Mike Mills I In Conversation with NME

To celebrate the 25th anniversary edition of REM's classic 'Automatic For The People', we sat down with bassist Mike Mills to discuss the legacy of their 1992 album, their influences, Michael Stipe's lyrics, Donald Trump and if they'd ever reunite.

[@allensaunders449]

The most underrated member of REM

[@aussiecoastie72]

Absolutely

[@KOSMICKEN09]

Saw him last night with the band the baseball project - Peter Buck is in the band too

[@bugmanuk]

I love REM, they're all such sweet guys, no ego (apart from that Peter Buck plane incident lol)

[@void0094]

Peter Buck has definitely changed over the years but I wouldn't base off his personality over one incident. Especially in the early days he was a very down to earth guy since he replied to a lot of letters from fans in a nice way. I believe the music business which he absolutely hates changed him in R.E.M.

[@sejuyz]

Its so nice to hear the members of the band are still making music. I’m fine with you quitting, and will keep checking out what you put out. Its also quite funny I sometimes ask myself what would they do if they were me while working on a certain piece of music. Their work means the world to me.

[@frogprincereader]

I loved Murmur the most, but REM were fantastic!

[@thiscorrosion900]

Paul Weller refused to ever put The Jam back together for the same reasons, much to many fans' dismay, but he stuck to his guns and retained his integrity.

[@johnmacom6267]

Imagine being able to make music as an art form like these guys did. He's right, the music business has changed so much that it's not worth it as an artist these days.

[@theodoredavidmooney5703]

The best live memory for me was Best Of... Tour stop at Hollywood Bowl and Tony Clifton stormed the stage and reeked havoc till forcibly dragged offstage in a rage...

[@mikefellows3901]

What a gentleman and what a legend !

[@ahalahana2406]

Totally agree.

[@bobbybousche7996]

Top 10 record in my catalog

[@ignacio.carral]

Funny that many despise this man for his political views when he's only criticizing bigotry, racism, and ignorance. I admire him more for being open about his opinions on the world today.

[@newlife9516]

My High School Classmate did well for himself. Great spirit.

[@thiscorrosion900]

Who gives a toss what they think anyway. They're nobodies and Mike Mills became somebody and he's one of my heros. End stop.

[@baianobebe5701]

WOW! He condemned "bigotry", "racism", and "ignorance"?? How brave! LOL!

[@thiscorrosion900]

@@baianobebe5701 More than you ever did you fucking total waste of space. What kind of total pieced of shit are you anyway? Flush!

[@wahivalleys3011]

Whatever, he's a leftist, and being a leftist is not about condemning negativity. It's demanding you give up your freedoms. Wahi' Valleys

[@danieljulian4676]

He said it near the end: "it's nice to do something (like disband) and mean it. REM stated their intention as emphatically (and as cryptically!) as anyone could want. If you want meaning to hit you in the face instead of in the heart, choose another band.

[@j.m.gratton6000]

Humanity is a self-destructive organism...whoa, that's so powerful!

[@pokefrosch617]

I admire Mike for his uncocky self esteem. No reason to be humble.

[@theodoredavidmooney5703]

I became a fan after hearing "Suspicion" in 2000 after years of uninterested take on early material and minor interest in AFTP '90s offerings. "Reveal" I was all in and that brilliant album sealed the deal. Stipe's vocals became amazing on the twilight of their career and are one of the finest American rock acts of all time. Peter Buck was accurate when he proclaimed that "REMs records are better than most"...

[@guerosensible]

Does anyone know the Brand of the sunglasses Mike wears?????

[@MrKingalow]

seems like a really nice fella

[@folkrocksage9666]

Motley Crue mean it :/???

[@glendale6]

Can't believe they haven't dione one show to support their various causes

[@bevjohnson5280]

They all still play together as The minus 5. It is basically REM without Stipe.

[@StratsRUs]

????

[@joshuapeterson6072]

Trolling the bassist of REM?

[@zippymufo9765]

All that money and Mills never got his crooked rotten teeth fixed 😂

[@barnacles62]

Indeed, a VERY multitalented musician, and to my own personal opinion his backup lyrics were as much the sound of REM as Stipes voice as lead singer. They were in college in Georgia when they formed, (neither band member was born in the state, Stipes was a military brat, and lived everywhere from West Germany to several states in the U.S., Peter Buck was born in California, as well as Mills and both lived several other places, Bill berry was born in Minnesota. Point being, aside Berry, they had all traveled and had a very liberal outlook on life at a young age, which many that are affiliated with stardom do as well, and REM were very much stars, in their day. He mentions quite a bit about doing things their own way, and as he said, it was harder to back then. Their college mentality gave them all a "Rebel Without A Cause" mentality, so bucking the establishment was not surprising. Stipes is gay, but held it quiet the whole time they performed, and I felt that was the true reason of stopping, Stipes was tired of being REM, touring, being front man and just wanted to go be himself. Mills is acting very suave in this interview, as well as accepting about not getting back together, but when it was mentioned in other interviews I seen him in, you seen his face light up like a spot light. Stipes said no though, that he does not believe in going back. Mills and Buck have both tried other arrangements, but Mills is a better backup singer than lead, and Bucks form of guitar playing is not really that elaborate, unless done in the fashion that its done with Rem. They have stayed noticed, but not famous, and the popularity of REM is dead in the younger generation. I find Mills very talented, but very liberal, and very ill mannered to any other views except his own, like much of the new wave democratic party today. I expected Stipe to be the real grandstand against Trump and the republican party, but though he was against him, he never voiced it as publicly as Mills, which was on Twitter every three minuets shooting down the republicans, actually crying about the fact the democrats lost like the other adult adolescents in the party. I am an artist, and music is art. I cant help but love Michelangelo Caravaggio`s art, it has an appeal that captures the soul, yet he was a known as a drunkard that bullied people, a whoremonger and murderer. So, I love the art of REM, but the political veiws and the opinions of some of the band members, I just simply find ignorant and foolish, just like the political songs they did (which I found very corny myself). Losing My Religion still one of the most brilliant songs done to my opinion, its timeless!!! So, that being said, take that as you will.....

[@RMT192]

What is ignorant and foolish about his political views?

[@StratsRUs]

Stipe is brillisnt snd knows how great the band members are.

[@BLAB-it5un]

This interview is torture. The interviewer is so out of touch with Mills, REM and the creative process as an artist and musician. He is also fawning over this album as if it's a stone-cold fact. And wasting time speculating on abstract hypotheticals is just that - a waste of time.

[@samuelhain2712]

Used to love REM and really respected Mike as a bass player (the best bassist from Georgia since Barry Oakley). But the more he promotes his political views, the harder it is to listen to them.

[@davidburnsmusic]

Heaven forbid someone should have an opinion and express it! If you couldn't work out R.E.M.'s politics from their songs you can't have been paying that much attention.

[@samuelhain2712]

Of course I know REM's political views, and of course they can express their opinion. But, THAT'S NOT WHY MOST PEOPLE LISTEN TO THEM. They didn't express political views on their early albums. Many celebrities don't, because it alienates some fans. REM apparently doesn't care.

[@PeterBondeVillain]

... and we all know how much R.E.M. desperately wanted to be seen as a regular rock band /s

[@helethead]

yeah, they did

[@GamesWithBrainz]

who gives a fuck if it alienates some fans, those obviously arent the audience the group wrote the song for. Do you really want bands and artists suppressing their feelings and being sterile and bland so that they don't offend or "alienate" anyone??

[@IlliniJake]

They made some of the greatest music of the 1980s. Then they sold out making pop jingles in the 1990s and railed against the system that made them exceptionally wealthy. Incredible talent thoroughly wasted.

[@StratsRUs]

Ha