Monday Morning




1. When were Monday Morning formed as a band and how did you all get to know each other in the first place and tell us about the members of the band?

Derek Stipe-lead singer, Justin Blythe-lead guitar, Kevin Stipe-bass, Kent Rector-drums.  Derek and Kevin are brothers. We became friends at church. Kent went to school with Derek and ended up going to the same church. We have been playing together now for a little over four years outside our home boundries. And we probably played and practiced together for almost a year before playing outside our homebase.


2. Who have been the bands main influence musical and where do the band get it's ideas for the lyrics, are they taken out of everyday and personal experience?

Alot of early nineties Pearl Jam, Nirvanna, Stone Temple Pilots. Through in classic bands like Led Zepplin, Kansas, or Aerosmith from the seventies, and 80's U2 and that covers some of it. We actually have always listened to a lot of music from many artist. Derek is the main lyric writer. He tends to write about everyday struggles almost everyone faces in life. Feelings of self worth, doubt and emptyness. Also some social issues such as poverty, homelessness, racism, greed, etc. While some songs are definitely a little depressing they always have a light in them that points to a more positive outcome. That man and society can make things better in the world for himself and his neighbor. Some lyrics such as "wonder of it all" are taken directly from issues that surrounded the band, but they could easily be applied to many choices in life. Lyrics should mean different things to different people I think to be relative.

3. The band are set to release its new album in a while. Has it been a challengend for the band to write and record this album and are the band happy with the overall result so far or are there things the band would have liked to done otherwise?

The album was actually recorded over a two year period with tracks being recorded in Los Angeles, CA and two different studios in Nashville, TN. We had grammy winning producers Dino and John Elefante produce some songs, And three time Dove award producer Michael Quinlan for the other tracks. Because it was tracked over a long period making the tracks mesh was the big challenge. We are very happy with the outcome. We always admired Stone Temple Pilots for their ability to write great albums that had totally different sounding songs that did not pigeon hole them into one sound. We are defintely a melodic rock band, but hopefully listeners will take away the same feeling from our album "fools paradise".


4. Has there been any interest from any record labels for the band from Japan and Europe?

We are going to be released thru Century Media in Europe around the June-July period of this year. I hear they are trying to put us on a new label for rock Century has in Europe. But I do not know all the details. I know we would definitely like to tour Japan and Europe. So hopefully the fans there will dig the music.


5. Could the band tell us a little about the tracks featuring on the up and coming album, and what's the bands personal favorite track to play live?

When we play a live show we basically leave it all on the table so to speak. If we do not think a song is great live we won't play it. Only a couple of songs on the album do not translate into really good live songs, "dear you" and "end of the World" They are very good songs but live the energy is just not there. We love to play "vanity" "blind" "sunshine" and all the hard songs. Emotionally though "wonder of it all" just takes us along with the crowd on a very spiritual ride.


6. What's the bands personal point of view on todays music industry and the general music scene as it's seen on MTV and heard on the mainstream radio stations?

There is definitely alot of negativity which is not always a good thing. Rock and roll hasalways been about rebellion, a way for teenagers to escape. When it goes to far as in promoting self-mutilation and violence it can be a very negative model for youth. And the massive illegal downloading has changed the way record labels are allowed to back bands. What the people stealing the music do not understand is they hurt bands more than they hurt major corporate record labels. The labels now can not afford to develop a band without a hit single over time. In todays situation you either have a hit on radio immediately or in most cases you are done and it is on to the next possible hit. We would have never had the greatness of U2 or Bruce Springsteen in todays music world, because the record label would have not have backed them long enough. This leads to a cookie cutter approach at what they promote to radio. If it worked before lets just give them the same song with different lyrics and a different pretty female singer. That is kind of the way pop radio is now. But things always go in cycles and I do see a big movement in the college crowd who are really looking for talent. The artist who write their own songs and play their own instruments. So hopefully, the real bands and artist will always have a place in the industry.


7. Hows the local area where the band hails from when it comes to get gigs to play and get played on the local radio stations?

We actually do not have a scene. Our area definitely does not have a rock music scene. So we practiced alot more than we actually went out and played gigs for the first year. then we started getting request from outside our area, and landed a couple of national tours. The radio stations in our area are retired people AM, or classic rock, or country. So the first real radio play we got was "amazed" witch went to No. 5 on the R&R national Christian rock radio chart.


8. What's been the bands best moments in it's short time of existence and so far do the band itself feel it's been a struggle to get to where the band is now?

One of the coolest moments was playing a huge outdoor concert after a rain that had lasted for two days and threatened to postpone the concert. We thought in theafternoon of the concert day no one would show. It was in a football stadium and the field was very soggy. By nightfall over 6,000 people still came to see the band.  It was like a mini woodstock with mudslides, mud football, etc. And the crowd was just unbelievable. Everyone of those 6,000 it seemed were totally into the music. You do not see that very often in large outdoor events. On the second part, anyone who tells you life on the road as an unknown band is easy is lying. There is a tremendous amount of travel.  We have driven 15 hours to play a fifteen minute set. Just because we needed to be in a particular show. Sometimes it seems to make little sense, then you remind yourself how many people would love to do what you do to get a chance in the music world. And we are truely a tight group who enjoy each others company and humor including our manager, road crew and sound personel. We definitely have a couple of stand up comedians in Derek and Kent and they usually make the best out of any situation. Of course the more records you sell the easier the road life gets. And we are definitely looking forward to a better restuarants, motels, airflights, etc. that being successful gets you.


9. What does the future holds for the band at this moment in time, any plans of touring in the progress and what about new material?

We have three tours currently in negociation that I am not at liberty to reveal. But two of them I and the band definitely want to be on because of the other bands we would be paired with. Other than that we will return to New York City in the spring for fashion week and to again do a couple of gigs. And we have alot of individual shows coming up this summer along with alot of festivals. On the second part of the question we have actually ruff tracked over 75 % of the second national album, and we are very pumped about the songs.


10. Any last words to the fans/people out there here in the end?

Last words are we will always try to be honest with our fans. We will try to give them the best recordings, the best videos, and the best live shows possible. Because we are a faith based band and rockers; we are always going to displease someone. Some religions will condem us because we play rock and roll.  Others will think we have sold out because we are on general market video and radio. In the end we just have to be ourselves and hold our band accoutable. With God's grace we hope to be making music a long time.