“Milkshake,” made up of Baltimore vocalist Lisa Matthews and
guitar player Mikel Gehl, is releasing “Bottle of Sunshine,” its
second CD, Oct. 5.
Members of the former local adult rock group LOVE RiOT, Matthews
and Gehl released their first children’s CD, “Happy Songs,” in 2002
after they had a daughter and a son, respectively.
Matthews said at the time that there wasn’t much children’s music
out there that she liked, so she began writing songs for her
daughter. “Happy Songs” was winner of two Children’s Music Web
awards and an iParenting Media Award, and was chosen as one of
Child magazine’s “Stand Out CDs” for 2002.
Matthews says that writing music for children is “incredibly
liberating. … It doesn’t have to be ‘rock band’ cool. We can write
about the silliest things, and as long as we’re real and having fun,
kids like it.”
But the two are still rock musicians, and that’s what parents like,
Matthews explains.
“Beneath the kid-friendly lyrics, the giddy world view, there’s a
rock band playing. It’s more noticeable on the new CD, which
evolved with our kids,” she says. “It took us over a year to write
and record; during that time my daughter went from being 2 to
being 4. Big difference! The songs got bigger, smarter, funnier,
deeper, just like Jesse did.”
Gehl, father of Eric, says that “Bottle of Sunshine” is that spirit
and enthusiasm in us that allows everyone to do their best. “Our
goal is to introduce positive energy to kids through our music and
provide a shared experience for children and parents,” he says.
Milkshake’s discs are available online at amazon.com, dcbaby.com
and milkshake music.com or by phone at 1-800-BUY-MY-CD.
The group has performances scheduled at Rainbow Theatre in Wilde
Lake Village Green, Columbia, Oct. 8 at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. free of
charge. Call 410-730-3987. And at the Baltimore Museum of Art,
10 Art Museum Drive, Oct. 17 at noon, also free. Call
410-396-6314.