MONOWHALES

With a brand new album on the horizon and their recently released single, “CTRL^^^”, we caught up with Toronto indie rock band, MONOWHALES. In this “Freshly Pressed”, we’re chatting about their new single, favourite Canadian bands, and their songwriting process.

From the Strait: Tell us about the new single, “CTRL^^^”.

MONOWHALES: We have never felt tighter or more musically on the same page than we have right now and this song. ‘CTRL^^^’ is the start of what we hope to be a more honest and vulnerable sound coming from us. Control can have two sides. One is dark and one is positive. In this song I wonder if I am self-aware enough to be able to use it in the right way. As the person who is in the driver seat, it’s hard to be a judge of your own character. The rest of the track really pulls at the more evil heartstrings of what control can feel like, Zach did a great job of sculpting that sound.

FTS: What are some Canadian bands you’ve been listening to lately?

MONOWHALES: JJ Wilde, Dizzy, Dear Rouge, The Beaches, MKLA, LIGHTS all my girls.

FTS: Every band has their own way of creating songs – what is your songwriting process like?

MONOWHALES: Every song is written in a different way. Sometimes one person could bring in a sketch for us to all look at, or it could be fully thought out. Other times we start from scratch as a band together. We like to keep all our options open so as not to limit ourselves. Lately we’ve been doing a lot of ZOOM writes and co-writes. This next record might be almost entirely written that way.

FTS: How did Monowhales get together?

MONOWHALES: Jordan and I were high school sweethearts that found sparks over our love of music. Even though our teenage lovers phase didn’t last, the music side of it did. Couple years later I saw Zach play guitar and both of us knew we had that something special that we both loved. Alas, MONOWHALES was born.

FTS: What’s next for the band in 2022?

MONOWHALES: New music, new videos, new everything essential. Keep an eye for us online. We have a lot in store this coming year.


Check out the new single from MONOWHALES, “CTRL^^^”!