Drew is an illustrator based in West Yorkshire.
What’s up Drew, can you tell us a little bit about your tape and your song selections?
Well, since my time is split between being a dad and drawing pictures, I tend to find I have to “get in the zone” when it comes to work. I listen to a huge range of music, and differing days call for different things, but one of my failsafe working strategies is getting the right sounds to work to.
With this “tape”, I kind of wanted to make something that I, and hopefully others, will find useful to work to. Listening to frantic free-jazz or wild punk, while brilliant, isn’t often that conducive to work, so I tend to find that slower, heavier, more ambient music tends to help with concentration. I’ve picked a lot of shorter songs from a lot of those bands, but generally, the longer the better. I packed the front end of the mix with some more upbeat stuff to get you pumped for the day ahead, then it just slows down from there. If you play it on a loop, they will give you a kick in the arse every few hours.
How did you go about the artwork for the tape?
Listened to this mix and just went with the flow.
What are your fave album covers, records with a great music and artwork combo, or musical projects with a visual component?
It’s a really tricky one, and there are millions of incredible covers, but I’ve always been in awe of Peter Saville’s work for Factory. There is something incredibly satisfying about one label having that commitment to one singular aesthetic.
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Blue Monday – New Order
1983, Factory
Artwork: Peter Saville
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Power, Corruption & Lies – New Order
1983, Factory
Artwork: Peter Saville
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Unknown Pleasures – Joy Division
1979, Factory
Artwork: Peter Saville
What did you listen to growing up?
All sorts, really, but definitely more towards the “rock” end of the spectrum. From about the age of 12 my two major loves were Garth Brooks and Guns & Roses. I suppose that foundation has influences my love of music ever since. I think I was around about 15/16 when I started listening to a lot more punk, which, to start was the usual stuff that was easily accessible around that time (Green Day, Offspring, etc.), but that lead on to a whole world of other stuff and eventually lead me to a lot of the punk and DIY culture, which was a very rich and fertile scene, by the time I moved to Leeds in 2000. I suppose now I listen to a wide range of stuff.
What’s happening in your creative world at the moment?
I’m not sure, but I feel like I’m busy. You can check all the usual social media places to keep up to date. And my website. I’ve made a lot of gig posters, recently, which has been great. That’s kind of what started me drawing, as we were booking shows and needed to advertise them, so I started making posters for those and it somehow snowballed into a career.
Where to find Drew:
︎ drewmillward.com
︎ drewmillward
︎ @drewmillward
TRACKLIST
Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath / Big Business - Grounds for Divorce / Red Fang - Prehistoric Dog / The Stooges - Gimme Danger - Alternate 'Violent' Iggy Mix / California X - Pond Rot / LVL UP - Primordial Heat / Clutch - Big News I / Sleep - Dragonaut / Mount Eerie - Between Two Mysteries / Sunn 0))) - It Took the Night to Believe / Thou - Tyrant / Barn Owl - Visions in Dust / Horseback - Arjuna / Earth - Torn by the Fox of the Crescent Moon / OM - State of Non-Return / Grails - Reincarnation Blues / Codeine - Atmosphere / Low - (That's How You Sing) Amazing Grace / Red Sparowes - A Brief Moment of Clarity Broke Through the Deafening Hum, but It Was Too Late / Windsor For The Derby - The Melody of a Fallen Tree / Russian Circles - You Already Did / Mogwai - Tracy / Songs: Ohia - Lioness ︎
What’s up Drew, can you tell us a little bit about your tape and your song selections?
Well, since my time is split between being a dad and drawing pictures, I tend to find I have to “get in the zone” when it comes to work. I listen to a huge range of music, and differing days call for different things, but one of my failsafe working strategies is getting the right sounds to work to.
With this “tape”, I kind of wanted to make something that I, and hopefully others, will find useful to work to. Listening to frantic free-jazz or wild punk, while brilliant, isn’t often that conducive to work, so I tend to find that slower, heavier, more ambient music tends to help with concentration. I’ve picked a lot of shorter songs from a lot of those bands, but generally, the longer the better. I packed the front end of the mix with some more upbeat stuff to get you pumped for the day ahead, then it just slows down from there. If you play it on a loop, they will give you a kick in the arse every few hours.
How did you go about the artwork for the tape?
Listened to this mix and just went with the flow.
What are your fave album covers, records with a great music and artwork combo, or musical projects with a visual component?
It’s a really tricky one, and there are millions of incredible covers, but I’ve always been in awe of Peter Saville’s work for Factory. There is something incredibly satisfying about one label having that commitment to one singular aesthetic.
Blue Monday – New Order
1983, Factory
Artwork: Peter Saville
Power, Corruption & Lies – New Order
1983, Factory
Artwork: Peter Saville
Unknown Pleasures – Joy Division
1979, Factory
Artwork: Peter Saville
What did you listen to growing up?
All sorts, really, but definitely more towards the “rock” end of the spectrum. From about the age of 12 my two major loves were Garth Brooks and Guns & Roses. I suppose that foundation has influences my love of music ever since. I think I was around about 15/16 when I started listening to a lot more punk, which, to start was the usual stuff that was easily accessible around that time (Green Day, Offspring, etc.), but that lead on to a whole world of other stuff and eventually lead me to a lot of the punk and DIY culture, which was a very rich and fertile scene, by the time I moved to Leeds in 2000. I suppose now I listen to a wide range of stuff.
What’s happening in your creative world at the moment?
I’m not sure, but I feel like I’m busy. You can check all the usual social media places to keep up to date. And my website. I’ve made a lot of gig posters, recently, which has been great. That’s kind of what started me drawing, as we were booking shows and needed to advertise them, so I started making posters for those and it somehow snowballed into a career.
Where to find Drew:
︎ drewmillward.com
︎ drewmillward
︎ @drewmillward
TRACKLIST
Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath / Big Business - Grounds for Divorce / Red Fang - Prehistoric Dog / The Stooges - Gimme Danger - Alternate 'Violent' Iggy Mix / California X - Pond Rot / LVL UP - Primordial Heat / Clutch - Big News I / Sleep - Dragonaut / Mount Eerie - Between Two Mysteries / Sunn 0))) - It Took the Night to Believe / Thou - Tyrant / Barn Owl - Visions in Dust / Horseback - Arjuna / Earth - Torn by the Fox of the Crescent Moon / OM - State of Non-Return / Grails - Reincarnation Blues / Codeine - Atmosphere / Low - (That's How You Sing) Amazing Grace / Red Sparowes - A Brief Moment of Clarity Broke Through the Deafening Hum, but It Was Too Late / Windsor For The Derby - The Melody of a Fallen Tree / Russian Circles - You Already Did / Mogwai - Tracy / Songs: Ohia - Lioness ︎