Monkeyjunk aim to uplift

Monkeyjunk frontman Steve Marriner hopes the band’s latest album will be an uplifting experience – and prove once again that they’re more than a straight blues band.

The award-winning Canadian trio released Moon Turn Red last month, as the follow-up to 2013’s All Frequencies – hear opening track Light It Up below.

Marriner tells the Ottawa Citizen: “A lot of people’s reality is that it’s a day-to-day struggle. But just writing another moaning record isn’t doing anyone any good.

“A lot of these songs and stories are designed to be uplifting. I came up with complaining lyrics – but wanted something to make the hippies dance at festivals. Sometimes the word ‘love’ is all you need. Everyone loves love.”

And although he’s keen to emphasis the band’s other strengths, Marriner doesn’t want to abandon their roots altogether. “Are we a blues band? Yes,” he says. “But we’re also a soul band, a funk band, a rock band. It depends on the day.”

Moon Turn Red is on sale now via Stony Plain Records.

Freelance Online News Contributor

Not only is one-time online news editor Martin an established rock journalist and drummer, but he’s also penned several books on music history, including SAHB Story: The Tale of the Sensational Alex Harvey Band, a band he once managed, and the best-selling Apollo Memories about the history of the legendary and infamous Glasgow Apollo. Martin has written for Classic Rock and Prog and at one time had written more articles for Louder than anyone else (we think he's second now). He’s appeared on TV and when not delving intro all things music, can be found travelling along the UK’s vast canal network.