Rising indie-pop boy band, mmmonika, has released their debut EP Very American! The project consists of four already released hits and one brand new track, each filled with lively beats and deep meaning essentially proving to be happy music for sad people.
In their five months together, mmmonika has already begun to make their impression on the music industry. Through the four singles they have released, the group has garnered over half a million streams on Spotify and have been included in multiple Spotify playlists including Lorem, Study Break and Fresh Finds.
Very American! begins with mmmonika’s roots in their debut single, “See Me On The Outside!” and ends with one of their most lyrically powerful tracks, “Swamp Time!” which shines a light on mental health awareness. This boy band tries to stray away from the tough-guy-act and rather focuses on embracing contradictions, which can be seen within the lyrics and cover arts with a subtle suaveness. Such contradictions include the title for this EP, Very American! The cover is written in mmmonika’s signature artistic style, bold red and green color blocking accompanied with their logo, “mmmonika” with three m’s in Korean print. This artistic and vintage Korean style juxtaposed with an “imported” sticker on the cigarette box showcases what Very American! is all about.
Produced by every member of the band, Very American! is filled with airy and fresh melodies, reminiscent of Vampire Weekend crossed with HAIM. From “Unwind Me!” with a hasty tune to the upbeat downfall in a sonically layered “I Cant!,” every song has that wow-factor that will make the listener want to restart the EP from the beginning. Serving a groovy melody reminiscent of a modernized Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, the exclusive, previously unheard, song “Me N June!” gives fans a view into the more romantic side of mmmonika. Each lyric throughout the project harnesses vulnerability and themes of mental health, love, and toxic relationships. mmmonika deliberately uses their music to show the importance of de-stigmatizing what makes us human.
mmmonika is a Los Angeles based band comprised of John DeBold (bass), Gabe Durastanti (guitar), Grant Milliken (keyboard), Nick Velez (drums) and Ryan Yoo (vocals). mmmonika is a product of finding the love and free spirit of music. The members write and produce all of their music in-house and seek to create happy songs for sad people. Their debut EP, Very American!, is set to be released on November 20th followed by a Very American! Pop Up on November 22nd at Substrate in Los Angeles and a Very American! EP Release Show on December 3rd at The Bootleg Theater in Los Angeles.