Fatherhood Pushed Daniel Milewski to Pick Up His Guitar

When Daniel Milewski moved to Miami in 2005, it was with the goal of becoming a visual artist.

"I studied at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston — I met my wife who grew up in Kendall there. After we graduated in 2005, we moved to Miami," he tells New Times.

In his first decade in Miami, Milewski worked on his painting and ran Wynwood hangout Lester's before a big life change in 2014 led him to take the guitar and songwriting more seriously.

"I became the father of two sons. I struggled to find time to work on my art, but I started playing guitar when they napped," he explains. "I found myself writing songs on an acoustic guitar that could stay quiet enough they could sleep through it."

He found himself drawn to folky, old-time country, and Americana genres of music. "But I also have rock influences like the Replacements and Big Star," he points out. His honky-tonk cover of the Strokes' "Last Nite" is proof in his catalogue.

While he loves Miami, Milewski admits finding locals with like-minded musical tastes can be challenging. "The scene is small for songwriters of those genres," he notes. "Miami has allowed me a lot of great opportunities, but it doesn't have that big scene. But when you find people doing the same thing, it makes it easy to get close to them."

Milewski got close to one unlikely trio when recording his new release, a seven-inch single featuring the tracks "Waiting" and "Goodtimes." Milewski channels Bruce Springsteen on the tracks, with local garage-rock band Jacuzzi Boys serving as his E Street Band.

"I've known the Jacuzzi Boys for years. We've always been friends," Milewski says. "At one point last year, I asked if they'd do a couple of songs with me. We rehearsed a bit. I had four songs, and we ended up recording two at Ryan Haft's Sunburn Sound in Wynwood."

Milewski wrote the songs with Jacuzzi Boys' rock 'n' roll chops in mind. "I thought of their sound," he adds. "Songwriting is peculiar. Sometimes you have a clear topic you want to write about; sometimes you find a chord progression or melody and go with it."

"Waiting" was inspired by empathy for friends going through tough breakups, according to Milewski. "They were waiting on their partner," he explains. "I thought the tempo and feel went well with a rock band," especially a little after four minutes into it when the instrumentals go where you least expect them.

"Goodtimes," on the other hand, was intended to be an upbeat song with a somber message. "It sounds like a relationship song, but it was inspired by thinking about the different things happening in the world," Milewski says. "As I'm getting older, I'm thinking, Where did all the good times go? There's a feeling of helplessness that we can't do anything to change the vibe."

You can hear the new songs and others at the record release party at Technique Records on Saturday, June 1.

"It's the first time the Jacuzzi Boys and I have ever played live together. Usually, I just play solo with an acoustic guitar and harmonica," Milewski says. "It'll be a short set. We'll do the two songs off the seven-inch and some new ones I wrote. We'll set up in the corner of the store, and everyone will pile up. We can be real loud and have some fun."

Even though his sons have outgrown the nap stage, Milewki is still making time to write music daily.

"I have a bunch of songs in the tank I'd really like to record," he says. "Maybe later in the year, we'll go and do that." 

Daniel Milewski. 6 p.m. Saturday, June 1, at Technique Records, 880 NE 79th St., Miami; 786-717-6622; techniquerecords.com. Admission is free.