Mone is the artist name of a singer from the Netherlands who came to Berlin a couple of years ago. Her unique style and haunting, penetrating voice has marked her out as one of the major musical talents bubbling under in this city. Her Bandcamp tells it best:
“A “lovechild” of her influences Tom Waits and Fiona Apple, Mone commands herself into authenticity with a strikingly unique voice that plays with sounds and soars through her range with, at times, honey like ease and others, dirty grit.
Debut album Crocodile Kisses excavates a vast underground universe, ranging from the Nina Simone-like poised melancholy of ‘Big Brown Bear’ to the guttural urgency of ‘Rat’, filled with smoke, glitter, cartoon characters, blood, dirt and gentle sweet whispers that seem to move the marrow in one’s bones; a dark-toned kaleidoscope of fragments and lucid impressions culminating in a master-ride of depth and rawness.”
+++ Get tickets now for Mone / Kat Koan / Freddie Dickson 16.11 in Marie Antoinette +++
In light of that, how could we not ask Ms. Mone a few questions of our own?
Where are you from?
Mone: The Netherlands
How did you land up in Berlin?
Mone: I visited, fell in love with the tight folk community of Berlin and decided to stay
Why music?
Mone: It’s the most direct way of getting emotions out of your systems
Which artists/musicians have influenced you (and your sound?) the most?
Mone: Nina Simone, Fiona Apple, PJ Harvey. I love artists with both bravado and vulnerability at the same time
What do you want to do with your music / What do you want your music to do
Mone: I want to surf a lot of emotional waves together with my audience
Your album Crocodile Kisses is out now – where did you record it, and who with?
Mone: At the Famous Goldwatch Studios, my favourite studio ever. With Cameron James Laing and Gidon Carmel as producers.
What was the inspiration of the album?
Mone: The emotional rollercoaster of a break up as well as moving to Berlin and the
Is it important that an album is a collection of songs? Should they be listened to as a “gesamtwerk”?
Mone: Definitely, there’s some weird songs, like child’s dream’ and ‘family laughter’ that really only work as part of the whole work
Are you more into NFTs, streaming, vinyl or CDs? How do you like putting your music out?
Mone: None of the above. For crocodile kisses, I made an art zine, with photos, sketches and the handwritten lyrics to the songs. I like shaping the album world on paper as well as in sound.
You’re playing on Nov 16th in Marie Antoinette with Freddie Dickson and Kat Koan – what are you most looking forward to about the night? And what tips would you like to give us (if any)?
Mone: I’m super excited to share the night with my friends and play with the full band. My tip is to bring your party outfit for Kat’s set.
What have you never told anyone but have suddenly decided that you’d like to share with us now?
Mone: I like to eat sandwiches in the shower
When is your next single/album/both out and where can we find them?
Mone: I’ve recorded my second album – it’ll be completely different than the first – and I’m working on the rest of the artwork. The exact release isn’t clear yet, somewhere in 2023.
Mone is appearing this Wednesday night 16.11 at Marie Antoinette as part of a three-band line-up, sharing the night with Kat Koan and Freddie Dickson (and their bands)
Tickets 12€ Early Bird. // Facebook Event. //. Mone Bandcamp
