Getting To Know: Monet

Breaking their musical silence since their last EP, 'You Need To Tell Worse Lies Man,' earlier this year, Monet storms back onto the scene with their latest single, 'Albasore.' Scheduled for release on December 15, 2023, this fast-paced emotional bouncer unfolds across two dynamic mini-movements, promising a rollercoaster ride of sound. Dewi Davies' rhythmic drumming acts as an unwavering anchor amidst the unconventional and ever-changing time signatures, setting the stage for lead singer Garden Fence's manic yet beautifully achy delivery. With an infectious hook proclaiming, "I am the scum of the sea," Monet unleashes a song sure to resonate and rally audiences in the months to come. The guitar dynamics, skillfully navigated by Pusyë and Ciggy, effortlessly shift between roles of structure and effect, contributing to the mad and reflective tone of the composition, with standout moments like the mesmerizing guitarmonies in the jazzier second act.

"Albasore is a great amalgamation of what we have been trying to achieve sonically. The sound of 'Albasore' feels just right, and we can't wait to unleash it, as it's one of our favorites to perform live. The song delves into the depths of feeling like the worst person in the world, getting caught in that spiral of thinking, and trying to break free. It's a cathartic tune to play," shares Garden Fence, offering a glimpse into the soul of Monet's latest musical endeavor.

Interview questions for BabyStep Magazine:  1. 'Albasore' is described as a fast and emotional bouncer with two mini movements. Can you take us behind the creative process of composing a song with such dynamic shifts, and how do the different movements contribute to the overall emotional tone of the track?

 All of our songs start the same, we just play stuff aimlessly until something good jumps out to us. In this case, it was the first drum beat, so we jumped on the drum machine-y tight thing with the first half. We worked with a bit of a length restriction with Albasore and we wanted to fit a fulfilling compete song experience in the two-ish minutes we decided on. With the second half we started with Pusyë's guitar part and just built on it, it worked out well as it gave the song a bit of a duality. Tight and energetic into loose and chill, which eventually was paralleled by Garden's lyrics which is nice.

 2. The lyrics of "Albasore" convey a sense of self-reflection and navigating a challenging headspace. What inspired the thematic elements of the song, and how do you infuse your personal experiences into the cathartic and reflective tunes that Monet is known for? 

 The inspiration for these lyrics came from Garden being super bummed out after a bad time and he was writing just little bits of poetry and aimlessly driving/walking places in the hopes for something to change. He wrote the lyrics on top of the roof of the studio we recorded it in, his book was on his bass amp and he had the sea and personal analysis on the mind. With this release especially, the lyrics are some of our more personal ones. When we we wrote Locminé’ we had the concept and the story to work alongside, but we have been enjoying the freedom you get of not writing music to a concept. 

 3. Monet's music is often characterized as noisy yet danceable outsider music. How do you balance the chaotic and danceable elements in your sound, and how does this unique blend reflect the musical concepts and influences you draw from, such as Pom Poko, Tropical Fuck Storm, and John Coltrane?

 We feel like our influences are just chemically infused in our bones as we haven’t ever really thought like “let’s write a song like this band”, we just get going. We think the balance comes subconsciously, we often toe the line between serving the song and taking it hostage. Pusyë definitely is the Captain of coordinating our chaos and makes it listenable to human ears. As all of our sounds and tastes are so different but similar we think it just makes a slimy breeding ground of creativity for us.

 4. "Albasore" showcases the drumming of Dewi Davies as a solid trellis, despite odd and ever-changing time signatures. How does the rhythmic complexity contribute to the sonic identity of Monet, and what role does the drumming play in creating the energetic and engaging live performances you are known for?

 Dewi's weird crazy drumming is a big part of how we make such odd music, he practices every day. He'll just write these odd drum grooves that just make no sense to us and we've got to interpret it on the fly. He’s also great for adding the dirtiest fills live which is cool. Pusyë, Dewi and Garden have played together for so many hours we always naturally jam together really well, we got good at knocking out the structure of a song quite quickly. Then when Ciggy joined the band, he brought an element of exploration and refinement which has us doing the same thing less often, he's great for details too which helps once the bulk is done.

 5. As a chaotic Swansea-based quartet, Monet has become one of Wales' most exciting and in-demand artists. How do you think the Swansea sense of humor influences your lyricism and overall approach to creating music, and how has it contributed to your reputation as an unmissable live act?

 Pusyë and Garden are true smelly Jack Bastards, the way we speak naturally bleeds into the lyrics we write and how we perform them. Same as Alex Turner we guess, just from Penlan instead of Sheffield. Our live performances are pretty much carried by how fun the songs are to play, it makes it so easy to get nuts. We always show up for soundcheck and just don't want to get off the stage, if we could play live every day we wouldn't think twice.

 6. The upcoming gig schedule includes performances at venues like The Fork N’ Tune, Crofters Rights, and Swansea Arena. How do you prepare for live shows, and what can audiences expect from a Monet performance, especially with the unique and eclectic nature of your music? 

 We practice usually twice a week even and to prepare we’ll probably mangle out a few set lists for the shows, see what we are feeling. Sometimes we plan costumes, sometimes we don’t, we like to leave it as a surprise. Audiences can expect the unexpected as we can assure you, you ain’t never seen nothing like us hot stuff. Or maybe you have but if so good gosh you’ll dig it, expect loud music, good vibes, Garden chanting about Swansea and Ciggy getting battered mid song.