Des Moines Cityview recently caught up with The River Monks prior to kicking off a two-week tour celebrating the release of “Beasts,” the first single from their forthcoming album Home Is The House, out on May 20th.

“It’s about the subject of ‘home’ and what it means to all of us, both individually and as a band,” Stier explained. “We’ve all moved from one place to another, so really the album is kind of an exploration of what ‘home’ means to all of us. I don’t think there’s one answer.”

Whatever topic The River Monks is exploring at a given time, the band’s distinctively textual, unconventional sound is mainly the product of its songwriters. Stier and guitar/vox/uke man Nick Frampton handle most of the lyrical duties, but The River Monks has always been a bit more co-op than that.

“Everyone brings their own personality in the band,” Stier said. “Everyone’s a great musician, so Nick and I both definitely invite everyone to come put their mark on each song. No song is exactly as I pictured it when we’re done.”

The band released its first single from the album, “Beasts,” for free on Bandcamp, and now the group is gearing up for a two-week Midwest tour in support of the album’s impending release. But wherever The River Monks go, the musicians are always thinking about home.

Read the whole interview here!

// The River Monks media page //