Young Monks have spent the last 3 years refining their unique blend of psychedelic-pop-wave, single-handedly producing all their own music and videos and amassing over 2.2 million streams and 55,000+ monthly Spotify listeners in that time.
We caught up with the gang ahead of their tour to find out their Top 5 Artistic Influences…
1. The Eagles
I remember from a young age hearing harmonies from The Eagles coming through my parents’ record player, and I am still blown away by how in tune they were with each other and how they were able to create such a unique sound as a group. Growing up and maturing I feel that this band played a big part in how I understand song writing and also how I hear music in general.
2. Bon Iver
This artist was a big inspiration to the whole band, and the way they can create ambience through their music is amazing. The lyrics, song writing and music is always very strong but the progression of the sound is also inspiring. It’s taught us to be delicate in our own music and try to incorporate more dynamic sounds.
3. Sufjan Stevens
We love the production that came out of Illinois – again it is very delicate music, which has a raw and pure aspect to it. I remember hearing it on the drive back home after a gig in the back of the car. I instantly relate the songs to a peaceful time and i think it’s important that you’re able to feel something through the music, which is something Sufjan Stevens does so well.
- Red Hot Chili Peppers
We all love the Chilies, they maintain a level of rock mixed with funk that can really do no wrong. We definitely all drew huge inspiration from this band growing up, and I think our love for funk music originated from this band.
- Nujabes
This is a newfound love for the band. Chill hop/neo soul music is a fresh style to us that we LOVE – we recently found ourselves listening to a lot of jazz music and this artist takes the progression of jazz and infuses hip hop beats and rhythms. I think this played a massive part in shaping our new record, a lot of our beats are very hip hop spiced and we try to infuse elements of jazz through the songs.
Young Monks’ self-produced debut album Swamp Creek is out independently on June 29 via Bad Bad Records/UNIFIED Music Group. Pre-order it here.
YOUNG MONKS – SWAMP CREEK AUSTRALIA TOUR Tickets on sale now from youngmonks.net
Friday 13 July – Bloodhound Bar, Brisbane
Sunday 15 July – Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle
Friday 20 July – Workers Club, Melbourne
Saturday 21 July – Brighton Up, Sydney
Sunday 22 July – Rad Bar, Wollongong
Wednesday 25 July – Roundhouse Beergarden, Randwick
Friday 27 July – The Park House, Mona Vale
Saturday 28 July – Waterfront Hotel, Moruya
