Culture
No Phones, No Filter: Milkie Way of Wargasm talks at Louder Than Life 2025
By: Bradley Cunningham
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LOUISVILLE, Kentucky (WOUB) – Wargasm is a British electronic rock and nu-metal duo known for blending aggressive riffs, industrial electronics, and punk attitude. Formed in London in 2018, the band fuses elements of metal, rave, and hyperpop.
WOUB’s Bradley Cunningham spoke to one half of the duo, Milkie Way, at Louder Than Life 2025. Find a transcript of their conversation, edited for length and clarity, below.
Bradley Cunningham: What’s on your mind at this festival?
Milkie Way: Well, we’ve been on the road since the beginning of July, so a healthy venting might be exactly what I need right now. This is the last day of our American run. We were just out with In This Moment — they’re playing today too. We wrapped up our debut U.S. headline tour yesterday, and this festival feels like a nice little bow at the end of the American package.
I just found out this festival is now the biggest rock and metal festival in the U.S. How does it feel to end things on that level?
Milkie Way: This is actually our third time playing Louder Than Life. Seeing it expand every year is amazing. It’s great that rock and metal are getting this kind of attention again. It honestly feels like home to us. The first year we played, they gave us a Louisville Slugger with our name on it in the dressing room — it now lives beside our front door in London. Nice little keepsake.
Tell me about that tour with In This Moment.
Milkie Way: Honestly, I wasn’t familiar with their work before we went out with them. But once I saw what they do live, I loved it. I’m a Gaga fan, a Bowie fan — I love theatrics and big visuals, and they bring that energy. They work so hard and welcomed us with open arms.
You mentioned Bowie and Gaga — do those influences show up in your own music?
Milkie Way: Not sonically — we sound quite different — but creatively, definitely. It’s interesting how artists you don’t sound like can still shape how you express yourself. What I respect most about both of them is that total commitment — committing to the bit. There’s an art to that.
What does “the bit” look like for you before going on stage?
Milkie Way: Pushups. Lots of pushups. A bit of yoga. No beers before stage — only on stage and after. I like to get pumped up, prepared, and then we go out, rip it, and drink a million beers.
Speaking of your live shows — I heard you’re introducing a no-phone policy?
Milkie Way: Yeah, we’re doing our big UK headline next week, and it’ll be a no-phone show. I can’t wait. I know some people are skeptical — “What if I need it for an emergency?” — but I think people are overthinking it. I went to see Ghost a few months ago, and that experience really sealed the deal for me. I couldn’t touch my phone, and I connected more to the music than ever before. It was refreshing. Then, when I got my cracked phone screen fixed, I spent a whole morning without it — and I felt light, clear, great. People don’t realize how good it feels until it’s taken away. So yeah, I’m taking it away for them. It’s for the better. Trust me.
I get that some people like to record the whole set, but I don’t love that. If you want to see the show, come to the show. If we’re not near you, we will be. Just wait. People went decades — millennia even — without phones at gigs. It’s doable. If you think you can’t live without it, maybe it’s time to change your perspective.
I think people justify it by saying, “Oh, I want to remember this.”
Milkie Way: You’re not meant to remember everything. That’s how the brain works. Don’t try to play God and remember every second — you’ll end up with brain stew. It should be enough to just be there in the moment.
From my understanding, you’ve only released singles so far — the most recent being Small World Syndrome.
Milkie Way: Yeah, we’re kind of between albums right now. At the end of our debut album cycle, we decided to go independent from our record label — which was a great decision in many ways. I don’t think I even need to list the positives of not having someone creatively corral you or fail at their own job. It goes without saying. Every artist’s autobiography ever written tells the same story: relationships with major labels rarely end well. That said, money helps. On this U.S. run, we completely self-funded everything. It feels good to know it’s possible. Since then, we’ve just been drip-feeding singles — which is how we started. Our latest one, Small World Syndrome, is out now, and there’s more coming soon. We were just in the studio between tours.
Is there a particular song that you want people to feel more present for during the no-phone shows?
Milkie Way: I love leaking new music. And a show where no one can record anything? Perfect time to leak it.
Now that you’re independent, what does the creative process look like? How liberated are you creatively compared to before?
Milkie Way: We’re not exactly the most radio-friendly band — we’re called Wargasm. We like to say it’s a “sordid collision of euphoria and violence,” and those things don’t always fit radio formats. So now we don’t have people saying, “Can you make this more radio-friendly?” I get why that matters, but I don’t want to make music with that mindset. Being on endless email chains with sixteen people you’ve never met — all telling you what you should and shouldn’t do — that’s exhausting. When we were on a major label, all anyone said was “Viral TikTok, viral TikTok.” We have friends who do millions on TikTok — it works for them and their fans. But for us, not so much. Anything we post gets flagged for “violence” or “nudity” or whatever. And that virality doesn’t necessarily turn into ticket sales, which is what actually matters. Real people showing up in real life — that’s what we care about.
I was watching an interview with Fred Durst, and he said there’s a resurgence in rock and metal right now because younger listeners don’t want to be marketed to — they want that sense of discovery again.
Milkie Way: We were lucky enough to tour with Limp Bizkit a couple of years ago in the U.S., Europe, and the UK — and we even have Fred Durst on a track. We’ve learned a lot from him. He’s a very wise man, full of insight, and he really believes in new bands. He only brings out artists he wants to uplift. And clearly, he knows what he’s doing.
Anything else on the horizon for Wargasm?
Milkie Way: Yeah, we’re heading out on a European run with Electric Callboy in November, then going to Australia in December for the Good Things Festival. After that, we finally get to sleep for Christmas.