Hometown -- Baltimore
Current members --Andy Stack, drums, vocals and bass; Jenn Wasner, vocals and guitar
Founded in --2006
Style --indie folk rock
Influenced by --Smog, Yo La Tengo, Deerhoof
Notable --The band's brand-new first album, If Children, is thickly layered with instrumentation. Live, Stack plays the drums with one hand and the keyboard bass with the other while Wasner handles guitar and sings.
Quotable --"It's almost like a circus act - a tightrope walk that I'm doing," Stack said. "I really felt an apprehension about that setup taking the focus away from the songwriting and the songs. I think that's something we're toying with as we go. The more we play, the more the songs can speak for themselves, and the instrumentation only becomes a vehicle for the songs."
Hear Monarch tomorrow at Current Gallery, 30 S. Calvert St. Doors open at 8 p.m. and the music starts at 9 p.m. $5. For more information, go to currentspace.com. The artist: myspace.com/monarchbaltimore.