Milano is a band from Chicago, the brainchild of twenty-four year old singer/songwriter Jon Guerra. In 2003, after graduating high school, Guerra's then-band, The Scarecrow Garden, was steadily making a name for themselves in the Chicagoland area and around the Midwest. Despite their promising trajectory, Guerra ended the band to go to college. "I was writing songs, performing and finding a reasonable amount of success for my age, but I wasn't saying anything. I wanted to go to school to find my voice, to find something to say, something, at least in my opinion, worth listening to," says Guerra.
Upon graduation, he began putting together the pieces that would become Milano, and by early spring 2009, the lineup was solidified - Jon Guerra - piano, guitar, vocals; Valerie Strattan - violin, vocals; Mike Melazzo - bass; Steve Enison - guitar, vocals; Alissa Strattan - piano, accordion, vocals; Hans Moscicki - drums.
Milano's sound is both mature and distinct. Blending piano, violin, accordion, and four vocalists into the quintissential rock band recipe, Milano tows the line between calculated drama and happenstance festival. Their "gypsy rock" sound interweaves instrumental arrangements, call-and-response harmonies, soaring lead vocals and a heavy rhythm section that goes beyond the typical 4/4, 3/4 rock formula, yet a prominent unifier pierces through the avant garde elements - Guerra's voice. His vibrato, range, and tone gives Milano its haunting sound.
Milano recently finished their debut three-song demo, "Zombie World." They will be playing shows through the fall and winter in anticipation of their follow-up EP.