Nice Premium: It’s a real Christmas gift you’re giving us this year by offering two appointments at the Moods in Monaco on December 25th and 26th!
MONO: “After two years of writing and recording, that’s it, the mixes of the second album are almost ready and I’m entering mastering at the end of January-beginning of February… I will finalize the cover during this period as well and I hope for a release in spring…
I didn’t want to wait for the promo to be launched to get on stage with it! I’m eager to see how it goes with the audience, with this brand-new repertoire… There will also be tracks from the first album…”
NP: By the way, world premiere, what musical colors do they have? Covers or 100% original?
Mono: 100% original… Dark colors and light colors… (smile) Rock, mid tempo rather… Climatic and variable weather…
NP: More prudent?
MONO: No! But more mature perhaps…
NP: On November 28th, the Theater dell’Albero in Italy opened its doors to you, rare for a Frenchman…
MONO: But not for someone from Nice! (laughs) You’re well informed! I did this concert completely solo and acoustically… A warm-up round to make sure I know my songs by heart!… (laughs) Intimate, in front of about a hundred people. The place has extraordinary acoustics… It was a beautiful moment with the Italians who only understand the music, since the lyrics are always in French of course…
NP: By the way, for this new album – to be released in spring 2010, I note – did you rework with Jean Fauque, Alain Bashung’s songwriter?
MONO: Yes… On two songs… Why deprive oneself of one of the very best? And it’s also a great chance to work with someone whose songs you’ve been listening to for a long time…. “La Nuit Je Mens” is surely his masterpiece…
NP: Let’s return now to your upcoming dates where we will have the pleasure of discovering your new songs in preview… On your posters, we see you accompanied by “Sly” and “Pat”. Who are they?
MONO: My musicians. The best rhythm section I’ve ever had the chance to work with for a long time… “Sly,” the drummer, played with Bertignac, Dum Dum Boys… “Pat,” on the other hand, toured with Jacques Dutronc, invited by Jannick Top who couldn’t honor this commitment, in short, the guys are experienced and they didn’t know each other before we formed “Mono”… A beautiful surprise, also on a human level.
NP: A band?
MONO: An entity, thus necessarily composed of several things… Music is an art of the collective…
NP: Thank you, Mono! One last word, your wishes for 2010?
MONO: What do you think? No, well… More tolerance! Less fear and pressure behind. Respect or love, money or gold…
Website: www.pascal-mono.com/
Myspace: www.myspace.com/pascalmono
