LA hardcore act Monk are trying to make punk rock a little more zen. Their unique hardcore barrage is backed with lyrics that criticize consumerism and seek to find some sort of peace. Their new EP Dark Side of the Mind is out today from Dine Alone Records and, if you haven’t read our interview with the band’s vocalist Frank Bach about the new EP, you’ll definitely want to check it out.
Today, to celebrate the release of the new EP, Monk are debuting the video for their single “Ride the Wave,” a thundering hardcore track that seeks to help solve the mental health crisis in hardcore music. Accompanied by a contrasting video of the band members calmly paddling down a river in paddle boats offers the peacefulness of nature as a salve for mental health difficulties.
“‘Ride the Wave’ is our attempt to capture the storm within—the push and pull of anxiety and depression,” the band explain about the track. “It’s the beginning of a long overdue conversation about mental health in hardcore. There’s a reason so many of us are drawn to f*cked up screaming music. The song drifts between despair and defiance, carried by crawling punk riffs and softened by moments of melody. Lyrically, I wandered into my best Neil Young daydream. At its heart, this track is a reminder: feelings come and go like waves, and even the heaviest pain doesn’t last forever. Vulnerability is strength. If you’re struggling, you’re not alone—start here.”
Check out the video below.
Dark Side of the Mind is out today, and you can order it from Dine Alone Records. Follow Monk on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok for future updates.
Photo courtesy of Monk
