Written by Shea Roney | Photos Courtesy of Mildred

From the start, Mildred wasn’t going to be a band band. Back in 2020, Henry Easton Koehler (vocals, guitar), Jack Schrott (vocals, guitar) and Matt Palmquist (vocals, bass, woodwinds) would find time to jam in their shared residence of the Ward St. house in Berkeley. It was a means to spend time together when dinner was wrapped up and the dishes done. Every once in a while, Will Fortna (drums, production) would be in town and join in on the sessions. But as songs started to fall into place, each mate putting their weight of inspiration into motion, the Oakland-based band has found themselves with their debut LP, Fenceline, out in the world.

Although these songs stick to your bones with ease, the flavors most worth savoring are derived from a slow simmer. With conversational guitars enjoying a backyard shoot-the-shit and jerry-esque jubilations galore, Mildred create a rich environment of organic patterns, sonic distortions and wholehearted harmonies that meld together so effectively. The beauty of this record is set by each member’s unique use of language. Whether that be of observational wit, natural wordplay, or their vivid musical instincts, Mildred is a group of four friends trying to write the best possible song they can. 

Fenceline sets its pace with “UPS Brown”, a song tempting its own fate with inherent expectations. And it’s in that sentiment which has made Mildred such a good band. Like a cat sitting on the windowsill, Fenceline takes it all in. It’s not a race from boredom, but rather an implementation of it all; the stories caught between ambition and abandonment, the hearty and the hungover, the present and the perceived of our very normal day-to-days. They are the stories worth telling, and the songs we always return to.

We recently got to chat with Mildred about the band’s place in their lives, friendship and where they can go next.

You have received a lot of really positive press and acknowledgment for Fenceline so far, even being referred to as the ‘indie sleeper of 2026’. How have you been feeling as you let your debut LP sit out in the world? Did you have any anticipations for the record prior to its release? 

Will Fortna: We put it out with very little in the way of expectations, but it’s felt really good to see it slowly but surely seep out into the world. It’s still incredibly surreal to see a stranger talking about our music online, or to have people come to our shows and know the music.  We’ve had some musicians we really love and respect reach out or say nice things about it, which – again – feels really good and really surreal.

Matt Palmquist: I remember listening to the final mix, and being really pleased with the album sound. I think it is rare for me to feel that the space between the thought of the thing and the thing itself is so small; usually that translation disappoints, but in the case of fenceline, it surprised and delighted.

Henry Easton Koehler: Feels good. I wasn’t expecting anything really. I’m kinda surprised at how proud I am of the album, so it’s nice to share it, and wild that a few people are responding to it and coming to shows who aren’t my friends. 

Jack Schrott: It’s been surreal. I liked the album a lot when we finished it, but I had no sense that people would react so positively to it. Having some space from actively working on it and seeing the response has let me return to the songs with new ears and a renewed sense of pride. 

Mildred operates on a “no lead writer” system. What about each other’s writing chops do you admire the most? What do you think plays off well with your individual skills and observations to make the best song you can?

WF: Jack’s songs are so catchy and the vocal melodies so good that I often gloss over the lyrics at first, but then I’ll see them written down or a line will jump out at me as I’m drumming along and I realize what a fucking poet he is.  The way he delivers the lines can be so matter of fact or deadpan that it often hides amazing turns of phrase, profound/weird ideas, or just really funny imagery. 

MP: The band in a way is like a meta-instrument, like a really special ancient violin that makes some crazy resonant sound so it sounds way different even though you’re playing the same notes as you usually do, so that certain tones and textures become a product of unexpected combinations rather than precise arranging. I like bringing an idea into the room, and walking out with something completely different, better, and something I would as an individual never think of. I love that, and I have a lot of respect for, trust in, and admiration for the rest of the band.

HEK: What Matt said. Getting excited about everyone else’s ideas and songs is what keeps this thing going. I think we’re all still getting better as songwriters/ musicians/arrangers in a way that feels exciting. I also love having the opportunity to think of myself as a guitar player. That’s not something I’ve ever really identified with.

JS: Yeah, I’m constantly surprised/inspired by everyone’s evolving songwriting. A lot of ideas still come from people working on things in isolation, but the best part of playing together is picking up instruments without a plan, wandering around, and winding up somewhere interesting. It feels like the more we play together, the more often we wind up in interesting places. I think the goal is to let the wellsprings of individual songwriting and the wellspring of weird things that emerge from playing as a band flow into the same river. 

You all have very different day jobs, but Mildred has become a chance for you all to structure your life around music together. With no prior intentions on starting a band, where does Mildred fall into your lives? Does this release influence where you see Mildred headed in the future? 

WF: Mildred is definitely taking on an increasingly large, perhaps disruptive, role in our lives.  We’re trying to figure out what the future holds, but I know we all want to make more music and see where things take us. 

MP: On my dads side, my grandmother was a church organist, her dad came to the US with a clarinet, and her son was a supper club singer. For me music has always felt like an inevitability, though not a guarantee as the rest of my family was always very against me living a music life (themes that plague the liner notes like poverty, late nights, alcoholism, depression) . It’s taken some time and creativity to wrestle Mildred into existence (for the better), so I hold that space preciously.

HEK: What Matt and Will said. I would like for us to make more records and to tour as much as we can without completely upending our lives. It feels good to be hustling a little bit, though it definitely comes with some sacrifice. I’m hopeful we will continue to figure out what feels good.

JS: Lots of new opportunities before the band that we were not thinking about a couple months ago! Figuring it out. Like everyone else, I’m very excited about making more music.

Living with each other, noting that your bond as artists came naturally with hanging out and playing music after dinner, what do you guys like to do together outside of music?

WF: A lot of hanging out involves music, whether that’s listening to it, talking about it, going to shows, etc. But outside of that? Cooking meals, playing football, playing Botticelli.

MP: Cooking meals, talking about art, life stuff, stuff you do with friends.

HEK: We had some great $9 martinis the other night at Saul’s. 

JS: I wish Matt and I would start playing racquetball at the Berkeley rec center again.

The cover of Fenceline is a painting by Jack that depicts the rooftop of your old place you used to live at. Why was this image and sentiment fitting for the album cover? What did it mean to have that space? Have you been able to find a similar place since? 

MP: I lived in the attic of that big Victorian house. To shower I would kneel under the eaves, like I was praying. I spent a lot of mornings there on the roof, petting jones the cat and drinking coffee while Henry played basketball against our friend Nick in the driveway. We could see both the hills and bell tower of Berkeley and the city skyline flanked by dark redwoods, and there was a funny mural on the back of a building that said that the moral arc of history was bent. I feel the band’s songs are photographs in time, and this one is pretty emblematic of that period in our lives.

HEK: We play music at Matt’s house, which feels like HQ now. 

JS: I think Will and Henry had the vision for a golden hour/sunset depiction of a landmark in the East Bay. At some point I remembered this postcard I painted of the rooftop of our old house in Berkeley for our friend/former housemate Nick Roberts (Nick made the music video for Fish Sticks). We basically remade that postcard at sundown for the album cover. The rhythm of our practices/time together comes from habits formed while living together, so it feels fitting that the cover gives a nod to that era. We’re dispersed now but we still get to hang out quite a bit.

You can listen to Fenceline out now! Snag it on vinyl or CD via Memorials of Destinction.