Our Interview With The Monarchs: "We are artists. Losing money is part of the contract."

The Monarchs are from KC. They enjoy pretty butterflies.  You may not have heard of them (yet).  They're playing a free album release show at the Bottleneck on Saturday with Rev Gusto and The Invisible World, and they're allowing you to name-your-own-price for the new album.  That's putting a lot of trust in you scenesters!  Don't let them down.  Visit the FB event page for more info.

Check out their official website here and enjoy this interview with The Monarchs' Nathaniel in which we discuss butterflies, the differences in the LFK and KC music scenes, drugs, and orgies.
 

Chip:   Based on your band name and the imagery on your flyers and album, you guys really like butterflies.  Could you please describe your sound using some elaborate and pretentious butterfly metaphors?

Nathaniel: The Monarchs sound is in a constant of metamorphosis. We are always trying to evolve and soar to new heights with our musicianship and songwriting capabilities. Breaking free from the chrysalis, the molds, and the labels people are trying to project upon us is one of our many goals. The Monarchs want to emerge from the chrysalis as something so breathtaking and original that people will have no choice but to accept it as it is, as all music should be accepted, just as people accept butterflies as they are. The monarch butterfly journeys thousands of miles every year and is known to even migrate across oceans. Just as the monarch butterfly, The Monarchs want to take you on a journey with our music. So please, come fly away with us.

Richard:  You guys are based in Kansas City but you seem to be popping up in Lawrence quite a bit recently.   How do the music scenes differ, in your opinion?  Can you weigh the pros and cons
for us.  Also, do you find Lawrence audiences to be receptive to KC bands?  I’ve seen some great KC bands (like The Grisly Hand) play very sparsely attended shows in Lawrence.

Nathaniel: The difference in the Lawrence music scene and the Kansas City music scene to me is that Lawrence has a lot of heart and Kansas City does not. I love all the venues in Lawrence. Especially The Bottleneck. The Bottleneck to me is my home away from home and I can not thank them enough for how much support they throw behind the bands they book. Just looking at their past artists who have played the Bottleneck... no small venue really rivals it. You walk in there and you just soak in this history of timeless music and as an artist that is just so warming and engrossing you can't help but get a little high from it. The magical thing, though, is all the venues in Lawrence are like that. They are all just so welcoming and homey. I could honestly sleep in those venues and feel at home. The greatest part of the Lawrence scene though are the crowds and the people that attend the shows. They all love music so much you can almost smell it in their breath.  [Chip: "That's mostly PBR you're smelling."]. You feel the energy once you play a show in Lawrence. Most everyone is standing up and is standing up next to the stage. The Lawrence crowds are there for the music. Kansas City, I don't get that same vibe. I love Kansas City and I love venues like the Brick, RecordBar, the Coda. But no disrespect to the Kansas City crowds, they just lack the openness and enthusiasm at local shows. Maybe we haven't been playing the right shows in Kansas City but I don't feel the love as much as we do Lawrence. There are certain venues in KC, which will remain unnamed, that tend to screw over bands, that I choose not to support or play at. Don't get me wrong: we have had some unbelievable shows in KC that we won't forget. I just have a special place in my heart for Lawrence. Our biggest crowds and shows have been Lawrence. I can never thank Lawrence enough for the support they give The Monarchs. We hope to show Larryville how much we love them Saturday night!

Chip:   Your album release at the Bottleneck this Saturday is not only a free show, it’s also a name-your-own-price for the album show.  You guys are putting a lot of trust in cheap scenesters, who may very well give you one buck for the album and save their cash for PBR!  Are you determined to lose money??

Nathaniel: Haha, I fucking love this question. My parents ask me the same thing every time I go over to visit. All I want is for people to listen to our music. That is all I could ever ask for. And if it means that The Monarchs lose money in the process, so be it. We are artists.  Losing money is part of the contract. The Monarchs have something to say and we want as many people to hear what we have to say as humanly possible. Hell, my goal is to change the world. The Monarchs and I want to change things; we want to make a difference with our music. I'm going to make this dream of ours a reality. In order to do that, many people have to hear our music and selling our music as of right now won't make that happen. I'm here on this world to change it, not buy it.

Richard:  You fellows are ambitious. But many of our readers are not.  Leave them with a blurb that convinces them they absolutely MUST attend this show.

Nathaniel: If you wish to go on a journey that will take you through space and time. A journey that will take your soul to new dimensions it may have never witnessed before.  I can't guarantee you'll come back the same. The Monarchs, Rev Gusto, and The Invisible World can guarantee that you will have the journey of your life this Saturday, Dec. 21st at The Bottleneck. The show is free, the albums are name your own price. You have nothing to lose.   

Chip:  Oh, one more thing.  Your Facebook page describes your sound as “OrganicAlternative Psychedelic Sex Rock.”  What kind of drugs are best for your music and how often do orgies occur on the dance floor at your shows?  

Nathaniel: I have to say, our music is glorious on shrooms. Peyote I imagine would be pretty wicked. LCD, Molly, Opium, est. Anything that will take you on a journey. I cant guarantee the trip will always be pleasant because The Monarchs cover so many genres and can get rather heavy at times but in the end you will join us in the sun. 

And there are always orgies on the dance floor at a Monarchs show.  The orgies never stop! There are orgies before the show, during the show on stage and on the dance floor, and off course after the show. You can't finish the night until you finish in an orgy.