What Made Milwaukee Famous has been a stalwart of the Austin music scene since their inception in 2003. Singer/Songwriter Michael Kingcaid has employed a diverse range of musicians in the past decade, priding the band on not being backed into any corners, stylistically. With the release of their first two records, Trying to Never Catch Up and What Doesn’t Kill Us, on Seattle’s Barsuk imprint, the band was touted for their abilities to channel strong musicianship and diverse songwriting into instantly, addictive hooks. The third album, You Can’t Fall Off The Floor expounds even further their penchant for sonic exploration, never to adhere to the limits of genre-specific expectations. Their “elegant pop” (Billboard) has landed them on the bill at a number of the mammoth festivals including Bonnaroo, Austin City Limits, Sasquatch, SXSW and Lollapalooza, highlighted by a taping on PBS’s prestigious Austin City Limits with Franz Ferdinand. They have also shared the stage with the likes of Arcade Fire, The Black Keys, The National, Snow Patrol, The Walkmen, TV on the Radio, and the Pretenders to name a few; a testament to the band’s musical diversity and mutual respect with other artists in the industry.
WMMF dusts off their veteran stripes to return in honor of the 15th anniversary of their debut, Trying to Never Catch Up, to offer up a peek into the process of a fledgling, indie rock band on the cusp of finding their ever-evolving sound. With the bar being set higher and higher with each subsequent release, What Made Milwaukee Famous are destined to etch their scores into the fabric of musical history.