Monnone Alone team up with director Lehmann B. Smith for new ‘Cut Knuckle’ video

by the partae October 4, 2018

written by the partae October 4, 2018

Monnone Alone team up with director Lehmann B. Smith for new ‘Cut Knuckle’ video + Melbourne single launch media invite

“A gorgeously catchy jangler filled with 12-string strums and a chorus that seems ready to poke through the sky.” – Andy French, Raven Sings The Blues

Last month, esteemed Melbourne outfit Monnone Alone revealed their first new material in over five years with the instantly recognisable indie jam ‘Cut Knuckle’. The long awaited single is the first to be revealed of the outfit’s forthcoming album Summer of The Mosquito, following from their 2013 LP Together at Last. Fronted by former Lucksmithsbassists and Lost and Lonesome label head Mark Monnone, the four-piece are excited to now gift fans with a brand new video created by artistic all-rounder Lehmann B. Smithahead of their Melbourne single launch at The Gasometer on Saturday 13 October.

After much admiration, Mark Monnone has teamed up with local filmmaker and fellow musician Lehmann B. Smith to create a fun clip that perfectly encapsulates the palpable energy of ‘Cut Knuckle’. With some questionable OHS standards, yet undoubtable creative vision, the clip sees Monnone strung by his waist and lowered down a well by his band mates, left alone to anticipate what lies at the bottom. It’s clever, quirky and indicative of the track’s explorative nature and new direction for the band, whilst staying true to their signature turn-of-phrase.

“As should any human with half a heartbeat, I find much to admire in Lehmann B. Smith’s video work for his own songs; the latest one for his track ‘Tropical’ is something of a masterpiece. I asked Lehmann to make me a video for our song ‘Cut Knuckle’ and unbelievably he said yes. He also said that I’d be bound in rope for an entire day and who could say no to that? One thing that struck me, as well as the close attention he paid to setting up the storyboard and other pre-production things, was Lehmann’s complete disregard for workplace safety and the continual threat to human life in the stunts he forced me to do.” – Mark Monnone

“I was in the car listening to Don Quixote on audiobook and there was this hallucinatory bit where Quixote gets lowered into the Cave of Montesinos. When I was a kid we had a farm with a well where we kept wine and I always loved being lowered down by rope to collect bottles for the adults. I guess the pit in ‘Cut Knuckle’ could be one of those grand metaphors for life in general, you just keep getting lowered into it not knowing where it’s leading and the deeper you go, the more invested you become. There’s no way of knowing what’s at the end of it until you get there and you’ve just got to hope it’s something beautiful and different.” – Lehmann B. Smith

Keeping its release date tightly under wraps, Summer of the Mosquito is a record as bold and beatific, as vivacious and volupt, as wobbly and as warm as the storied history of the misnomer that is Monnone Alone. Throughout its many forms and line-ups, the outfit has toured the US and Europe off the back of the debut LP and played alongside esteemed groups such as The Wedding Present, The Pastels and Comet Gain. Back on home soil after a bit of time off touring, the four-piece are thrilled to launch the new single with a hometown show upstairs at Melbourne’s Gasometer Hotel along with special guests Cool Sounds and Way Dynamic.

‘Cut Knuckle’ Single Launch
Saturday 13 October
The Gasometer Upstairs, Melbourne
with Cool Sounds + Way Dynamic
Tickets $10 on the door from 8pm
Set times:
Way Dynamic: 8.15–8.55pm
Cool Sounds: 9.15–9.55pm
Monnone Alone: 10.15–11pm

‘Cut Knuckle’ is out now via The Lost and Lonesome Recording Co.

Limited edition 7″ Vinyl including B-side ‘Difficult Boy’ available via Bandcamp