New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Following on the heels of the ambient, Kid A influenced, track "
Bluebird", Dave Monks is sharing the jangly emotional indie-rock "Don't Go Falling To Pieces" and announcing his debut solo record, On A Wave, coming on Dine Alone Records October 18th. "Don't Go Falling To Pieces" sees Monks finding his footing after the events surrounding after the near dissolution of Tokyo
Police Club, which lead to their semi-self titled 2018 record TPC. Whereas in 2018 TPC saw Monks and his bandmates working together to rediscover their love for the band On A Wave is a personal, raw, record with Monks threading these disparate songs he wrote while in a state of dislocation into a cohesive, beautifully arranged and cathartic album that cuts through the chaos of modernity. Following his move back home to Toronto from Brooklyn these songs came together as an exercise in rediscovering those creative impulses that run through his previous works. As Monks sings on "You've known the way all along" one can decide to believe this as a truth, an affirmation, or a consolation that things will, or are, getting better.
Speaking to the process of threading these songs together Monks says that he "thinks this might be my favourite album I have been a part of but I definitely just made it one step, one flight, one song at a time. I didn't really know where I was going with it until it all came together. I'm really happy I stepped into the unknown and endured some moments of serious doubt and wanting to cut songs and redo them" going on to advise that "If you are making something now - remember that uncertainty and second guessing are just part of the process!"
On A Wave is influenced by the music Monks grew up with, from
Radiohead to the Strokes, and as an extremely personal record detailing heartbreak, self-doubt and growth On A Wave dips into the experimental for Monks with adventurous ambient ballads, as heard on "
Bluebird", to more straightforward songs like "Don't Go Falling to Pieces". The album was recorded in Toronto and produced by Rob Schnapf (Elliot Smith, Kurt Vile, The Vines), mastered by Mark Chalecki (Mavis Staples, Grandaddy, The Unicorns) with Monks on guitar and vocals accompanied by
Alyson McNamara on vocals, Matt Schuessler on bass and Luke Adams on Drums.
Monks will be on tour with Said The Whale this fall, stopping in Chicago, New York and DC for headline shows in November. Find those dates below.
Dave Monks Tour:
9/26 - Nanaimo, BC - Port Theatre ~
9/27 - Campbell River, BC - Tidemark Theatre ~
9/28 - Victoria, BC - Capital Ballroom ~
10/1 - Kamloops, BC - Blue Grotto ~
10/3 - Calgary, AB - Palace Theatre ~
10/6 - Red Deer, AB - Bo's Bar & Stage ~
10/7 - Saskatoon, SK - Broadway Theatre ~
10/9 - Regina, SK - The Artesian ~
10/11 - Winnipeg, MB - The Garrick ~
11/8: Chicago, IL - Subterranean Downstairs*
11/14 - New York, NY - Berlin*
11/15 - Washington, DC - Songbyrd*
11/27 - St. Catharines, ON - Warehouse ~
11/28 - London, ON - London
Music Hall ~
11/29 - Waterloo, ON - Maxwell's
Music House ~
11/30 - Hamilton, ON - The Casbah ~
12/3 - Halifax, NS - Seahorse Tavern ~
12/5 - Fredericton, NB - The Capitol ~
12/6 - Montreal, QC - L'Escogriffe Bar Spectacle (L'Esco) ~
12/7 - Ottawa, ON - Bronson Centre ~
12/8 - Oshawa, ON - The
Music Hall Concert Theater ~
12/14 - Toronto, ON -
Phoenix Concert Theatre ~
~ with Said The Whale
* Dave Monks solo shows.
