Following up the enormous support she received for her stunning 2019 studio album ‘In Your Universe’, US singer and songwriter Monica Aben recently returned to deliver her euphoric new single ‘CPH’.
Capturing the same sweet and seductive sound she has been cultivating for herself these last few years, ‘CPH’ makes for a rich and vibrant return for the artist. Bringing back a warm and uplifting direction, measured perfectly against her uplifting voice, it definitely feels like she is onto something very special with this release.
So with the new single out now, we joined her in a quick chat to find out more about the new material and what she has planned for the future.
Words by Chris Bound
Discovered via http://musosoup.com
PhotoCredit: BrennaWeeks
Chris) Hi Monica, how are you today?
Monica) Hi!! I’m fabulous! I spent last night at the beach with friends and pizza celebrating my “CPH” single release and today I’m just basking in that bliss.
For those that haven’t heard of you yet, how would you best describe your sound and who have been your biggest influences so far?
I would say I’m a blend of Taylor Swift/ Sara Bareilles/ Ingrid Michaelson in their early days. Other influences include The Killers, Keane, and if people know Ben Rector, he’s one of my biggest influences!
And what would you say has been your biggest moment in music so far?
I would say my rebirth. It’s so dramatic, I know. But I threw this big release show for my album “In Your Universe” in late 2019 (which was known amongst my close friends as my retirement show, haha!) and just wanted to be done with the whole artist thing. I was tired of people trying to change me. But then on a writing trip to London, I met some humans that changed my mind and convinced me not to give up just yet! I found a team of people that saw something in me and believed in me. So, I spent the rest of 2020 working and writing and recording. And now we’re here!
You have just released your new single ‘CPH’. Can you tell us how that track came about? Is there a story behind it?
So, I had one of my childhood friends living in Denmark as a citizen and my other best friend studying abroad there… I had just gone through a breakup and they both convinced me to come visit for a few weeks. I wrote with some local singer-songwriters and played a few small acoustic shows, but I wrote this one alone in my little CPH Airbnb one day towards the end of my trip. I felt like my girlfriends helped me rediscover myself during that trip. They reminded me to make room for myself in my own life and I’ll never forget that.
And can you tell us how it compares to your previous material?
I think this new era is way more pop / upbeat / freeing. You can just feel it in both the lyrics and production. I wanted to blend the piano pop I used to write with something I could tap my foot to and VOILA!
Can we expect a new EP, or even an album from you in the near future?
Yes! My EP will be coming this fall and it’s titled ‘Postcards’ because each song on this EP is a postcard from my past. Each song is from a different era in my life. It’s greetings from CPH, greetings from extremely specific places and moments in time. BUT more on that later, just you wait and see!!
The coronavirus outbreak has obviously affected everyone’s plans, but what have you got in store for the rest of the year?
I think my biggest plan now is to venture into Europe in the fall if travel permits, and that’s looking promising!
And finally, do you have any rituals or habits that help you to write new music?
I usually write alone when it comes to writing for myself, unless I have a specific friend in mind that I know would be the perfect match. But I really like to hash out my thoughts and melodies alone because that’s when those miracle songs just fall out (like my favourite song on this EP coming in a few months). I like to play around in the studio and see what happens when no one’s around. To me it’s like an unpredictable creative playground.