Earlier this week, we shared the news that members of Kathryn Tickell and The Darkening, The Monster Ceilidh Band and The Shee were forming a new project called We Are The Monsters. The five-piece line-up features accordion star Amy Thatcher (whose solo EP we recently reviewed here), violinist Grace Smith, octave mandolin player Kieran Szifris, drummer Joe Truswell and award-winning electronic experimentalist and bassist David de la Haye.
Below, you can watch the accompanying live video for their first single, Trouser Worrier, released tomorrow, 3rd December, an early taste of what’s in store, ahead of their debut EP, Mutated, out on 25th March 2022.
Kieran Szifris, band founder and octave mandolin player, spoke to us about the band’s mission and sound:
“We Are The Monsters is all about pushing our sound in new directions and exploring what we can create. After years of working together on other projects, we’ve found ourselves experimenting more with live electronics and beats, and we realised that something totally new was starting to take shape.
“As the project is all about experimentation, we decided to kick things off with a new version of a track we all know well, to see how we can develop it in a whole new way. Trouser Worrier featured on the Monster Ceilidh Band album Mutation, so it seemed like the perfect place to start. It signifies our move in a new and exciting direction with our recording and live performance while also being a reference to our history.
“We’re looking forward to sharing the project with audiences next year. We’ll be using new technology which we can manipulate and develop during live performance, making each show a one-off event. In the meantime, we’re delighted to share this new video, which captures some of the energy of our live performances and shows what We Are The Monsters is all about!”
With Trouser Worrier, there’s a lovely groove and musical restraint that creates an underlying tension, like a rubber band being stretched; you’re just waiting for that energy to be released, and when it does, they do not disappoint. They will go down a storm on the festival dance floors!
Pre-save Trouser Worrier here.
Don’t miss their launch party in the New Year; details are below.
A launch party gig for We Are The Monsters will be held at The Cumberland Arms in Newcastle Upon Tyne on Friday 7th January to give listeners a preview of the new material in-store. The band will also play at National Forest Folk on Friday 14th January.
Follow We Are The Monsters
Website: https://wearethemonsters.co.uk/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wearethemonsters
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/weare.themonsters/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeMCPHG7qOs3QEq9qLgdjgg
Bandcamp: https://wearethe-monsters.bandcamp.com