No Mono today release their debut album Islands part 1. Recorded at Pieater’s BellBird studio in Melbourne, the album came together over a three-year period, mostly in Melbourne, but pieces sketched all over. It was entirely written, recorded, produced and mixed by Tom Snowdon and Tom Iansek.

No Mono and the pair’s debut record, Islands part 1, is the culmination of years of songwriting and performances and draws broad influence, including from Snowdon’s upbringing in the remote desert town of Alice Springs and his relationship to central Australia. It also oozes Tom Iansek’s boundary-pushing production.

Like the band’s name, which is derived from the Japanese expression ‘Mono No Aware‘, No Mono’s music explores/inspired by the emotional and otherworldly. Islands part 1 is a record about transition through crisis and sanctuary. The band goes deeper, “The songs are all about the turbulence of loss and change and the transformative power that accompanies these moments. They tell our personal stories and reflect our shared fascination in the power of the unseen, and in the enjoyment of making music and songs together; ultimately, the thread that inspired this project.”

A lot of writing for the Toms is about how they can walk the line between songs being relatable stories, while making them otherworldly or surreal. “We find magic in creating songs with that quality. They’re potent to us because they’re like little worlds of their own, each with their own energy and character that’s both familiar but alien.”

“We were lucky to have talented friends around us to help realise the songs on Islands (Part 1). Christopher Port and Joanna Syme each played drums on a few songs, Ainslie Wills and her partner Lawrence Folvig helped on a couple of songs (Ains with her voice and Lawrence with his guitar) and Emma Louise lent her voice to parts on the record, too. We also added strings on a few songs as well as double bass. It’s a special thing about being part of the Pieater family – there are so many talented and passionate musicians around and within reach and they’re all friendly and keen to work on things. This record definitely benefited from that rare thing. It’s more dynamic and powerful because of those contributions”

No Mono jump on the road for their Australian album tour this August/September, stopping in Brisbane,Sydney, Perth, Melbourne, Darwin and Alice Springs, alongside Eliott and Jeffe.

Islands part 1 is out now via Pieater and available digitally and on CD and 12” vinyl.
Buy/stream it here.

No Mono Islands part 1
Violence Broken
Butterflies
Tidal Fight
Frostbitten
Water’s Edge
Desert
Otherside
Future
Oh, This House Is Empty

NO MONO NATIONAL TOUR
Supported by Eliott* and Jeffe^.
Tickets at yesnomono.com

JUNE 2 – SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE (VIVID FESTIVAL) – SYDNEY
AUGUST 25 – THE BRIGHTSIDE – BRISBANE*^
AUGUST 31 – JIVE – ADELAIDE*^
SEPTEMBER 1 – JACK RABBIT SLIMS – PERTH^
SEPTEMBER 7 – CORNER HOTEL – MELBOURNE*^
SEPTEMBER 15 – THE STUDIO – DARWIN^
SEPTEMBER 16 – MONTE’S – ALICE SPRINGS^

**Also appearing at Splendour In The Grass**

Stay connected with No Mono:
Official Wesbite | Instagram | Twitter | FB | YouTube | Tumblr

PRAISE FOR NO MONO

“Tom Snowdon and Tom Iansek are meant to be together. And No Mono is a project with legs. It’s like Chewbacca playing chess with James Blake, Bon Iver over a bottle of Glenlivet. Each track gives you a warm shiver as tiny tremors give way to midnight black choruses…Shy Magic.”
Mikey Cahill, Herald Sun (4/5 stars)

“Suspense, emotion, and finesse fire like electricity throughout Islands Part 1, a magnificent statement of artistic prowess from No Mono.”
HAPPY

“…one of Melbourne’s most exciting new bands…”
GQ Australia

“Their debut album certainly delivers on the promise that saw the duo sell out their first-ever shows off the back of a handful of singles – it’s set to be one of the year’s buzziest releases.”
ELLE Magazine

“Each single released from the album so far has demonstrated a level of sophistication and a nuanced understanding of the project’s identity that can only come from years of refinement and careful cultivation.”
Purple Sneakers

“The two Toms – Iansek and Snowdon – first collaborated on 2014’s stunning #1 Dads album, and they’re back with No Mono, an ambient project with a focus on Snowdon’s heavenly falsetto. The duo’s first shows had people raving, and early cuts like ‘Butterflies’ and ‘Tidal Fight’ both feature the same naked, emotionally resonant edge that gave their previous collaborations such heart.”
15 Albums To Look Out For In 2018 – LNWY.CO

“No Mono is the culmination of two uniquely talented beings exploring art on their own terms. Tom Iansek and Tom Snowdon’s approach to making music is for most part, driven by curiosity. Rather than fulfilling a target or pre-defined label, they instead set out to experiment with the transcendental nature of sound.”
Casual Band Blogger

“No Mono are one of those groups that come along and truly stop you in your tracks.”
Stoney Roads

“There’s a lot of ways to describe No Mono, a new partnership between Tom Snowdon and Tom Iansek. Angelic, irresistibly stunning, beautiful, remarkable, moving and gut-wrenching are all descriptors we’ve used while talking about their past three singles, but I’d like to summarise all of it into one word – special. No Mono are special. They’re a one-off pairing between two of Australia’s most spectacular names…”
Pilerats

“it’s a beautiful, minimal injection of neo-soul to the heart.”
Hilly Dilly

“This is truly something special.”
I OH YOU

“They have only released four songs in total so far but already people are starting to fall in love with their raw, electronically experimental music.”
Music Feeds

“The tour dates come off the back of a slew of jaw-dropping tracks from No Mono that have aptly marked them as one of the country’s standout acts of the year by media and fans alike.”
The Partae

“No Mono are truly Australia’s most bold and translucent new act at the moment.”
AAA Backstage

“…No Mono marks their territory as one of the most exciting new projects to come out of Australian music.”
Acid Stag