Will Peischel
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The Monroe will rock the University Union Plaza this Thursday from 11:00 a.m. to noon.
According to keyboardist Robert John Vesnaver (or Doktar Isapony, depending on what day of the week it is), the band’s sound is the genre of “roll.”
“No rock, just roll,” he said. “It was roll-soul but everyone says their music is soul.”
The roll band’s influences span from classic funk bands such as Parliament and Funkadelic to The Beatles, The Pixies and Lauryn Hill, while the finished product includes a sprinkle of old-school ska.
The span of influences comes from the band members’ varying backgrounds. Vesnaver considers it a serious strength for the band. That, paired with the group’s balance of gender, makes the band unique.
“We have two girls and three boys, kind of a family thing going on,” Vesnaver said. “Two boys singing with two girls singing is a cool element, so we use that. Everybody writes.”
The band is currently playing occasional shows and spending plenty of time in the studio. According to Vesnaver, The Monroe hopes to release an LP to accompany the two EPs and live record already released.