Bursting through the ocean surface just of the coast of Taranaki, The Mons Whaler breaches and cavorts, a brand new 3 now 4 piece band who play the blues, swampy blues, hill country blues, blues blues, and have just released their debut EP.
Roger Bowie raps with Hemi Coates about this extraordinary new arrival on our shores and how it all came about.
The Mons Whaler bring their swampy alt-blues fuzz tones and tight velvet vocals to their signature neo-vintage sound. Their music will transport you to a time and place when the sonic vibrations we chose to listen to spoke directly to our deepest desires and unyielding need for self-expression.
There are a myriad of infectiously sticky accents running through their catalogue of songs. From the wandering fuzzy guitar riffs and experimental keyboard sounds to the four part vocal harmonies and thundering backline holding the energising and dynamic rhythm section together.
The Mons Whaler band members hail from the Taranaki region in New Zealand and was founded by Hemi Coates (vocals & guitar), Andre Peri (percussion & backing vocals) and Phil Hoskin (bass, guitar backing vocals). They had the pleasure of the ever talented Courtnay Low joining them for live performances and studio sessions on keys, backing vocals and lead guitar. There is a sense of common vision and creative discipline among the band. Everything that should be in this music is, and nothing more. Hemi wraps you in his warm velvet vibrato vocals and provokes deeper thought as you try to navigate his melancholic and emotive storytelling. Andre and Phil intuitively speak a secret language through rhythm, locking into each other's movements, anticipating and complementing every beat and note.