March 7th, 2013 
Brian Leak 
Under the Gun Review is pleased to bring you this exclusive, detailed interview with Sydney, Australia’s Monks Of Mellonwah!
Shortly after listening through and reviewing the Monks’ newest EP, Sky & The Dark Night, we had a chance to talk with the band and we discussed the new release, their recent signing with A&R Worldwide, and some exciting plans for the near future. So without any further flurry, read through and take advantage of this opportunity to get familiar with the young and talented Monks of Mellonwah.
Firstly, the band name is very interesting; where did that originate from?
Joe de la Hoyde: Yeah, this question is a regular one for us (laughs)… but I guess that is a good thing, as when you Google Monks of Mellonwah you only get us, so our fans know where to find our band and our music easily. The name itself was inspired by a computer game we used to play many moons ago called ‘Hocus Pocus.’ On one of the levels, you had to do battle, and of course defeat, characters called The Mad Monks Of MellenWAH. We loved the game but at the time always had trouble overcoming these dudes to proceed to the next level; they were our nemesis. As time went by and we decided to start our own band, we kind of just fell into a derivative of the Mad Monks Of MellenWAH as our band name by calling ourselves Monks of Mellonwah… Mellon after the fruit and wah after the wah pedal we loved to use in our music… the name doesn’t mean anything really but along with music it is a common denominator between each of us in the band.
How did the band come together and begin making music?
Joe de la Hoyde: We all went to the same school and were brought together through the love of music. Great passions bring people together and one way or another we found each other and some of us started jamming during our school breaks or during recess on a regular basis. Then this one time our school put on a charity event to raise money for a great cause and we decided to enter it as a band. It was after this, that we realized our musical connection went beyond jamming out some tunes and we decided to formally start the band, write our own music and play shows together. But we needed a bass player and as it happened my older brother John (who inspired me to play guitar) was available and we asked him to join us. John is a couple of years older but also went to the same school. It just kind of happened and I think it was meant to be!
What would you say are the biggest influences that go into your sound and lyrical content?
Vikram Kaushik: As individuals we can’t really control what phase we are going through at what time; one of us might be really into Nirvana and the other might be listening to nothing but film music. Inevitably, we meet somewhere in the middle of where we all are. It’s good. It’s the contradictions between us, the friction between us, that causes a spark and creates something new. Lyrically there are some songs where the energy of lyrics just kind of come through me and it’s more of a visceral reaction to the music. There are some songs where I feel like I had something specific to say though. I don’t think we aim for anything except to be the best we can be, the sound and words that come out of us are more a natural reflection of what we find beautiful at that point in time. It will definitely change and evolve.
There’s a massive change of sound from Neurogenesis to Sky & The Dark Night. What led to that change and why did you decide to go with it?
Joe de la Hoyde: This is not an over night change but has taken 3 years to come together and been more a evolution rather a major change. Outside of the band I write scores for film and TV and have projects that draw me to an epic, orchestral sound. Apart from bands like Muse whom I idolize, I also am greatly inspired by Hans Zimmer. I think the element of bringing in orchestral influences into the Monks music is actually a perfect match as a band we have always favoured writing music that builds and climaxes in some epic kind of way. Sky And The Dark Night was written about our inner struggles to find our own path in life, dealing with our demons and the highs and lows that come along in everyone’s life experience and the symphonic sound seemed to be the best way to express this.
Is this new orchestral approach a sound you think you’re going to stick with?
Joe de la Hoyde: Music is music, and for us it is an expression of our collective soul at the time of writing. Having the ability to draw on the vast world of instruments and techniques gives us so many incredible options to produce the very best songs that we can. We feel alive and unrestricted, with no boundaries. We feel free and we hope to always feel this way. I would say that every instrument or sound is fair game and that going forward we will be boundless by convention but still produce songs that people want to hear.
Do you think Sky & The Dark Night is your best release to date?
Joe de la Hoyde: Yes we do think this. For us it is about the art and I would say that every musician or composer feels his/her latest work is their best. That said we are thrilled with how the Sky trilogy has turned out and hope that our fans feel the same about it as we do!
Were you concerned at all with wondering if fans would appreciate the new sound or not?
Joe de la Hoyde: It’s funny but if you take “Sky And The Dark Night” as an example, it has always been one of the most appreciated songs at our live shows, and this is because it is big and bold and makes a massive statement. For us it is a stadium song and the way the trilogy came together felt to us like it preserved the value of the way we play this song live but also reinforced the song in every possible way. I don’t think we ever question the direction… The song just took us and we went with it and just hoped our fans would hear it as we hear it.
How do you, or will you, manage these new songs live?
Joe de la Hoyde: We would have a full orchestra playing along side us like some of the great bands and solo artists have done in the past… one day! We are a young band with limited resources and so for now we will settle for programming our symphonic arrangements and incorporating them into our live performances.
So you recently signed with A&R Worldwide. How do you feel about that? What effect do you think it’ll have on the band?
John de la Hoyde: Yes, we are massively excited to be working with A&R Worldwide. They have a huge pedigree of successfully developing artists and preparing them for a bigger stage. We think it can only have positive benefits to us as a band and the all round presentation of our music.
What are your touring plans looking like right now?
John de la Hoyde: Right now we are planning an Australian tour sometime in June/July and have high hopes to travel overseas again with some possible US dates. Right now we are focusing on some new releases and will tour around these. So to answer your question, we are in planning stage with some great ideas flouting around! There will be some surprises at some shows for our fans!
Do you have plans to release a full-length album in the near future?
Vikram Kaushik: Yes, in fact we have just completed our debut album and only have the final mastering to be done. Before its release we will be taking a couple of tracks and releasing them as singles. Suffice to say we are really excited to share what we have produced.
You guys have gotten a lot of recognition in different forms. What would you say has been the biggest blessing or highlight of the band’s career thus far?
Vikram Kaushik: There is no one thing. Recognition is great and our two US awards mean a lot to us, but at the end of the day the only recognition that counts for anything is from our fans. The person that comes up to us after a show and tells us how much he or she enjoyed our music means more to us than anything else. We are grateful for everything the music business brings our way and in particular those moments that make us realize we have something to offer!
What is the next big goal for MOM?
John de la Hoyde: To release our full-length album and for it to be well received by our fans and along the way connect with a bigger audience. Our dream is to stand in front of tens of thousands of people on a stage like Madison Square Garden or Wembley Stadium and to do what we love. There could be no better feeling than that!
Written and conducted by: Brian Lion – Follow him on Twitter
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