Montë Mar is a LA based band that just took off this year when frontman Brian Green decided to completely quit other gigs and work on his own band. With friends Bill, Capital, Kyle and Dylan by his side, the alternative pop band released their first EP Different Place and went on a West Coast tour last summer. The first time I interviewed Brian, Montë Mar seemed like a side project. Now just a few months later and this band is getting ready to make their first full length album. I got the chance to talk to all five of the guys about their music, how the band was created and each of their 'must haves' while on tour.
Where did you come up with the name Monte Mar?
Brian: Montë Mar is actually the name of the street that I grew up on. We spent a lot of time rehearsing there in our early days, so when it was time to come up with a name, it was a natural fit.
How did you all meet?
Dylan: Crane and I have mutual friends at USC and I happened to sub on a couple gigs that he was on. We would talk and found that we had very similar taste in music from jazz, rock or whatever. He was working with Brian and Bill on the beginnings of Monte Mar at the time. I was in a place where I wanted to be involved in an original project where I could express my individual creativity. Out of nowhere Crane texted me after months of not talking and asks if I want to come by and play sometime. I checked out the 1 song they had which was Time and loved it. I showed up one day, met Brian and Bill, played and have been in the band ever since.
When was the first time the five of you played in front of an audience? How did it feel?
Bill: If I remember correctly, the first time was at a warehouse/art/music party near downtown LA. It was a huge 2-story warehouse full of visual and live art. I do remember not having monitors in the sound system and we had a hard time hearing each other/our vocals especially. Regardless, we had a fun time, and it felt great to play with Crane, Capital, Dylan, and Brian, as they are all really good musicians!
How was the process of creating your EP Different Place?
Brian: It was interesting in that I feel it took recording these songs for them to truly develop into arrangements we were all happy with. Playing live is a very different experience than recording and I focus on different elements depending on which one I'm involved in. For me, it takes listening under a microscope to make the subtle changes that can really shape an arrangement and recording gives you that luxury. I think we all realized this while recording the EP and are way more focused on making demos of our new songs so that we can pick apart all of the details before recording the record.
Will we be getting a full length Monte Mar record in the future?
Brian: Absolutely. We are working on a lot of new material at the moment and will probably start recording the record in the summer.
This past summer you did a West Coast tour, where would you like to tour next?
Kyle: I would love to make it out to Hawaii soon and play on all the islands. Our friend Garrett McNamara lives out there. He's a world famous surfer that we've done some film scoring for. He's been trying to get us out there to play one of the big surf events they have. The surf community seems to be very receptive to our music and I feel like it would be a fun trip!
What’s your favorite song to play off of your Different Place EP?
Capital: Of course I love playing all our songs, but my personal favorite to perform off the EP is "Complicated Number." For me this song really captures everything I like about our music, from all-out rock energy to shimmering arpeggios, lots of vocal harmonies and cool guitar & keyboard melodies. Plus it's usually the first song of our set, and I love that fired-up feeling of anticipation I get when I hear Crane start the beat.
What was it like being named one of Myspace Music’s featured artists this past summer?
Capital: It was so awesome we got picked for this. I think we all felt like rock stars for a day. I mean, our picture was featured on the front page just as big as The Strokes! We're always working at trying to make our music better and reach more people, moving forward in baby steps and loving the process, but the MySpace feature felt like a big leap ahead.
What sets you apart from other bands?
Dylan: Its hard for me to justify what sets us apart or makes us different because there is so much music out there. So many creative musicians out there that we love and inspire us as well as numerous ones that we will soon discover. I can tell you that we strive to make the best music we can together, that is honest to us, and share that with as many people as possible.
What’s the best part about performing shows together?
Kyle: The best part of performing with Montë Mar is seeing Capital do hi-kicks!
Do you have a message to all of your fans?
Bill: Check out the new EP on facebook or bandcamp, and share it with all your friends!! Also, come see us at our free Silverlake Lounge Residency, every Monday night in March! Feel free to dance and get a little crazy at our shows!! We do!!
And one final question for all five of you, what’s a ‘must have’ while on tour?
Brian: A sleeping bag... It's a mystery what your sleeping conditions will be like and a good backup plan is always necessary.
Bill: Hmmm...I would say a few things. ipod and ear plugs, so that you can zone out in the bus if you want. A neck pillow...again for the bus ride. Also, willingness to explore the places you're in, and an openness to meet new people along the way!
Capital: Hiking shoes. Some of the most fun we had during down time was hiking on the California coast and the Columbia Gorge up in Oregon.
Kyle: I have learned through the years that every tour comes with it's own level of comfort depending on the budget. Some tours you have to crash on floors and eat oatmeal the whole time, some of them you get your own room in a nice hotel every night. I am cool with either. My only requirement is that everybody respects each others and keeps their cool. Touring can really push people's patience. I was on a tour with another band once where band members got kicked off and were on a plane the next day back to their respective cities. Touring with Montë Mar actually seemed to bring us closer together, which was refreshing!
Dylan: Haha I would say a shower for me. Luckily we are pretty good about that because five guys in a van, driving for hours, loading and unloading, after playing a long gig in a bar gets to be pretty gross.
Thanks again to Montë Mar for the awesome interview and I wish them luck on their future endeavors!
