Welcome to the site

Lauren Mills |

September 02, 2018

Hi everyone, I’m Lauren and I run Unity in Detachment. If you’re reading this, we’re probably already familiar with each other. For my first post, I’ll explain what the site is about.

What is Unity In Detachment?

Generally speaking, I want my site to focus on sharing music and personal experiences. Often times, websites that are built around music feel cold and impersonal. I want to do more with my site than copy press releases covering band news.  Music has brought us all together. At it’s best, it allows us to be open with each other about our struggles, triumphs and everything in between. I want to utilize those d.i.y. sensibilities to provide an intimate, supportive look at the independent music scene. I’ll be honest, beyond music, this site is to post whatever I want, whenever I feel like it. I’m doing this for fun.

Listen, nerd, who are you and why should I care?

I’m Lauren Mills. I love sharing music with my friends. I used to write for Dying Scene and For The Love Of Punk. Now, I’m off doing my own thing. Why should you care? Hell, I don’t know. I’m not here to guide you through your existential crisis. I can barely handle my own.

Why the name “Unity in Detachment?”

I’m a huge fan of the Canadian punk band, The Flatliners. The phrase “unity in detachment” is lifted from their song “Count Your Bruises.”

[Verse] There’s unity in detachment
We’re not on trial
So let the time you spent on the back bench
Make the life you’ve lived worthwhile

What does it mean?

You’ll have to ask the band what the line means to them. To me, it reflects the purpose of our scene. People that gravitate toward our scene tend to not fit in elsewhere. The scene serves as a sanctuary, It gives the disenfranchised a place to feel safe and belong. It’s beautiful.

How can I get a hold of you? Send all of your questions, complaints and backhanded compliments Laurenmillsfla@gmail.com. I am terrible at replying to emails sometimes. Please remind me if I do not reply within a few days.

What are the segments featured on the site?

1. Mills Avenue – This will be a column for me to discuss my personal experiences or opinions. This ranges from me, discussing my experiences with disability, current events, personal insights etc. Basically, I wanted to be a catch-all for whatever I feel like talking about. it will serve as a more formal, thought out version of the things I post on social media. it will be a little bit of everything.

2. Pursuit of Happiness – I want this column to be musicians, audio engineers or just creative people in general talking about their passions outside of their main gig. For example, my friend Jan plays in the band The Shell Corporation but also is professional pilot. He gives aerial tours of the Golden Gate Bridge. I’m hoping the submissions for this column will be written out essays, a video or both. I like the idea of explaining in detail but also having a visual aid so people can more involved and see what the person is talking about. In addition to talking about hobbies, the submissions can also detail a special memory or experience someone has (a cool show they attended, a childhood memory etc.) I am hoping to put something positive into the world and I think it would be neat to have people talk about things that make them happen because so much of the internet is arguments, complaints and division. I want to bring people in our scene together in a more meaningful way than they usual “Hey, we like the same music,” because our shared connections go deeper than that.

3. Lauren’s Picks – This column will be to highlight entertainment I like (with a strong focus on music.) It will highlight up and coming bands, TV shows I’ve been watching or whatever. I’m mostly going to use it to spotlight new bands

4.The Subtle Art of The Mixtape – This column will be people making Spotify Playlists / Youtube playlists of their favorite songs and write a description / personal anecdote for them. I’ll have my friends make them or just people I like. I use Spotify a lot, but browsing for music can be overwhelming. This way we all have cool songs to throw on without searching around or trying to think of what I want to listen to that day.

5. The Struggles We Share – This will be about what the title suggests. People talking about the challenges they face in life and how they deal with them. By problems I mean disability, illness, etc. I think it would be cool to explore disability within the punk scene because I know I’m not the only disabled person here and I think it would be awesome to bring about visibility and understanding. Whether it’s a physical disability, mental struggle (anxiety, insecurities etc) or a learning disability, I think it would interesting for people to explore topics that aren’t discussed regularly but a lot of people face.

6. Cult Following – A column where people talk about an overlooked band or album. They’d interview that band and discuss why that album / band is important in their life. Examples: My friend likes the band, The Stereo (a side band of The Impossibles) and is going to write something about music and interview them about the making of the album etc.

7. Unity in Detachment Podcast – This section would be to post my podcast where I interview bands, my friends etc.