The following fill in the blanks come from a very obscure but promising band. Thunder Monkey is an indie/pop project out of New York with a ton of potential. The duo has released three tracks on their Soundcloud titled “The Care” “Record 29” and “Something.” I particularly love “Record 29” and its melody/beat. Learn more about the band from their responses before jamming their singles on Soundcloud.
Three words we’d use to describe us are….Hungry, Hungry and Hungry…Seriously, don’t let us near your fridge, we will clear that shit.
The meaning/story behind our name Thunder Monkey is….Well, as we were getting together to jam actually for the first time on this project, Al was outside heading downstairs when he heard his Uncle (who was in the driveway) look at his phone and say “oh man, Thunder Monkey is calling me.” He continued down to where I was setting up some gear and was like, “yo dude, I’ve got our name…Thunder Monkey!” I laughed and was like “done.” We later found out his uncle was referring to his wife. We both just heard the name and were like what?! I think because it came out of nowhere we were just like “this is the one.”
We met each other….We have a lot of mutual friends that for years told us we should hang and jam together but we never made it happen. Eventually, we met in person on a snowboard trip up to Vermont, and made plans to play music together when we got back home. We followed through on those plans and have been at it ever since. We actually started with the intent of forming a cover band to get out and play live for a few bucks and free beers. We eventually settled on a stress-free duo where Al would play drums, Mike would play guitar and we’d fill in the gaps with Pro Tools on Mike’s laptop and with that, Thunder Monkey was born.
The pickiest eater is….Definitely Mike. “I’m not picky about the kinds of food I eat, but I’m extremely picky about the cleanliness of my food. I sift through every bite looking for hairs or other nastiness.”
The most OCD member is….Hmm. I (Mike) would say Al. His basement, which is our practice space, is always spotless. Candles lit, vacuumed, etc. He’s always got everything in order while I on the other hand tend to just throw shit and leave it where it lands.
For fun we like to….Chill out and listen to music, indulge in quality beers, and go out and party with our friends. Pretty normal stuff. We watch a lot of stand up comedy and The Kroll Show, and try to do some snowboarding from time to time.
We’re currently listening to….Foster the People, Atlas Genius, Young The Giant, MisterWives, Grouplove, Bahamas, The 1975, and Walk The Moon.
Our favorite songs of all time include….
- “I Want You” – Savage Garden. Yes, the cherry cola song. (Mike)
- “New York State of Mind” – Billy Joel (Al)
We find inspiration from….Everything around us. Our day to day travels on the subway, the people we meet, other artists. Sometimes its really direct, like if something is bugging one of us we may write a song specifically about that topic. Other times the things that happen throughout the day could just put us in a mood and subconsciously affect what we write that day.
The first song we wrote together was…. “The Care”
One thing we want you to remember while listening to our music is….To have fun with it! Dance, vibe out, sing loud. That’s what it’s there for.
Something odd we want our fans to know about us is….We once made up a fictional character named ‘Old Moto’ and we would bow to each other and say his name far too regularly.
We’re absolutely terrified of….
- Bees, wasps, and all things related. One summer a wasp family decided to build a nest outside the window to my studio. I’d been working with headphones on and didn’t hear the buzz and was stung in the neck by a monster wasp. For absolutely no reason. People say if you leave them alone they won’t bother you, but not me. They bother me just because. (Mike)
- Probably forgetting to take a towel into the shower because then you’re in for a freezing swift jog to the area where there are in fact towels. And there’s no guarantee you won’t slip and break your neck. (Al)
Our last meals would be….
- Chipotle chicken and steak burrito bowl, with guac (I know, its extra) sour cream, and hot sauce. (Mike)
- Filet mignon prepared medium rare with a side of garlic mashed potatoes and a cold Guinness to wash it down. (Al)
In the next six months you should expect….Our EP and a video or 2!
– Victoria
Kryptonite Music Magazine 