It’s been awhile since we heard from Montroze. Perhaps too long. Nevertheless, the Bath-based group are back and have returned with intention. With a new EP, ‘Escape’, set to be released in the coming months, the melodic pop-punk band has teamed up with Already Heard to give you the exclusive premiere of their new single – ‘Shameful You’.
We touted the band for big things way back with our 2016 preview, yet they spent the best part of last year writing what would become their forthcoming third EP – ‘Escape’. They also spent last summer touring in Canada; a unique experience for an independent UK pop-punk band.
‘Shameful You’ demonstrates Montroze’s maturing songwriting, combining it with soaring hooks full of emotion provided by vocalist Jason Bishop.
We recently quizzed Jason about the track, what to expect from ‘Escape’, and their tweaked lineup.
AH: Hi, Jason. First of all, what you can tell us about ‘Shameful You’?
Jason: ‘Shameful You’, like so many other songs out there, was influenced by a relationship gone wrong.
Long story short; I was with a girl and she liked the fact that I was in a band, and would frequently ask me when I was going to write a song about her then I found out she cheated on me a bunch of times, so I decided it was finally time to give her her song.
AH: It’s been awhile since you’ve released any music. You’ve also tweaked your lineup a bit. How has it been with Mike Yeatman coming in on bass and Ben Curd moving over on to guitar?
Jason: Yeah, our last release was a single last year but it’s been 2 years since our last EP! Bringing in Mike on Bass and moving Ben to guitar really opened things up for us. Ben’s creativity with writing guitar parts has been a key element in what we feel makes this EP our best music so far. Live too, both Ben and Mike have great stage presence.
AH: ‘Shameful You’ is the first song to be released from your next EP – ‘Escape’. How does the track fit into the overall tone of the EP?
Jason: The track is probably the most ‘poppy’ track off the EP, but there are a few different styles on the EP. We definitely feel that this song is perfect as the lead single, but we’re equally as happy with the other tracks. It’s just a bit of an insight into what to expect from the coming release.
AH: How has the band developed on ‘Escape’ compared to 2015’s ‘Monster Under The Bed’ EP?
Jason: With ‘Escape’ we feel like we’ve found our true sound and really emphasised what we’re good at. We’re all proud of ‘Monster Under The Bed’ but in the 2 years that have passed, we’ve all improved as musicians, and on this release, in particular, we haven’t over-complicated anything, and just stuck to the sound that we’re known for. Overall we feel it’s a step up, but that’s for everybody else to decide!
‘Shameful You’ by Montroze is released on 28th July and will be available through several digital platforms.
More details about ‘Escape’ EP by Montroze will be announced soon.
Montroze links: Facebook|Twitter|Bandcamp|Instagram
Words by Sêan Reid (@SeanReid86)
Photo credit: Isha Shah.
