Anthony Mills continues the third chapter of his country trilogy with a new single, "1st punch," out fittingly on 4th of July. Fight'n Songs powers forward with baritone horns and marching band bass — patterns forged from pre-teen anger, transformed into battle hymns of resilience. Mills taps deep into the 2nd line and drum corps tradition, crafting a soundtrack for those who fight not just to win, but to survive.

Anthony Mills just released the fourth and last single from the album; flim woods - a song about an uncle who used to be an old school gangster back in the day and went under the name 'flim woods'.  Ahead of this single and the release of his album, Anthony has introduced three powerful singles that showcase the record’s blend of storytelling, grit, and raw emotion;

hook lying and sinker - Taking its name from the phrase meaning to fall completely for a lie, this track examines the painful aftermath of misplaced trust. “Hook lyin, and sinker details folk falling completely for a lie, having to then get ‘beat up’ by the truth,” Mills explains. It’s a song that captures both the sting of deception and the resilience needed to move forward.

shakin - Fueled by the adrenaline of stepping into the ring, “Shakin” is an anthem of fear, determination, and triumph. Mills says: “Shakin is about nerves before the fight. My legs shakin on the way to the ring… tapping into the fear of losing everything you work for and harnessing that power for success. Where I’m from you either win or learn. Refusing to lose is a super power.” The result is a defiant declaration of strength in the face of uncertainty.

1st punch - Reviving the street wisdom of his youth, “1st Punch” draws from advice handed down to Mills at a young age. “Well my Uncle Tyrone put an end to all of that. He told me I better throw the first punch and hopefully knock somebody ass out! ’Cause it’s mean out in them streets,” Mills recalls. The track distills that lesson into a raw, high-stakes anthem about courage, survival, and seizing the moment.

Together, four singles set the stage for fight’n songs, a record that positions Anthony Mills at the crossroads of country, Americana storytelling, and blues grit — delivering songs as fearless and unflinching as the life lessons that inspired them.

Since he was a young dude in Akron, OH, Anthony Mills has been listening to a lot of country music. The "Rubber City" native vividly remembers getting ready for school while the morning radio played the hits from big names like Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, Kenny Rogers, and Willie Nelson. Charlie Pride was probably in the mix up in there, but Anthony was not aware of who he was at the time. 

Though the faces of the artists who dominated country radio waves were mostly white, Anthony found the ethos of their music to be just like his. He felt country music belonged to everyone and did not feel insecurity based on race.  "I knew I was built Ford tough, 'like a rock' and all that blue collar tendency.”, says Mills. "That for me, is the byproduct of great storytelling." 

Anthony Mills is a country artist no matter what you might think. He is a man who has lived a life and has a story to tell. The great-grandchild of middle America's industrial revolution. Born and raised in working class Akron, Ohio with family stretching from Lake Charles, Louisiana to the West Indies to Stockholm, Sweden. Plus, Mills is a character who cut his teeth as a classical voice major at The Manhattan School of Music. Since the late 90s, Mills worked and toured with Harry Belafonte, Amy Winehouse, Krs-One, Sizzla, Grace Bumbry, Leela James and more including writing and top-line EDM anthems for Dada Life and Moonbootica.  These experiences forged the character Anthony Mills has become.  

Anthony Mills' poetry, lyrics, music production and fine art catalogue is exhaustive. In previous incarnations, he wrote and produced original techno, reggae, alternative, r & b, punk, hip-hop, house, deep house, and tech-house. He sees himself as a musical outlaw doing what comes naturally channeling the power of song. 

It was just 6 years ago when Anthony began to tell his story through his flavor of country music. He released his debut album, blue collar work ethic with the label Icons Creating Evil Art in 2019 giving us a taste of his amazing storytelling capabilities. At the top of 2020, he released his second country album drankin songs of the midwest where Anthony delivered deep south background partnered with "up norf” nuances and creating some down home country "drankin" songs. We hear the instrumentation go from traditional guitar driven to a ragtime brothel saloon piano accompaniment throughout.  Here the backdrop delivers sensual eeriness over minimal piano and cajon.

Carl-Marcus Gidlöf
Head of the Snake
Icons Creating Evil Art
Råsundavägen 73, Solna
Sweden
cmg@icea.se