Mistletone

Ben Montero photo by Hannah L Brooks

Ecstatic Melbourne throng Montero are coming to Newcastle to launch their new single Passions at Terrace Bar on Friday, June 21. Montero is quite the supergroup, led by comic book/video artist, songwriter and frontman extraordinaire Ben Montero with long time collaborator Gerald Wells on synths, Geoffrey O ‘Connor on guitar, Guy Blackman on piano, local producer Robert Bravington on bass and Cameron Potts (Ninety Nine, Baseball, Brighter Later) on the drumkit.

They’ll be joined by homies Early Woman, a new and swaggeringly catchy collaboration between Hannah Brooks (ex Young Professionals, St Helens, Spider Vomit) and Ben Montero (Montero, Treetops, Geoffrey O’Connor band) with Bobby Bravington on bass and Caitlin Perry on drums. This will be Early Woman’s first tour outside Melbourne, after a string of hometown dates with Love of Diagrams, Scott & Charlene’s Wedding, Lost Animal and Peak Twins. Brooks and Montero began working together soon after meeting in 2012. Considering their contrasting musical backgrounds it’s an unlikely paring, but one that works — Montero brings out Brooks’ bubblegum, while she brings out his nicorette. With big choruses, Bjorn and Agnetha harmonies, glam stomp and pleading funk, Early Woman make a distinctive raw attack on classic pop.

Passions is an epic devotional, lifted from Montero’s forthcoming debut LP The Loving Gaze, due August 16 on Mistletone / Inertia.

MONTERO – PASSIONS SINGLE LAUNCH:

Friday, June 21 @ Terrace Bar with Early Woman + Collector.