Monarch (El Paraiso Records) is a psychedelic four piece based out of San Diego, California. Since 2014 Monarch has risen the ranks of the fertile San Diego psych rock scene, Playing alongside SD alumni Earthless, Astra, Sacri Monti. Carving out their distinct combination of crafty songwriting paired with a generous dose of sonic experimentation. Recording their self-titled EP and 2016 Debut release “Two Isles” with Brian Ellis of Astra the first taste of Monarch was out via El Paraiso records. Met with widespread praise, Monarch took to touring the west coast of America, all the while writing material for their 2019 Sophomore release “Beyond The Blue Sky''. Poised with plans for expansive 2020 tours of European festivals and the West coast following the album's release were unfortunately met by the world wide pandemic. Not one’s to waste time Monarch went right back to writing for their 3rd record. This time teaming up with legendary Shags Chamberlain to record their most considered effort yet Due Summer 2023 along with a Performance at Portugal’s Sonic Blast Fest.

My friends and I started our first band sophomore year of high school, playing Ramones songs in a room above one of our parent's garage. About a year later, we drove from Harrisonburg, VA to Norfolk, VA to take my boarding school classmate Rob up on his offer of an old Tascam Portastudio and some weed. This road trip ended up having a number of terrifying detours, both geographic and psychedelic - we made it back to the garage with the Portastudio, but not the weed.  I recorded our demo and when I mixed it down and held the cassette in my hand, I knew that this was something I was going to keep doing for the rest of my life. We had created a piece of my favorite type of art, and the feeling of that power was addictive. As my friends and I grew up and kept playing music together in various styles and configurations, my love of this practice deepened while the gaps between our other responsibilities became increasingly shallow. Every time we managed to track another recording, the result was something I cherished.

While I'm not sure any of us ever labored under the illusion that making music would be a career, I was saddled with the fact that for me it was a compulsion - but the demands of life were making it harder and harder to accomplish as a traditional band. It started to become a solo endeavor. I set up my microphones, laptop and tape machines in the corner of whatever rented room, apartment or hotel I happened to be living in. If the walls were thin, I plucked and whispered, if I had the chance, I turned up, screamed and banged together whatever loud things I could find. Around this time, the music publishing website Bandcamp appeared, which gave me a place to put these things I had been making so that others, however few, might see them. Without the collective identity provided by a band, though, I wasn't sure what all this music was.

-From Moss’s site

Born and raised in Atlanta, GA, Gage has occupied a few different southern spaces before setting roots in California where he launched, back in '05, one of the most unique and voice driven music publications of all time, Aquarium Drunkard. Nearing its 20th anniversary, AD hosts a trully consistent forecast for the divine, the original and above all, the creative talents of artists, musicians, film makers, authors, etc. all under one cosmic roof. Its a matrix community of folks that appreciate rich culture, incredible human talent and above all, sharing these elements with their dedicated readers. It was a real pleasure speaking to the man behind it all about his humble beginnings, how he's sharpened his wonderful taste in the arts over time and what keeps Aquarium Drunkard going strong after all the years!

Alex Homan is a songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and frequent musical collaborator most recently based in St. Petersburg, Florida. His collaborative projects include Delaware Dan, Plake 64 & the Hexagrams, and Heumann Homan Highway, among others. His new album “Noise Foley” release today on the great Sun Cru label and we couldn’t more happy to premier this interview along side a wonderful, intimate release from Homan.

Max Bien Kahn is a songwriter and musician based in New Orleans, Louisiana, where he is the bandleader and creative force behind Max & the Martians. In the spirit of his adopted home city, his resume is bursting with musical partnerships: he has spent the last decade playing full-time with Tuba Skinny, a band built around the musical traditions of New Orleans, working as a studio session player and back-up musician, and collaborating with songwriters like Esther Rose, Duff Thompson, and Steph Green. Max also contributed to the landmark Mashed Potato Record compilations, a collection of NOLA’s most exciting artists and a testament to the city’s continued musical vitality.

Born and raised in Kettering, OH, Heaney grew up tending gardens, apple orchards and hikes with his mother, half brothers and would eventually find his way to music with early piano lessons. Heaney attended the Pitchfork festival and saw artists such as Flying Locust which would spark an interest in the sampling side of his music and the rest is history! With a new single and record coming out this summer, Heaney has worked with folks such as Drugdealer, Sylvie, Pearl and the Oysters and Kate Bollinger so we know he’s been in wonderful company sculpting his own music and perfecting his craft.

Dishel was born in the Soviet Union before relocating to New York with his family when he was only two. Throughout the 80’s and 90’s Dishel was influenced by MTV and the likes of Motley Crue, Poison and the rest of the glam metal scene in his early years before branching into Culture Club, Prince, Cyndi Lauper and Duran Duran as his musical horizons began to expand. Eventually meeting Adam, Kimya and would eventually be The Moldy Peaches, it was set that Dishel would spend his life pursuing music and art. In more recent years Dishel is releasing music under Only Son and can be found touring with The Moldy Peaches on their highly anticipated reunion tour this year!

Born and raised in Philadelphia, Shall is influenced by some of the most colorful forms of art from the last 30 years - Pee Wee Herman, Mad TV, The Simpsons, the late Shel Silverstein just to name a few. He would soon become an illustrator himself working for the likes of the Black Keys, Kurt Vile, Diarrhea Planet and so many other amazing folks. In this interview we explore Shall’s youth growing up with his sister in Philly, becoming fascinated with music and art, becoming the art director at Easy Eye Sound and much much more!

NYC-based artist Breanna Barbara’s second album ‘Nothin’ But Time’ (out November 11 on Fuzz Club) is a raw and immersive trip through the sounds of psychedelic rock and blues, anchored by her forceful vocals and unforgettable songwriting. Sporting a sound that feels classic and of-the-moment at the same time, ‘Nothin’ But Time’ sees Barbara plumb new emotional depths as she bursts through every sonic barrier put in her way. Seeking to create mind-expanding music that’s also firmly rooted in the real, ‘Nothin’ But Time’ reflects Barbara’s headlong journey into the world of psychedelic pop by way of hard-driving blues-rock, warped theremin tones and celestial synths. ‘Nothin’ But Time’ arrives following Breanna’s 2016 debut ‘Mirage Dreams’, a trio of critically acclaimed singles (most recently ‘New Moon’) and a number of collaborations with legendary trip-hop vanguard Tricky. As well as joining his US touring band as lead female vocalist, Barbara also did an official rework of his 'When We Die' track and featured on the 2021 Lonely Guest album, ‘False Idols’. Recorded at Nashville’s Bomb Shelter studio with Andrija Tokic (Alabama Shakes, Hurray For The Riff Raff), the album features musical contributions from Jack Lawrence (The Dead Weather), Tall Juan, Derry DeBorja (Jason Isbell), and Champagne Superchillin’s Ben Trimble and Charles Garmendia.

(From Barabar’s Bandcamp)

Born and raised in Grimsby shortly after WW2, Allenby was influenced early on by church music from Church of the Nazarene and his mother singing around the house. Eventually Allenby heard the Beatles and the Stones like most kids during that time and the rest is history! He formed his first band the Ranting Lands before meeting his future bandmates to start Forest and would quickly go on to write and record two wonderful albums of original, exciting material. In this interview we explore Allenby’s past, future and present, Forest and the legacy they left behind, the late John Peel, what he’s currently working on and so much more!

Oliver Klaus is an Eastern Townships based band that formed in 1969 and are considered to be an early “indie band” by its members. In this interview Maurice Singfield (Capt. Moze) engages our readers by exploring his early youth when he first became aware of music by The Beatles like most kids of that generation did as well as his early band Les Notables prior to Oliver Klaus. Singfield also speaks on the early days of the band, writing and recording their groundbreaking debut LP and much much more!

Barbara met Steve Brown, alias Fred Bloggs at Bristol University in the 1970s. She was singing at a local Folk and Blues club when he invited her to join his Top 40/original-song band. The foundation members in the picture above are Steve on guitars and keyboards, Barbara on vocals and percussion, Geraint (Taffy) Jenkins on drums, Big John Howe on bass, and various other musicians symbolized by the other tall guy at the back, John Boucher (he was the only one we knew who owned a suit). Shortly afterward, Bristol entertainer Fred Wedlock helped them get a spot on an HTV television program which led to many engagements in the West Country. They were invited to work at long-term engagements at U.S. Military bases in Europe, including Rota naval base in southern Spain and several in the former W. Germany. They also traveled to Norway to play a winter season in a disco near Oslo. The line up of the band changed over the coming five years and included Bristol native Paul Anstey on bass, college lecturer Tony Alcock on saxophone, Huddersfield imports Mick Avery and Stan Thewlis (now known as Stan Rivera) from the jazz-rock band Skywhale on drums and sax/flute, and Bristol Old Vic Theatre carpenter Martin Norie on lead guitar. Paul, Stan and drummer Tony Orrell also played with pianist Tim Richards in the seminal Bristol jazz band Spirit Level.

Arts School graduate Alan Edwards not only joined us as drummer but contributed much art work and publicity to the band and designed our wooden music stands (like the old Glenn Miller Band type of thing). Several years of playing rock, country and disco music gave them a chance to get their chops together and by 1978 they were ready to record their first EP (remember those?) of original songs (click to listen). During this time, Barbara also appeared on a live BBC broadcast singing one of her original songs about the Clifton Suspension Bridge and was honing her instrumental skills. But by the late 1970s the individuals in the band were beginning to go their separate ways. Barbara briefly formed her own band with bass player Paul, flute player Stan, and drummer Tony Orell. This song, Soldier, is one that they performed at the Ashton Court festival in Bristol in 1978: Then came the Seldom Scene Band with friend and bass player Ruth King, guitarist John Sweet and "Ceilings" vocalist Trevor on drums (the band name was chosen by our manager who probably had no idea that there was already a quite famous American Bluegrass band with the same name). After another stint in Spain playing Bee Gees and original songs, they recorded a demo tape and then disbanded, leaving Barbara to sing with some of Bristol's jazz bands.

-(From The bands site)

Born and raised in the Netherlands, Christine and her family relocated to San Francisco at just the age of three and was surround by music at a very early age. Studying classical voice during her elementary years, Christine eventually began playing guitar and covering the likes of the late Elliott Smith and the rest is history! This month is very exciting for Christine as her new record “Soft Like An Apricot” releases this Friday the 26th! In this interview we explore Christine’s past, future and present, her formative influences, learning to play guitar and eventually writing her own songs, writing and recording process and much more.