describe a moment when you felt starstruck. I performed in front of Jill Scott when I was around 22 and briefly met her at a Sydney jam night. I was nervous about performing an original, so I performed a Lauryn Hill song instead. I wish I had more confidence back then, but she said lovely things and tweeted at me afterwards and said I was great! What’s your stage persona? Dork. What would your last meal be? It would have to be my mum’s warming masoor dal and my dad’s hot pot with all the mushrooms and veggies and tofu. Random mix, but I’d make it work! What is keeping you hopeful right now? I feel hopeful for the power of art and its place to expand the collective consciousness and transform the world into a more loving home.