Often categorized as a post-punk revival band, Montrealers We Are Monroe have been working hard and building a following for the past decade. As guitarist Jason tells us, “Up until this pandemic we never really slowed down to take a break.” The past year or so has forced the band to rethink a few things though and to approach new music in a brand new way.
“When you’re a band without any projects like the next show, the next album or EP, it can be really scary to have nothing on your plate,” admits Ben (drums). “I’ve been playing music since I was 15 and I never had that period where I didn’t touch an instrument for so long. I’m the drummer but I found keyboards, electronic devices, Garageband and it changed my vision of music.“
The band say that up until COVID-19 hit, they had always jammed and created songs in a room together but the new material often began at home on a computer and then was developed with the band later on. But, as Bryan tells it, “that core of being able to make people move and feel the energy is always there and will always be there.“
We Are Monroe play an unpretentious form of dancy, indie-rock with an edge based on a drum-and-bass rhythm core, and has grown famous for the raw, hard-hitting, high-energy dynamic of its live shows.
Following a dense touring schedule in 2019 – which saw the band head to Europe for a lengthy 2 month tour, and then return to Quebec to play the festival circuit, including performances at Festivent de Lévis, and Osheaga – the band eventually planned a break to explore new musical grounds, incorporating new sounds, and write new songs deciding to double down on their strengths.
Their new EP Movements, recorded in part with Gus Van Go (Arkells, The Stills, Wintersleep), and Jesse Mac Cormack (Helena Deland, Philippe Brach) is a snapshot of this journey, and crystalizes the new horizons they are pursuing. Movements is set to be released May 28, 2021.
Frontman Pat describes the first single Baby Love as “a good in-between of what we’ve done in the past, what we were doing when we wrote it and where we’re heading to now“.
Montreal Rocks‘ Steve Gerrard chatted with the band about the new music, how they worked with local artist TEETZ on the visual direction, their favourite Montreal venue to play and about their upcoming livestream event at L’Astral.
Watch the full interview below:
Get your tickets for the WE ARE MONROE MOVEMENTS EP release show at L’Astral HERE
