Milan from Pluto catches up with the Breakfast Show!

·36 min·3 clips

Milan's partner shaved his back hair into a map of Tasmania during their trip to Austin.

The episode begins with host Jeremy Wells welcoming Milan Boric, who immediately recounts a recent trip to Austin, Texas, for South by Southwest, praising the city's live music scene. A surprising moment occurs when they receive an emergency alert about a missing child, leading to a discussion on local dangers. Milan then humorously reveals his partner shaved his back hair into a map of Tasmania during the trip. The conversation shifts to Milan's upbringing in Papakura in the 1970s and 1980s, where he grew up in a musical household influenced by The Beatles and Bill Ives. He describes his accidental entry into acting as a child through the Dalmatian Cultural Society and his early attention-seeking behavior. Milan explains how Pluto formed after he and Tim left school to study audio engineering at SAE, using the studio to record music, though he was eventually banned for overuse. He reflects on the New Zealand music scene's lack of grit in the 1990s, citing Darcy Clay as an inspiration. The interview takes a darker turn as Milan details his heroin addiction, which began in 1995 in Zagreb, Croatia, during the civil war, and continued in London and Melbourne. He discusses the ritual of heroin use, his belief in being 'immune' to addiction, and how it affected his songwriting. Milan describes returning to New Zealand, going cold turkey with his parents' help, and recording Pluto's first album. However, he relapsed during the making of 'Pipeline Under the Ocean,' leading to strained relationships and enrollment in a methadone program, which he found humiliating. He shares low points involving family and band dynamics, emphasizing that recovery had to come from within. Currently, Milan is reuniting with Pluto for a 20th-anniversary show and vinyl reissue, and he performs in the Come Together band, covering albums like Led Zeppelin. The episode ends with lighthearted talk about vocal ranges, comparing artists like Jimmy Barnes and Axl Rose, and Milan's discomfort hearing his own recordings.

As heard by us

A candid music conversation that moves from Austin's live-wire venues into Milan Boric's memories of addiction, recording, and performance.

Milan Boric's conversation with Jeremy Wells opens in Austin, where South by Southwest, dive bars, and hundreds of live rooms frame a city made for bands to load in, plug in, and find an audience.

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Why you'd press play

You get Austin's live-music buzz, Milan Boric's addiction story, and a loose detour through records, heroin rituals, and a singer's vodka warmup.

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