West Coast funk rockers Gnarfunkel are back with a brand new single, 'A Million Monkeys'. ‘A Million Monkeys’ is the latest single from Gnarfunkel’s debut album Gnarnia, which is set for release on May 6th. The chill groove-driven track is a road-tested fan favourite about how hard it can be to express your emotions. "Sometimes you struggle to find a way to put love into words," says vocalist Myles Hildebrand. "One day you decide that even a monkey, wildly and randomly clacking away at a typewriter, could do a better job. 'A Million Monkeys’ tells this story with whimsical harmonica, funky verse rhythms and soulful slide guitar.”
By Kamil Bobin
Discovered via Musosoup
Hey Gnarfunkel, super nice to have the chance to chat with you. What first got you into music?
Well, it was a combination of "Worship Team" at the Mennonite church in the tiny Canadian prairie town where I'm from and a lot of Elton John on huge family road trips.
Who would you most like to collaborate with?
Probably Half Moon Run, those guys are just incredible and we've been huge fans since day one. Or The Sheepdogs, love 'em.
Your latest song is 'A Million Monkeys'. Can you tell us more about the making of it and if there were any unusual things happening during the process?
Well I originally wrote A Million Monkeys over ten years ago. I still have a video of me playing it for my friends in my Montreal apartment the day I wrote it. Obviously the song has changed and evolved so much since then. It's been incredible seeing what the band has done with it, how everyone's brought their own style and flair and now it's come to a place I could never have imagined. We figured it might be the first single from our album and it was definitely on our minds in the studio. As I was recording vocals the producer was like "yeah wow I can definitely tell you've been singing this song for a long time". So maybe some bad habits but also a lot of character I guess? I bought the typewriter specifically so we could record the audio for the song. The typewriter clicks you hear at the very beginning are me clacking away. Oh and the acoustic guitar that I wrote the song with is very special to me, I've had her for almost 18 years. If you listen very closely in the 2nd and 3rd chorus you can hear her.
What are you focussing on right now?
Getting this album out and planning a Canadian tour! Tough these days but we're optimistic about making a May tour work.
What makes you the happiest?
That's a huge question. And deeply personal. For me I'd say a day spent surfing or snowboarding or mountain biking followed by a big beach jam / song circle shared with a lover and some friends. That's happiness.
What is the biggest challenge of being an artist?
Spending time doing things that aren't my art. We all do it. I'm always trying to find ways to stop not making music.
How do you structure your day?
These days I've been busy with my day job. Working on neutron diagnostics for a nuclear fusion research company. We're actually building a big prototype at Culham in the UK. We should grab a pint!
Do you have any hobbies or interests outside of music?
Ooooh yeah, see answer to question 6. My main three are surfing, snowboarding and mountain biking. I've been lucky enough to do quite a bit of all three lately. Tough though cause there's always a song that could be worked on!
Do you sing in the shower? What songs?
Full disclosure even though I'm a huge vinyl snob I usually blast music from my phone when I'm in the shower. Fuller disclosure, it's usually Coldplay.
What are your plans for the future?
Tour! Get this album pressed on vinyl and out to the people. Play some outdoor music festivals. Stop not making music, essentially.