THE GRAHAMS Release SEARCHING THE MILKY WAY Documentary Short

"I truly believe that the meaning of Route 66 is in the people who are keeping it alive," says cinematic indie band The Grahams in their documentary short, Searching The Milky Way. The documentary follows Alyssa and Doug Graham (band partners and married couple) on an epic motorcycle ride along Route 66 which inspired their latest album Kids Like Us. "The kitsch is insignificant, the motels and the neon... It's the stories of these people that live on, the stories that continue to be written and continue to, hopefully, be preserved. I hope more young adults start taking pride in Route 66, for us the history is fascinating and the music that came out of it is awesome."

Each scene in Searching The Milky Way tackles different parts of The Grahams' journey from starting out in Chicago eating grits and gravy through Missouri, Oklahoma, Northern Texas, Arizona, and ultimately Los Angeles while exploring the "Great American Story."

Throughout the stops at antique shops, diners, barber shops, art houses, the band constantly looks inward and outward as they learn more about the country and themselves. They juxtapose the historic road's David Lynch-ian neon sheen with the raw and real realities of the Working Class folk that have called this place their home for generations. Flashing neon signs illuminate desert themed motel curtains in glowing red as sound clips play over top, "What they're trying to sell on Route 66 is 'America', whatever you think 'America' might be, what you want America to be. There's a Disneyland-eques playing into the expectations, like 'Is this real America or not.' All of these people, all of these places are real and it's in America. It's hard to reconcile all those truths, it's a great metaphor for the county."

Woven into this outward exploration of Route 66 is deeper inward recognition of love and love lost, the bliss of friendship, and the inspiration for creation. It's the bumps and bruises along the way that create depth in life and art. "Two kids from the Jersey suburbs on a 6-week motorcycle ride across nothing short of the 'twilight zone' of America," the band explains. "The people are odd, the motels are creepy, the road is forgotten, and the racists are plenty. For some, of course, this is simply home and for others this is a chance to see nostalgic America. For us, this was an eye-opening glimpse of America's 'heyday' in ruins. Yes, this was once the road to the land of milk and honey but let us not forget this road also represents a time that wasn't so great, which is clearly emblazoned on several marquee's along the route boasting, 'American Owned.'"

Ultimately, their journey led to a lot of great new music, a fun and captivating documentary, and a renewed appreciation for progressive ideology.

Watch the documentary short here: