Sleigh Bells - Rochester - Nov. 2012 - Photo by Alicia Greco

To see inside the mind of Sleigh Bells, is to see a beacon in the dark. Guitarist and lyricist Derek Miller was working as a waiter seeking a new music venture after he left hardcore group Poison the Well. While waiting on a table he was introduced to Alexis Krauss by Krauss' mother. What could be considered fate, or the perfect story of an artistic relationship stemmed from boy-meets-girl, was not considered so through the eyes of Miller.

"I don't necessarily believe in fate," he said. He was working hard at the time to find a female vocalist and as he said, "created conditions to make it more likely."

Krauss was an experienced vocalist from an early age after performing in RubyBlue, a teen pop girl band. After developing their sound, the revolutionary M.I.A. sought them out to be signed to her record label N.E.E.T. Recordings. She contacted a "Derek," who although was the wrong person with the same name coincidentally knew Sleigh Bells' Miller. Already critically acclaimed and unsigned by only releasing singles, Krauss and Miller signed to M.I.A.'s label in 2010 and released their debut album, Treats.

Sleigh Bells ascended to worldwide tours and went on to be covered by highly-esteemed publications and productions ranging from the cover of SPIN Magazine to an encounter with cultured explorer Anthony Bourdain on his show "No Reservations."

"I don't consider touring strenuous," Miller said. "I like it, it's great. It's a privilege. You get to play shows every night, just going out for blocks at a time ... it's a great experience."


Rather than being singled out by a floodlight spot, Sleigh Bells performs with staggered strobes and while Krauss wails sweet and sexy croons through the microphone, Miller is found by her side hammering riffs through the stacked speakers that are powerfully lined behind them. He steps closer to the gate blockade separating the stage platform from the group of aggressive dancers, and becomes enraptured.

"On a great night, everybody's on the same page. You approach being in the moment, and you're not thinking about anything else. Not thinking about before or after, you just sort of disappear. I don't want to romanticize it but ... when that happens, it's pretty special," Miller reminisced. "You can't pay to have that experience. You can't pay to have people show up in a room for a record you made. It has to just happen."

It is clear that almost each musician has some type of expiration date; a time when their music is irrelevant and they can't keep up, or when life plans veer away from record releases and tours with sleep-deprived international flights through changing time zones. "You don't make records forever," he said. "You can make music forever."

Although some fame tends to radiate an untouchable hue, we are all human. This is a characteristic Sleigh Bells embodies. Miller relates to those who have hit rock bottom, those who have been left helpless from the uncontrollable tribulations. These moments left him deeply inspired, especially for their 2012 album Reign of Terror.

"Life happened to me. I've just had my fair share of horrible things happen to me throughout my life," he said. "A lot of things come close to killing you and you quickly lapse into cliché ... 'what doesn't kill you makes you stronger' ... and those clichés happen for a reason."

"I have an internal dialogue that never really shuts off, and I'm really hard on myself. Truth be told, I could probably use a little more ego. It'd probably be healthy," he said and then swiftly reconsiders. "I don't think I'd have a career if it wasn't for that side of me."

Miller is the sole-lyricist for Sleigh Bells, although he said he will alter and won't write anything that Krauss would be uncomfortable singing. He said their newest album release, Bitter Rivals, is unlike past productions. "Bitter Rivals comes from a different place, a much less depressed place. It just feels different to me, it feels that it's coming from somewhere a little less tortured."

The official video of the title track was released in the beginning of September; the album dropped a month later in early October. I asked Miller to delve into the meaning of one of the tracks, "Young Legends." As expected, he said he prefers people interpret among themselves. The raw inspiration behind the tune, however, was about the people who have tremendous amount of talent, that "never get a chance to develop it, for whatever reason."

"I knew that I had all of these ideas, I knew what I could accomplish," he said. The odds seemed so against him, he said. There are so many people "who never find the 'x' factor, that other component." This is a mindset not limited to just music. Krauss sings "Young legends die, all the time, but I don't mind."

"The chorus is sort of sarcastic ... it's a lie," Miller said. He told a story about a time in his life when he felt lost, and was searching for his footing; this is an experience familiar to anyone aspiring for true greatness. His mother would ask him where his life was going. "I was like 'I'll fucking figure it out,'" he said.

He did indeed.

Since, he has been pouring his creativity into Sleigh Bells, even down to the merchandise. Veering away from the technological sprawl of today's world and appealing to the vinyl diggers, Miller developed and designed the record artistry for each Sleigh Bells album. The package is comprised by pull-outs of photos taken by Miller himself, each one complimenting to the theme and vibe of the album's sound. "I know what I like," he said. "I like to think there's some kids out there that have them pinned to their wall."

"Reign of Terror" Photo by Alicia Greco

I asked him, why does he love music?

"I couldn't possibly sum that up in a sentence. For as long as I can remember it has been the most important thing in my life. I loved music since the age of 5 or 6, it's just been the center of my life. I love it to death, I don't know why. It's like trying to explain why you like a certain flavor or certain color; you're just drawn to it."


Sleigh Bells will be performing Thursday, Nov. 14 at Town Ballroom. Tickets can be purchased here.