Biography
Mark Monnone first built his reputation playing in the acclaimed Australian indie pop outfit the Lucksmiths and supplying bass for outfits like Still Flyin' and Last Leaves. Launching a solo outlet called Monnone Alone, he eased away from indie pop on the 2013 album Together at Last and embraced power pop more fully with 2019's Summer of the Mosquito. The same melodic warmth and lighthearted words mark both the expansive ensemble approach of the earlier record and the tighter band sound of the later one. On his first entirely solo effort, 2021's Stay Foggy, he demonstrated self-sufficiency, even while benefiting from Gareth Parton's production touch.
Bass duties with the Lucksmiths occupied most of Monnone's early years; the band cut numerous songs and albums from 1993 until its 2009 breakup. Although he appeared in additional groups while still a Lucksmith, his initial solo steps came only in 2010 while touring with Still Flyin'. That year he tracked the single "Pink Earrings"/"When We Hit the Ground" in San Francisco with Drew Cramer producing, issuing it on his own Lost and Lonesome imprint. Off the road he lodged at Ladybug Transistor member Gary Olson's residence, which doubled as Marlborough Farms studio. Over two years he recorded intermittently there, enlisting housemate Amy Linton of the Aislers Set on drums, Olson's bandmate Kyle Forester on keyboards, and vocals from former Love Is All singer James Ausfahrt, with further sessions in Melbourne aided by Ryan McPhun of the Ruby Suns and the Clean's Hamish Kilgour. The resulting album appeared on Lost and Lonesome in May 2013; its ringing, ingenuous tone echoed the Lucksmiths yet also suggested a lo-fi Ladybug Transistor.
After the release Monnone resumed bass work with artists including Mid-State Orange, Bart & Friends, and Guy Blackman, plus two ex-Lucksmiths colleagues in Last Leaves. Returning as Monnone Alone, he and drummer Gus Franklin—who had appeared on the debut—cut "Eddie," issued in 2014 as a split single with the Math & Physics Club on Jigsaw Records. Also in 2014, while in Portland, he recorded the duet "Told Yah (Not to Wait)" with Kissing Book's Andrew Kaffer, engineered by Rocketship's Dustin Reske.
Further touring and Last Leaves commitments followed; that group's 2017 album Other Towns Than Ours carried a heavier tone than the Lucksmiths. Monnone Alone resurfaced with a stable lineup—Franklin on drums, ex-Lucksmith Louis Richter on guitar, and Joe Foley on bass—steering toward the same muscular direction and layering power pop drive onto catchy material. The same musicians, guided by producer Gareth Parton, created 2019's Summer of the Mosquito, balancing weight and bright melody. Pandemic restrictions blocked a quick sequel, so Monnone revived a Tascam 688 and assembled his first wholly solo collection. The setup yielded a leaner sound yet allowed experiments with swirling psychedelia and brooding garage rock. Once finished, the tracks went to Parton for polishing, and Lost and Lonesome released the album as Stay Foggy in September 2021.
Bass duties with the Lucksmiths occupied most of Monnone's early years; the band cut numerous songs and albums from 1993 until its 2009 breakup. Although he appeared in additional groups while still a Lucksmith, his initial solo steps came only in 2010 while touring with Still Flyin'. That year he tracked the single "Pink Earrings"/"When We Hit the Ground" in San Francisco with Drew Cramer producing, issuing it on his own Lost and Lonesome imprint. Off the road he lodged at Ladybug Transistor member Gary Olson's residence, which doubled as Marlborough Farms studio. Over two years he recorded intermittently there, enlisting housemate Amy Linton of the Aislers Set on drums, Olson's bandmate Kyle Forester on keyboards, and vocals from former Love Is All singer James Ausfahrt, with further sessions in Melbourne aided by Ryan McPhun of the Ruby Suns and the Clean's Hamish Kilgour. The resulting album appeared on Lost and Lonesome in May 2013; its ringing, ingenuous tone echoed the Lucksmiths yet also suggested a lo-fi Ladybug Transistor.
After the release Monnone resumed bass work with artists including Mid-State Orange, Bart & Friends, and Guy Blackman, plus two ex-Lucksmiths colleagues in Last Leaves. Returning as Monnone Alone, he and drummer Gus Franklin—who had appeared on the debut—cut "Eddie," issued in 2014 as a split single with the Math & Physics Club on Jigsaw Records. Also in 2014, while in Portland, he recorded the duet "Told Yah (Not to Wait)" with Kissing Book's Andrew Kaffer, engineered by Rocketship's Dustin Reske.
Further touring and Last Leaves commitments followed; that group's 2017 album Other Towns Than Ours carried a heavier tone than the Lucksmiths. Monnone Alone resurfaced with a stable lineup—Franklin on drums, ex-Lucksmith Louis Richter on guitar, and Joe Foley on bass—steering toward the same muscular direction and layering power pop drive onto catchy material. The same musicians, guided by producer Gareth Parton, created 2019's Summer of the Mosquito, balancing weight and bright melody. Pandemic restrictions blocked a quick sequel, so Monnone revived a Tascam 688 and assembled his first wholly solo collection. The setup yielded a leaner sound yet allowed experiments with swirling psychedelia and brooding garage rock. Once finished, the tracks went to Parton for polishing, and Lost and Lonesome released the album as Stay Foggy in September 2021.
Albums
Singles
