Three Wise Monkeys is one of my new favorite bands. From the land Down Under, this trio jams and it’s awesome sauce!
Feature article on their new project PROGETTO ARTE coming soon. The guys took a very innovative approach to the production of this album embracing technology and social media to build a base of crazed fans who helped them shape the final product.
Introduce yourself to our readers. Who are you? Where are you from? What style of music do you create?
The Three Wise Monkeys is a instrumental prog/fusion band from Sydney Australia composing original tunes, consisting of Kypo on guitar, Alex King on bass and Brendon Waterman on drums.
Why the name Three Wise Monkeys? Which monkey is the wisest?
There is a venue here in Sydney called the Three Wise Monkeys, and its actually the first gig where we met played together.
So it was kind of a joke at first, but it stuck as more and more gigs started coming in. We just forgot to change the band name. In hindsight, it has been really beneficial as our music has spread throughout the world. The maxim is recognised in most countries and translates well for people with foreign languages.
The wisest monkey?? that would have to be Alex, he is studying his Masters in Music at university, we call him “the Professor”.
Who or what inspires you sonically?
Over time we’ve come to appreciate the chemistry between the three of us. The uniqueness in our individual abilities and how that comes together dynamically into a group. When that group is functioning in its highest degree, we are creating music on the spot, improvised and without any filters. So sonically, we are pursuing that moment in time when everyone is present and the recording only serves as a documentation of that mojo. We’ve managed to capture a few of those moments on this new record.
What was the last song you listened to?
I just heard the new Coldplay album today, and I’m not familiar with the song titles yet. Although on first listen they sounded like they are treading water a little, they are an act you can put the headphones on and hear another layer to there sonic artistry. I had a defining moment when I saw them perform very early on during their “Parachutes” album tour, so I’m a fan for life. They have a great connection, and respect for music.
How does this new project, PROGETTO ARTE, differ from your previous releases?
This album embraces improvisation, and I’m not talking about a 13 minute guitar solos, but improvising song creation. Capturing the moment people react to musical ideas around them. There are 4 tracks on the album, which came out of thin air, we didn’t discuss what we were playing, we just interacted and feed off each other, like a musical conversation and we captured that moment. The other tracks on the album are more composed, where one of us brought in a riff or song idea and we jammed out the parts. So still very improvisational. We record everything, and then we use a production method that dates back to Miles Davis Britches Brew album, where you splice different takes together. So we are still working with improvised material, but the bridge might be from one session, and the chorus might be from another. So the whole album has an undertone of improvisation, even though some of the tracks seem arranged and highly composed.
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How much of an impact did technology and direct access to your fan base play in the making of this record? You guys had a very innovative approach to the creation of this one.
Our fans are other musicians, and some even have bands just like us scattered throughout the world. A lot of them ask us how we create our songs, so we thought it would be a great idea to let everyone into the studio with us and make this album together. We set up a bunch of go pro cameras, and posted videos immediately on social media and live streamed sessions on Periscope. We were able to get instant feedback and in some cases helpful critic on what we were creating. So everybody has been on the ride with us making this album, its been a blast. It kind of flips the album promotional cycle on its head, because everyone’s heard the tunes before the albums releases. But ahhh, there’s more!! We wanted the album to stand out from the work we did throughout the sessions, so the album tracks have extra stuff in them, different solos, added sections, that sets them apart and compliments the videos we released. We wanted the album to be its own experience.
Have you been to the U.S. yet? If not, any plans to get here soon?
Yes, we have been approached about touring and doing shows in the US, we are working hard to make those opportunities come to fruition, and looking forward to meeting our fans on the road.
What inspired “John Mayer Is A Douchebag“? I have to know.
That was the first track we ever wrote together back in 2010, and it sounded very John Mayerish with its slick groove and straty guitar lines. John had just released his Battle Studies album, and part of that promotional run was an interview in Rolling Stone magazine where he called himself a “douchebag” because he had loose lipped and blabbering all about all his Celebrity romances. So that was gold! He basically handed us the song title! Then we found the Single cover image of John in the Borat Mankini, and the whole thing was put together in a “Banksy does Paris Hilton” kinda way with the ransom letter font. That track is still our biggest seller, I guess people get it and share it because of the title. When we play it live, it gets the biggest applause when we introduce the song title.
Where can we connect with you online? Hear some tunes? Keep up with the latest news?
Our Website is www.3wm.co, which point folks to our Facebook page. That contains our videos, all our fan interaction and links to our Bandcamp Store, where people can pickup a Physical CD or digital copy of the PROGETTO ARTE Album. We are also distributing our music through most Digital Stores like iTunes and streaming services like Spotify, and will be available from the 10th of December 2015.
Any last thoughts? Shout outs?
Yes, I would just like to say thank you to all the committed music lovers out there that support independent artists, and allow us to keep creating.
Kypo from the THREE WISE MONKEYS.
