Monique Brumby has achieved a lot in her career: she’s a two-time ARIA winner, played shows alongside the legendary Jeff Buckley and The Bangles and written a song with Paul Kelly. Despite all these successes she’s definitely not afraid to mix it up and try new things. The release of her single ‘Silent War’ this month from her 5th (and self-titled) album sees an addition of electronic sounds to her repertoire, something that her fans are embracing.
“I suppose you’re always worried when you put out a new release whether people will like it or not, but the response to this track has been really positive,†says Brumby. “We’ve injected electronic loops, some synths and beats into the music, and people seem to respond well to that which has been really pleasing.â€
‘Silent War’ and the album was produced by Monique and Nick Larkins (Wild Pumkins At Midnight, Dan Rumour). The single has been mixed by Angus Davidson (Joni Mitchell, Crowded House, Tori Amos).
Production combines beats with layers of guitars, real drums and bass in a statement of strong song writing coupled with thought provoking production and instrumentation. The lyrical content of the track reflects Monique’s views on marriage equality and acceptance of difference.
“I think I’ve reached a point now where this is an album saying the things I want to say with the sound that I want, and so that’s why it’s a self-titled album.
It has been very different for me because I did a lot of the engineering as well. In many ways I think it makes it easier to capture a sound that you really want to hear in the music. There needs to be a point of stepping away if you are producing and engineering your
own work. I do think you need to have other valued opinions and be able to step back sometimes and come back with fresh ears.â€