From the sound of it, the experiment is working. The band will release their third recorded work this Friday, a self-titled 17-track album that Monicalyn describes as a “journey of sound and emotions.”
You guys play out quite a bit—what are your favorite spots?
We love our [Wednesday night] gig down at The District … we're proud to be part of it. One of our favorite places, though, is the Smokehouse Bar-B-Que in Rio Rancho [Hwy. 528 and Barbara Loop]. It's an all-ages venue with great food; the people are there to hear the music, not just drink. Rudy “Boy” also teaches guitar, so a lot of his students come to check out his live performances and maybe get schooled a little on stage presence and great guitar playing.
What’s your impression of music education in New Mexico, then?
More, more, more! More focus, more funding and more importance. Far too often, music programs are cut from school curriculums to make way for technology or sports. Sometimes an after-school program is the only exposure a kid may get to music at all. We need to make sure we don’t lose track of the arts—far more often than not they end up being our saving grace.
Do you have any Albuquerque secrets you'd like to share?
I think the music scene in Albuquerque is like a well-kept dirty little secret. The quantity of quality musicians here never ceases to amaze me. And most of the musicians are great chillin’ people, which comes through in the sincerity of the music they play. Audiences really pick up on that.
