Gwyneth & Monko have been relentlessly working the US tour circuit. In 2010 they drove over 37,000 miles and played over 160 different shows in between which they camped out in their VW van. They relased their self-titled album in February this year. Their music is influenced by old-timey and Americana with vocals calling to mind Jenny Lewis’ solo work crossed with the intimate folk of Gillian Welch. They started with just the simple combination of guitar and mandolin as their mainstay but this has now built to incorporate a larger sound which includes peddle steel, bass and drums. Although this may have opened their audience appeal their music still maintains that warm rootsy feel.
Gwyneth Moreland’s lyrics are inspired from her simple upbringing thanks to her small town life in Mendocino, Calif., (population 1,006). She grew up in a household with no TV, CD player or junk food.
My parents moved to Mendocino in 1972 after graduating from Stanford University where they fulfilled their dreams of living in the ‘back-to-the-land’ way and raising their five children.
Monko had a different upbringing…he grew up in the San Francisco suburbs incongruously playing hard rock while listening to bluegrass in high school. He was later drawn to folk and traditional instruments like fiddle, banjo and mandolin.
They have another album in the pipeline so keep up with them on Facebook.
Get in the Sun
[audio:http://glgpub.com.s120036.gridserver.com/_/audio/Gwyneth-and-Monko_Get-In-The-Sun.mp3|artists=Gwyneth & Monko|titles=Get in the Sun]
Found in Benson
[audio:http://glgpub.com/_/audio/Gwyneth-and-Monko_Found-in-Benson.mp3|artists=Gwyneth & Monko|titles=Found in Benson]
Down
[audio:http://glgpub.com/_/audio/Gwyneth-and-Monko_Down.mp3|artists=Gwyneth & Monko|titles=Down]