MUSIC

NOW HEAR THIS

Roll Soul: The Monroe

BY DAWN JANKE

On the heels of their performance at Live Oak Music Festival mid-June, local band The Monroe sat down with me to celebrate the release of their new single, “Cut the Corners,” and discuss their plans for the future. After two years together, the band has garnered a buzz about them, and with two EPS, a new website, and a new van, The Monroe are ready to roll their big sound right to you. And roll, they do. In fact, the band unanimously agrees that they like to define their music as “roll soul.” Lead singer Morgan Monroe’s vocal influences hover around the sultry sounds of Amy Winehouse, the soulful depths of Beyonce Knowles, and the smooth notes of R&B crooner Frank Ocean. Other influences on their sound range from guitarist Renny Currin’s love of the blues, keyboardist Doktar Robert Isapony XD’s old rock steady vibe, and drummer Taylor Belmore’s appreciation for singer-songwriters like Joanna Newsom. The Monroe clearly draws from a wide variety of genres and considers their sound to be vibe music or what they laughingly refer to as “dumpster funk,” a term I think is absolutely brilliant (though it’s important to note here that the term “dumpster” is said with affection and represents the modus operandi behind those hip folk out there who see value and romance in all things discarded). The Monroe’s sound is definitely not garbage. “Our sound is hard to define, which is good,” says Currin. Drummer Belmore explains that she is really liking the group vocals as their sound evolves (Belmore, Currin, and Isapony often beautifully harmonize with lead singer Monroe). Their latest single, written by Currin and developed collaboratively with the rest of the band, has a

DAWN JANKE directs the Writing & Rhetoric Center at Cal Poly and never misses a live show on the Central Coast. somewhat mainstream pop sound to it, and all of the band members are excited about where they’re going with their music. Belmore says, “we go hard and we go together.” After hanging with the band for a couple of hours, it’s clear that they do, indeed, go together. They banter with one another as they narrate their story, which begins something like this: Belmore and Isapony were a jazz and belly-dance combo who wanted to play a gig at Hush Harbor Artisan Bakery & Cafe in Atascadero, but restaurant owner Donnie Monroe wouldn’t let them play unless they invited his daughter Morgan to sing. Monroe giggles as she admits that she was “forced on” Isapony and Belmore, but Belmore says, “Actually, when Morgan came in, people came.”

So, the band’s story starts at Hush Harbor with Belmore, Isapony, and Monroe performing as Morgan Monroe and the Robert Taylor Band, covering an Amy Winehouse song on a karaoke machine. Shortly thereafter, guitarist Currin and bassist Ryan Howl joined the mix, and they changed their name first to Lemon Row then to Le Monroe and finally, The Monroe. Oh, and probably most important: they got rid of that karaoke machine and purchased some proper speakers from which to amplify Monroe’s velvety voice. By now, with wins for both Best R&B Song and Best Live Performance at the SLO New Times Music Awards last fall, as well as an amazing performance on Stage Too at this summer’s Live Oak under their belts, The Monroe are on their way.

And what’s the next chapter in The Monroe story? A full length album? Maybe. Right now, the band wants to play every venue in the county and then hop in their new van and take their music on the road. For the most part, The Monroe just wants to be seen. They admit that they struggle with what I would imagine most up-andcoming musicians struggle with: the best, or right way to develop a fanbase. Some bands go the crowdfunding route, launching a campaign on a platform such as Indiegogo or Kickstarter. Should they or shouldn’t they? For The Monroe, there’s a level of morality at the heart of the answer to that question. Their songs are available for download on SoundCloud and ReverbNation, but for now, they mainly “want to hustle from scratch,” and believe that being seen live may help catapult them into success beyond SLO County. However they get there, there’s no doubt they will. And, I, for one, am excited to follow as their story unfolds. The Monroe keeps it real, and that’s refreshing.They’ve got raw energy and dig deeply into the purpose behind their music. Isapony believes that music should release us from the daily grind, and Belmore says that the band carries emotion “like a wave,” and with each note The Monroe definitely draws forth a multitude of feelings. “I’d like to think the band can bring joy,” says Isapony, and that they do. One listen of “Cut the Corners” is all it takes for their groove to infect you. Isapony adds, “we don’t rock; it’s just roll.” The Monroe and their roll soul are most definitely moving forward, but while they’re still here living the SLO life, I’d recommend you catch ‘em when you can. SLO LIFE