Monica Aben has today premiered her new video for the track titled ‘Kids in LA’. time makes the heart grow fonder. I totally get what Monica was saying here. Being a child of the 80s I can’t help but watch ‘Knight Rider’ every time it comes on. Or getting a box of Nerds just for the memories. Monica puts this to music that is as fond as it is memorable itself. Monster hook and anthemic growl compliment Monica’s gorgeous and earnest vocals talking about times gone by and the abyss that is a memory. This makes us forever young.
‘Kids in LA’ is out today. Her new EP ‘Postcards’ releases October 15th.
About ‘Kids in LA’
Musing on the inspiration behind the song, Monica states, “It made me look back at all our memories and honestly, I think we knew we were in the good days while we were in them.”
As the latest taste of what’s to come from EP ‘Postcards,’ out on Oct. 15th, this is her ode to the “best of times with the best of humans.” Channeling 90’s throwbacks, the charming music video is made up of homemade clips depicting fun and silly moments with friends, as they “celebrated how free and happy we were, how we joyfully basked in the sun of our mistakes.” There’s no doubt the Venice Beach native really captured the nostalgia in this one.
About Monica Aben
Have you ever written a letter to the one that almost was, but never sent it? A letter to your future self, reminding you of the good, the bad and the milestones in your life. What if you sent the postcard that your friend convinced you not to… Would your whole life look different? Venice (L.A.) based artist Monica Aben, pulled the shoebox packed with letters and postcards from underneath her bed, and whilst reminiscing about the past, wrote a collection of songs that explores every unsent word from those pages, all encapsulated in her new EP, Postcards.
Born and raised in Venice, Monica comes from a varied musical household where her mother was a professional Hawaiian/ Polynesian dancer and her father a vinyl enthusiast. Music was in her everyday life.
Her music career started when she was 18 years old following the advice of “industry professionals” remarking that her wholesome self just wasn’t enough and that she was somehow missing something. Contradictory comments ranged from “ be more country,” “be more edgy,” “show more skin.” After a few years of tirelessly dodging derogative recommendations, Monica vowed that the release show of her second studio album “In Your Universe” would be her last show as an artist. (Village Studios in partnership with local charity, Safe Place for Youth) She was retiring at the ripe age of 26 and was going to become a writer.
All that was about to change after a trip to London in January 2020. What was meant to be a writing trip organized by contacts in L.A. soon fell short after a myriad of scheduling issues. Not wanting to waste any opportunities, Monica continued her journey to London with last minute phone calls asking for introductions to people there that might be willing to meet her. Trusting one of her closest fri ends’ recommendations, Monica met her now manager. He set up writing sessions and introduced her to a wealth of industry people along with his friends.
Everyone Monica connected with preached with encouragement and enthusiasm, to not give up on being an artist. Rather than being told to follow a trend or try and be someone different, for the first time she met a group of influential people that wanted Monica to be herself. Things were about to change. This was the start of a new era for Monica. As soon as she hit the ground back in L.A she recorded a new E.P. working Justin Glasco, mixed by Ryan Gilligan and mastered by Jett Galindo.
Postcards is a collection of work from Monica that vulnerably shows that who she is as an artist is synonymous with who she is as a person. “How do I say that this is the first time I’ve made music fearlessly? There have been parts of myself in every release, but I’ve always held back a little. I think if you were to listen to the old stuff, you’ll see how freeing these new songs are. They are my heart, but now I’m finally showing my personality. I put so much weight on my previous songs being piano ballads because I didn’t want to just follow whatever was trending, but by digging my heels in, I hindered myself. Now I’m putting it all out there and it’s a truly fearless release.”
LINKS:
https://www.monicaaben.com
https://www.instagram.com/monicaaben
https://www.facebook.com/monicaabenmusic
https://twitter.com/monicaaben
