The San Diego based psychedelic band Monarch has returned with a new studio album, MA3, via PFR Records, marking a new era for the band both musically and artistically. Earlier this month, I was able to meet with Dominic Fanghella, Monarch’s guitarist and vocalist, on a Zoom call. Monarch’s artistry as a psychedelic band has set their identity within the genre, as their projects reflect the modern sound of psychedelic rock. Fanghella shared about the creative process of MA3’s album process, as the band took a new approach of self exploration in the recording and production of the record.
Fanghella described the self pedagogy journey with Pro Tools that he experienced as Monarch recorded the album on their own, challenging themselves in ways that they never have before.
C: What did the process look like for you guys besides, you know, teaching yourself Pro Tools? How did you find the recording process different from the other projects that you guys have done?
D: Well, since it was driven by us primarily, it was kind of like putting ourselves in the headspace of producing and, you know, when you have a goal, it’s kind of abstract. And then so the process is really just refining it. And so us getting together and whatever ways we can. You know, I’d go through a lot of the songs and kind of clean them up, and organize them in certain ways, and then I’d have keyboards, and Sonny Yates, he would come in and kind of, like, help me track vocals, and we’d bounce vocals off each other, and, you know, write parts that way. And really, it was just what we thought was fun, or even funny, to do, and kind of, like, just kept it, I don’t know. It can get really sad if you’re, like, working on something for a very long time, and you’re, like, listening to the same song over and over again. So, we just try to make it fun pretty much.
C: Yeah, and that’s the best experience, too, just having a good time with what you’re doing.
D: We had to rediscover that. Yeah. Because it wasn’t fun for a long time, and not because of the people in particular, but just the process was, like, I think when you start reporting something, you’re so excited, and you’re like, we’re gonna get done super quick. And then when it falls short of that, you’re like… AHH, you know, the world’s falling apart. So we had to kind of, like, remind ourselves that it’s not, that stuff doesn’t matter. We just have to make it cool and do what we like.
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Fanghella shared insight into Monarch’s roll out process for MA3 as well, as he detailed how each of the two singles from the album were chosen. The two singles, “Moving Through A Dream” and “Would Have Happened By Now,” were each unique to this album recording process, as they came with periods of trial and error, as the band figured out what was most fitting to the point that they were at during the time of this album production process.
C: So your two singles really set the tone of this new album era, and this new roll out. How did you decide that those tracks would be the leading ones for the album and what people would hear first?
D: Well, we had released, like, we had mixed, uh, “Moving Through A Dream,” and another song off the record called “Hard to Know,” um, probably about a year prior. And I think in our kind of stagnation, we’re like, “Let’s just see what happens if we just put them out.” Um, so we’d already put out two songs that we considered singles, you know, and they didn’t really go anywhere. Just because, we were just, we didn’t tell anyone, we just kind of put them out, you know? But so this time around, it was a little bit more like, okay, well, we don’t want to repeat ourselves by putting out the same songs in the same order. And then also, too, I think, “Would Have Happened By Now” felt like a more interesting presentation. It kind of has all of the elements of, I guess, the new sound, you want to call it? It’s, you know, it’s got all kinds of different production things and, um, I don’t know. I just, yeah, that song just felt right. Yeah.
C: Yeah, I mean, those are really cool ones, to put out first.
D: Yeah, yeah, yeah. And then “Moving Through A Dream,” I don’t know. It’s just that there’s something about that song that it just kind of, it always feels right. So we just were like, all right, we’ll do it again.
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Visually, Monarch took an artistic approach to making the album cover artwork for MA3. In partnering with the band’s friend and artist Dana Trippe, they were able to make a cover that drew the viewer in, and made them want to learn more. In taking an opposite approach from the standard photo of the band, but rather having a more intricate work of art to serve as the visual element of the album.
D: I think just taking chances on actually being visual. We never were really visual before, you know. We kind of didn’t have, or we didn’t pursue resources of any visual, like, you’d be like, oh, someone wants to film a video and you’d be like, okay, well, whatever. And then it’s really up to them what they do with it, which is kind of a, you know, but for this for this round, um, as far as the record cover goes, uh, our friend Dana Trippe, uh, she’s an insane photographer and she has a crazy resume. And she was very kind, and I reached out to her, and she was like, Yeah, we wanted to help you make a cover. Um, and so, for this era, I kind of, I had an idea of maybe some aesthetics and also, for the record cover itself, I had drawn that up. It just came out of my brain or whatever, you know? And so I sent her a picture of that, and she just made the covers. It really amplified the quality of the image. Yeah. Um, and I don’t know, I really, I think a lot of the art that we want to put out it, I, like, art, you know, sometimes when bands, uh, it’s a picture of them. It seems more like a like a product or something. Yeah. So I just kind of was like, I don’t I don’t want to do that. I want to just make it art, you know?
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With MA3 being out for a month now, Monarch has some live shows ahead of them. Fanghella discussed how exciting the live element of shows are for the band, as it further demonstrates their artistry, as a psychedelic rock band.
Monarch’s MA3 is available to stream on all platforms now, via PFR Records. Check out the full interview transcript with Fanghella below.
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C: I was wondering if we could just start with, you know, introducing the band a little bit, what you’ve been most excited about, about the new release, and just a little bit about yourself, too.
D: Oh, okay, cool. Well, I’m Dominic Fanghella. I play guitar and sing in Monarch, and we are a three piece based out of San Diego, and we just released a new record, MA3, which we’ve been working on for about the last four years. You know, stop and starting and all kinds of things, and, um, so we just finished that, and it got released on the 24th of July. And it’s a very cathartic, pleasing experience, so let’s finally let it out. And, yeah, we’re just excited to go play and go do more stuff. We’ve been kind of in hiding for a while.
C: That’s awesome. How does it feel to have it released into the world for everyone to hear, after you’ve been working on it for 4 years, you said?
D: It feels really, it’s personally just really, it’s to let that weight go, because, yeah, it’s just something you think about in private constantly, and then, I don’t know what it is, but the moment it finally becomes accessible to everyone else, you just let go of all that for whatever reason. It’s like, okay, move on.
C: Yeah, that must be a really refreshing, you know, feeling posts release as well.
D: For sure, for sure.
C: I was looking into your influences with psychedelic rock, and I was wondering how you tapped into those influences when making the album, and what was it keeping you inspired throughout the process?
D: As far as influences, it’s pretty sporadic, or eclectic. I would say things that kept me inspired were more, uh, it was, like, less musical influences and more, like, the act of doing something new and recording. So with this record, we started off recording with a producer, and an engineer, and then that ended up just not working out, for whatever reason, and then, uh, kind of got all the songs, and taught myself Pro Tools with help of a few friends, and then I just started to record it. So, um, obviously, with the rest of the band as well. But that kind of was the driving force was to just be, like, the challenge of actually doing it ourselves. Yeah.
C: Yeah. That’s really cool. What did the process look like for you guys besides, you know, teaching yourself Pro Tools? How did you find the recording process different from the other projects that you guys have done?
D: Well, since it was driven by us primarily, it was kind of like putting ourselves in the headspace of producing and, you know, when you have a goal, it’s kind of abstract. And then so the process is really just refining it. And so us getting together and whatever ways we can. You know, I’d go through a lot of the songs and kind of clean them up, and organize them in certain ways, and then I’d have keyboards, and Sonny Yates, he would come in and kind of, like, help me track vocals, and we’d bounce vocals off each other, and, you know, write parts that way. And really, it was just what we thought was fun, or even funny, to do, and kind of, like, just kept it, I don’t know. It can get really sad if you’re, like, working on something for a very long time, and you’re, like, listening to the same song over and over again. So, we just try to make it fun pretty much.
C: Yeah, and that’s the best experience, too, just having a good time with what you’re doing.
D: We had to rediscover that. Yeah. Because it wasn’t fun for a long time, and not because of the people in particular, but just the process was, like, I think when you start reporting something, you’re so excited, and you’re like, we’re gonna get done super quick. And then when it falls short of that, you’re like… AHH, you know, the world’s falling apart. So we had to kind of, like, remind ourselves that it’s not, that stuff doesn’t matter. We just have to make it cool and do what we like.
C: Yeah, totally. That’s really cool. Did you have any, like, rituals or, like, must dos when making the music or was just, like, trial and error experimental this time around?
D: It’s different all the place.
C: Yeah.
D: I think, yeah, probably more trial and error. There’d be times where, when we’re reporting or working on the record, where you’d be like, Oh, I’m gonna, I am objectively gonna go report this part, and then you go plug in, you do it, and it’s just not happening. Yeah, there’s nothing you can really do. You’re just like, This isn’t working, you know, instead of being your head against the wall, you just go, I’m gonna put this down and come back. So I think the only ritual that I could say that was consistent was knowing when to stop. Yeah.
C: Yeah, it’s really cool. I know you guys did some live shows on the way. What tracks are you most excited to perform live?
D: I really like playing “Moving Through a Dream.” That song is always really fun. It’s, you know, we’re so used to playing these in our older records like longer songs, and so this one feels really compact and just kind of… yeah, it is fun to play.
C: That was a really cool one. I know, I was watching some of your reels on Instagram and I just, I love the equipment setup that you guys have too. I saw some really unique pieces in there, but what’s like, what’s your favorite piece that you have a part of your huge collection?
D: Uh, well, uh, as far as guitars, I have like a Les Paul, a rare Japanese Les Paul copy. That’s my favorite guitar. And then I have a few synths, but I don’t really use them on the stage that much. So, yeah, probably my guitar, for sure.
C: Yeah, that’s really cool. I love seeing, like, those equipment breakdowns of artists, where it’s like. “they had this specific synth on stage,” and it’s, like, super interesting to see what people are bringing, leaving behind in the studio. So I’m always curious about that.
D: Totally, yeah, it’s good for dorking out. Yeah. I am super, super nerdy when it comes to stuff. Yeah, I think that’s what this album was too, is that exploration of all the little nerdy things I’ve picked up along the way and trying to put them in the record. Yeah.
C: That’s awesome. So your two singles really set the tone of this new album era, and this new roll out. How did you decide that those tracks would be the leading ones for the album and what people would hear first?
D: Well, we had released, like, we had mixed, uh, “Moving Through A Dream,” and another song off the record called “Hard to Know,” um, probably about a year prior. And I think in our kind of stagnation, we’re like, “Let’s just see what happens if we just put them out.” Um, so we’d already put out two songs that we considered singles, you know, and they didn’t really go anywhere. Just because, we were just, we didn’t tell anyone, we just kind of put them out, you know? But so this time around, it was a little bit more like, okay, well, we don’t want to repeat ourselves by putting out the same songs in the same order. And then also, too, I think, “Would Have Happened By Now” felt like a more interesting presentation. It kind of has all of the elements of, I guess, the new sound, you want to call it? It’s, you know, it’s got all kinds of different production things and, um, I don’t know. I just, yeah, that song just felt right. Yeah.
C: Yeah, I mean, those are really cool ones, to put out first.
D: Yeah, yeah, yeah. And then “Moving Through A Dream,” I don’t know. It’s just that there’s something about that song that it just kind of, it always feels right. So we just were like, all right, we’ll do it again.
C: Yeah, that’s super cool. And, like, from a visual element, how did you, like, match the new era to a more visual component? I know it’s a big thing about creative processes. I’m just wondering if you had any insight for that.
D: I think just taking chances on actually being visual. We never were really visual before, you know. We kind of didn’t have, or we didn’t pursue resources of any visual, like, you’d be like, oh, someone wants to film a video and you’d be like, okay, well, whatever. And then it’s really up to them what they do with it, which is kind of a, you know, but for this for this round, um, as far as the record cover goes, uh, our friend Dana Trippe, uh, she’s an insane photographer and she has a crazy resume. And she was very kind, and I reached out to her, and she was like, Yeah, we wanted to help you make a cover. Um, and so, for this era, I kind of, I had an idea of maybe some aesthetics and also, for the record cover itself, I had drawn that up. It just came out of my brain or whatever, you know? And so I sent her a picture of that, and she just made the covers. It really amplified the quality of the image. Yeah. Um, and I don’t know, I really, I think a lot of the art that we want to put out it, I, like, art, you know, sometimes when bands, uh, it’s a picture of them. It seems more like a like a product or something. Yeah. So I just kind of was like, I don’t I don’t want to do that. I want to just make it art, you know?
C: That’s awesome. I know, I feel the exact same way. What is just, like, you know, product versus, like, project, and what’s, you know, the band’s choices versus what’s, like, for the public. And I feel like the same way with, like, how the visuals line up, like you were saying with the images of the band and stuff.
D: Totally, totally. Yeah. I think it’s kind of, it’s a function of making records. People want to put, like, it’s the, here’s a picture of what you’re gonna buy, like these people. Like, but I, I, really like when you go get a record, and you’re, like, looking on the cover, and you’re just, like, I have, like, we didn’t even put our name on the cover. And that may be a really bad idea, or that might be cool, but as far as I have thought, I was like, oh, this will look, like, this seems, it might draw you whipping, you know?
C: Right.
D: So it’s something to it that you don’t know right away. so you have to look for it.
C: Totally.
D: Those are my favorite kind of records.
C: Yeah, definitely me, too. I know that you guys are based in Southern California, but how do you see, like, the psychedelic scene being active there, if you do? And how does that your origin influence your artistry in any way?
D: You know, San Diego is going through a lot of ups and downs as far as, I want to say, we started out in like 2013, 14. Um, and there is definitely a more of a boom, or at least it seemed that way, boom, for like, psychedelic music. Yeah. There’s a period in time, like, our good friends, Earthless, and Sacramani, and there’s so many other local bands, um, that there was such a big pool of people to play with, and, you know, ten plus years on, it’s really thinned out, and San Diego, you know, that’s how scenes work, but it’s just different now, you know, I think there’s, there’s still the pool of people who want to do the music, and as far as, in terms of psychedelic stuff, you know, I feel like every band that comes from San Diego has their own really specific, unique form of it. And, um, you know, everyone kind of plays off each other, and as in, like, they don’t want to repeat what the other person’s doing, which I think is a good, healthy approach, you know?
C: Yeah, totally.
D: But I would say our influence as far as psychedelic rock or any of that stuff, it’s so everything’s so global now. It’s really just, it’s probably more international stuff or old records or, It’s not just San Diego.
C: Yeah, that’s true. Well, who are some of your favorite artists then? I see you have a Yes shirt on right now, but yeah.
D: Yeah, they’re super cool. I love yes, and, um, yeah, I like I like a lot of stuff from the 60s, 70s, 80s. Um, yeah, yes, I like, uh, like Yellow Magic Orchestra. And I’m trying to look, I have like a bunch of records. I’m just, like, staring at them right in front of me, but, um, yeah, like, and then also some maybe more lesser known stuff. Like I like Italian rock music from ’70s. Well, this band called Le Orme. They’re very, like, synthy, and it’s almost, like, if you want to hear what Pond or Tame Impala where it would have been, like, in the ’70s, it’s literally those bands. Oh, no way.
C: That’s really cool. I was just wondering, one last thing that, you know, sum up the whole album, but what are you feeling about future things within this new era that you guys are doing? What are you most excited for, upcoming?
D: Uh, just want to go play as much as possible. Want to play as much as possible, and then, um, we have new songs or I’ve written, so, as a person who likes to report, I really just want to go play and record and kind of make that, uh, the future, you know, as much as… Yeah.
C: All right, well, thank you so much. It was nice to meet you, and I’ll definitely be in touch soon, but thank you for your time today.
D: Hey, Catherine, thank you.
