Rock Monsters Romania

Half of 2023 has already passed, and I can confidently say that it appears to be the long-awaited year for the Romanian alternative.

A perfect example would be The Mono Jacks and their glorious concert at Sala Palatului, which I personally believe will be a milestone for Romanian bands and for the band itself.

The show was full of surprises, including the addition of a 5th member, Vlad Cotruș, who took over guitar duties from Doru. There was also a truly special and emotional moment with the children’s radio choir. The band members anticipated a special night where the audience could dance and sing along to all of their songs, including the newest one from “Norul Nouă.” And spoiler alert… that’s exactly what happened.

I had the opportunity to speak with Andrei Zamfir, the guitarist of The Mono Jacks, about their album, their extensive tour that covered most of Romania, and their plans for the second half of the year. Here’s what he had to say.

“Norul Nouă” has already become one of the biggest releases in Romanian music for 2023, and many people are talking about a new era for The Mono Jacks. How does this make you feel? 

We are very proud of the shows we have performed in the last couple of months, the feedback for the album is very positive in every city we visited. We are just riding the wave, going with the flow. Maybe try not to think too much about it. 

Can you describe this album in only one word and tell us why you’ve chosen it? 

Rollercoaster. Ups and downs, happy, sad, happy, positive, anxious, hopeful. Come along for the ride. 

What is your favorite song from the album and what was its inspiration? Additionally, can you share which track was the most challenging to create and why?

Now, we’re not going to answer that first question. You know that, right? There’s no such thing as favorite song. And if there is, we are going to say there isn’t. Most challenging track was “Un semn” because it was very last minute, and the lyrics had to somehow match the atmosphere of the song. Really had to dig deep for this one. 

“O să încep de luni” was widely shared for its message, as well as its status as a “procrastination anthem”. What inspired you to create this song, and when did you first come up with the idea for it?

This was just another example of Doru coming up with a very cool and weird new guitar riff that we played around with. It has a certain garage high school band weirdy vibe to it, we tried to go from there and see where we arrive. We arrived at the studio, decided on the last version and structure, and just hit record. Keep it as simple and raw as possible. 

Have you ever gone through periods of low productivity? If so, how did you balance work with relaxation during those times to avoid burnout? 

Of course, we suppose every band has periods when the songs just don’t progress anymore and seem to have no direction. If the rehearsal seems off or the mood in the room is off just let the instruments cool down, order a pizza, maybe have a coffee, a glass of wine or just go home. Or power through. Whatever floats your boat. No need for extra pressure. Except if there’s a deadline. If there’s a deadline just panic. Panic like there’s no tomorrow. Or maybe power through, it’s going to be fine. Right? Just relax. If there’s no deadline.

It’s been quite a long tour for you that will end in Bucharest on the 12th of May. What was the most wholesome or funny moment you experienced? 

We played in Suceava after a very, very long time and the people were just fantastic. Hopefully we will get back there sooner rather than later. Also playing with snowballs during our spring tour. 

Or was there a moment when something went wrong or didn’t quite go according to plan? Also: What was your reaction when you understood that you cannot arrive in Iași due to the snow in April? 

The snow in Moldova was certainly not according to plan. That was weird and unexpected. The day before we still didn’t know for sure if the roads were going to be open and actually make it inside the city. We had to move the concert to another day and make sure that we had a shovel and winter tires. 

Sala Palatului was the last stop on your tour, and I know it is your first concert with the band in this special venue. How do you feel about this new milestone in the history of the band? 

Fitter, happier. More productive. Comfortable. If you believed they put a band on the moon. A patient, better driver. Baby smiling in the back seat. Band on the moon. 

Are there any other plans for the remainder of 2023? 

Take it one day at a time. Enjoy the ride, travel around. Meet people, be polite and smile more. The festivals season is coming up, the soundchecks in the sun are making a comeback. Also, our very first vinyl is arriving this summer. 

Do you have any message for the people who will read this interview? 

We are forever grateful for everything that is happening to us, the amazing fans we have out there and their constant never-ending support. Living the dream is better than the dream. We can’t thank you enough. No, really. We checked. We cannot. 

Interview by Radu Mihai

Photos by Cristina Oltean (@elegantly_tasted)