Interview: Hot Mondy

Jarod Smith

Mar 15, 2022

What got you into music, and if you had not gotten into music what would you be doing today?

All of us have a different story, but most of us were influenced by our families.

My father is an amazing guitar player, so I grew up around great players and developed a deep love and appreciation for music, even though I became a player and writer much later in life.

What do you like to do when you are not playing music and how does that influence your creativity?

Personally, I love to read, cook, spend time with my boy and our dog. I was an athlete in my "former life" so I still stay active and enjoy the outdoors. In terms of creativity, it's all part of the picture. Life is always speaking to you if you're listening.

How long has your band been around?

Just a couple of years. We got together and then Covid hit. So we started writing and recording.

Where are you based out of and how did that influence your music?

Based out of Halifax. We don't have a Maritime sound per se, but so much great music has emerged from here that it's really fertile soil to make music in.

How did you come up with the name of your band and what does it mean to you?

It means absolutely nothing, I think it's an old soup recipe ;)

Tell me about your most memorable shows.

Ask us next year, still to come.

What is your favorite venue to play at, and do you have any places you want to play that you have not already?

New band, our first live show will be at The Carleton in Halifax in May. Great music venue. We did a live taping recently at Sonic Temple in Halifax which is an amazing room.

If you could play any show with any lineup, who would be on the ticket?

Depends who you ask, for me I'd love to share a ticket with Blue Rodeo, Jason Isbell and Tears for Fears (their new record is amazing)

What is some advice that you would give to someone who is just getting into playing in a band and some advice that you would give to your younger self?

My younger self, maybe just to start earlier, know that being a musician is possible.

For anyone starting out, play what you enjoy, write what you know, and find something uniquely you. Surround yourself with people who are collaborative, curious and low on ego.

If you could go back in time and give yourselves advice, what would it be?

By Apple stock.

Of your songs which one means the most to you and why?

Pale Ember. First song and first video about the first person I was really in love with.

Which songs are your favorite to play and which get requested the most?

I love playing Desert Moonlight and Naked Stars. Both really fun grooves.

What is the creative process for the band, and what inspires you to write your music?

We all write the music together, I write most of the lyrics. Travis writes lyrics as well, he did Vampire and has a couple more great tunes on our next record.

We just look for a spark and then fuel it. See it if it goes some where that excites us. We throw away or sideline things quickly if it's fighting us. Sometimes we'll come back to old ideas, or combine them with a new one.

What kinds of messages do you like to get across in your music?

Personal experiences, perspectives about life, aspects of life We all go through.

Do you ever have disagreements in your band, and how do you get past them?

We get along really well. I'd say to anyone starting a band, these 3 things make our band work...

1. get used to having conversations that are hard, get into them right away.

2. It doesn't have to be your idea every time, the more input your band mates have the more invested they are, the more likely your music is something special

3. Split everything evenly. Focus on making your pie big as opposed to quibbling over the size of the slices.

What are your plans for the future, and do you have anything that you want to spotlight that is coming up?

Tour, write and record. Repeat.