Punk Mentality with the Sound of Soul: Modernboys Moderngirls
Akira Alemany, guitarist and songwriter of Modernboys Moderngirls, is very excited to have the opportunity to play for the second year in a row at Toronto’s NxNE festival. “I love this festival” he exclaims. “It’s basically about seeing shows while you get drunk. It’s a lot of fun to see things come alive; all venues are walk able so we are really looking forward to it this year.”
With all band members having varied musical backgrounds beginning when they were young, they all came together and gathered ideas from acts that inspired them such as Bruce Springsteen, Lou Reid, and Iggy Pop. They made a sound that they could call their own and Modernboys Moderngirls is truthful soul music with a punk rock inspired background.
“If you look at stuff like Iggy Pop, especially in the 80`s, there was a lot of soul in the music but it came from a punk inspiration […] things change according to the elements that you bring out,” says Alemany describing Modernboys Moderngirls’ music, “When people ask you genre questions it always seems like you are suppose to create something like never before, which makes sense because you are never before. You need to invent your sound!”
Alemany emphasized that “we are pushing elements and styles that are ours. We are just trying to start everything off on the right foot.”
A difficult road to take is the road that has never been taken before. No one knows where it leads to, and this is the road that the band is taking. But with that in mind, they are taking it with a very punk mentality. “Not everyone can do it” says Alemany. “We took the happy medium of punk music with a James Brown attitude, we like that attitude and we take that idea into our band. We like a little fear.”
With their first album, I Might As Well Break It being officially released this summer, it’s not the last you have heard of this punk/soul sounding band. They have a unique sound and voice that gives them a rhythm and rhyme to have a reason. “This is our first album, we had recorded the bulk of it last year and put it out without distribution labels or anything and it got really well reviewed and people thought that was the release,” explains Alemany. “We are putting out the actual release this summer.”
Creating an album is not an easy thing to do as Alemany mentioned, “It took a long time to get out, and was not easy.” Mixed by musical genius Ryan Mills, who also helped out musical acts such as Born Ruffians and The Most Serene Republic, I Might As Well Break It has already proved successful, and because their unique voice stands out in the world of musical tastes.
Modernboys Moderngirls has been developing a second record, a continuation of I Might As Well Break It, which is scheduled to be released sometime next year. “These are albums that complement each other” Alemany says of the two projects. “The first album is about relationships and people and kind of a spiral downward, kind of like a building falling apart all at once… a demolition.”
Alemany further described the album as an intense record that you don’t have to experience to enjoy. “It’s a record that you can listen casually to” he says, further describing the album as very dark, but pointing out that it does not end where it ends which is why there is a second record that will follow it.
When listened to together Alemany said “it will be like listening to one record. I like that it has balance.”
Modernboys Moderngirls
Neutral Lounge
Thursday June 18th, 12 am
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