Jackson of All Trades

Days after returning from a solo tour opening for two-piece folk-punk act Andrew Jackson Jihad, Jackson Milgaten sits at a table inside North Park smoothie joint Señor Mango’s for an interview and update on the four bands he plays in — all of which have new albums or are in the process of recording.

“Sometimes it can be a nightmare,” says Milgaten, describing how he juggles three weekly practices, live shows, tours, finding time to write new music, and managing indie label Single Screen Records with Craig Barclift, bass player for the Powerchords.

“I really don’t know how I fit it all in. I just do.”

At the Soda Bar September 26, Milgaten’s main project, the Vision of a Dying World, will release their fifth album in as many years; an acoustic EP entitled I Will Not Fear What I Don’t Understand, written by Milgaten and consisting of the songs that he played during his solo tour. For the release party, Milgaten plans to play half of the show himself and the other half with the band — Milgaten’s brother Keith, Jeremy Scott, and Jona Tellez-Giron. Milgaten says playing alone is “exhilarating, but I prefer to play with other people. It’s good to have that support onstage, where you can hide behind each other or the wall of sound.”

A few weeks after Vision releases their EP, another of Milgaten’s projects, the Paddle Boat, will release their debut full-length, I Wonder If the Water Ever Tires of the Sea, at the Luce Loft.

In between it all, his other project, Cuckoo Chaos, is halfway through recording their first full-length album. Milgaten also plays bass for former Wild Weekend vocalist and guitarist Maren Parusel, who released her first 7-inch in early August at the Casbah.

After listing the status of each project, Milgaten lets out an excited laugh that cracks the air in Señor Mango’s. “I can’t help it. I have a hard time turning things down. Plus, I really wouldn’t know what to do with myself if I wasn’t doing this.”