Interview: Descendents Singer Milo Aukerman Goes Full-Time
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Milo Aukerman doesn't look like a rock star.
The Descendents singer emerged on the Electric Factory stage Thursday night wearing near-matching khaki shorts and a tan button-down shirt, his eyeglasses secured with a retainer strap around his head.
Milo appeared more prepared for a family day at Epcot then a career-spanning set of pop punk classics.
No, Milo doesn't fit the mold - but that's what makes him so iconic. The ultimate uncool underdog that became an institution.
It's not tough to trace the success of Green Day, Blink 182, and all those in between back to the Descendents and the formula they brewed up three and a half decades ago. It was a legacy on full display in Philadelphia Thursday as they churned through slice after slice of tunes about life, love, and coffee. These California kids are now into their 50's and more alive than ever.
Beyond their iconic status and their inspiration for countless pop punk triumphs, there's a lot to celebrate lately for the Descendents. Their first album in 12 years, Hypercaffium Spazzinate was released this summer and finds them in top-fighting form, and after years of splitting time between the band and a career in biology, Aukerman has decided to do the Descendents full-time.
Well, decided might be a strong word.
"It was not decided by me, it was decided by the company," Milo explains about being laid off in January. "But for the past two years I've just been wanting to pull that ejector seat myself. It was not much fun towards the end."
Science's loss is music's gain, but it's a whole new world for the 53-year-old who has committed to the band full-time for the first time in 35 years.
"I embrace the challenges. I've never considered myself a - whatever - career musician before, so there's all kinds of things that I still need to learn" says Aukerman. "The balancing part of it is of ultimate importance to the entire band because we all have families. We all want to be there for our kids, for our wives."
We had a chance to talk with Milo about his full-time status and much more before their set at Electric Factory in Philadelphia. You can listen to the full interview below, or see video from the interview here.
