McMillin Takes Us On A Funky Nostalgia Trip In New Rock N' Roll Single 'What It Was'

McMillin releases new genre-blending single "What It Was." You can listen to the single here.

This song starts strong with four ear-piercing distorted guitar notes quickly followed by a much more mellow beat under a groovy bass riff. Now that he has everyone's attention, McMillin's smooth voice comes in with "Maybe it's just better off this way / Some say you begin to die when you refuse to change."

The guitar music stays mellow throughout the chorus with lots of variation in the drum set, a steady beat along with the occasional closed hi-hat and loud crash of a ride cymbal. The song builds throughout each verse adding more and more riffs from the lead guitar and bass guitar giving it that funky, bluesy sound. He sings, "And then it hits you all at once / It never will be what it was." McMillin accepts that with time comes change but that doesn't mean he doesn't miss what used to be.

McMillin shares, "Stylistically, this song is more blues rock than my typical output. It wasn't intentional at first, but I think it makes sense for the setting of this song being in Nashville. But I also blend it stylistically with hip-hop, especially when the pattern of the drums switches from straight ahead quarter notes to a J Dilla style swing beat for the remainder of the song. I definitely believe this song is an evolution of my typical style and is very reflective of the artists I was listening to at the time. Artists like Marcus King, Gary Clark Jr, Joe Bonamassa and others really brought out new flavors I haven't used yet and will undoubtedly color songs I write moving forward."

The single premiered exclusively with Bridge Magazine, and you can read here.

A dynamic Nashville based guitarist, vocalist, songwriter, and producer, McMillin is a jack of all trades and an artist in every sense of the word. Gaining inspiration from pop, rock, and funk genres, McMillin cannot be put into a box, but rather mends genres seamlessly, becoming what he calls a "fusion artist." Hailing from the music capital of the world, Nashville, TN, McMillin has been playing in clubs and bars in the heart of music city and beyond. Combining the elements of poetic dark pop with funk and rock components, McMillin creates a truly immersive, revolutionary musical adventure. McMillin's last release, "Drown Me Out," premiered exclusively with Earmilk.

Currently, McMillin is representing Rolling Stone as the frontman for the Rolling Stone Rock Room featured on Holland America Cruise Lines. McMillin describes the guitar as "his one true love" and this is clear as his talents of lead guitar playing, as well as his impressive rock vocals, are on full display in this electrifying show. Their itineraries include the Mediterranean and Scandinavia, as well as most of the Caribbean.

Keep up with McMillin at his website, www.officialmcmillin.com, or on his social media.

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