Daniel Monte abduct you in classic fashion with the darkly cinematic video for their orch-rock track S.O.S. And Send — showcasing today on Tinnitist.
The Toronto group are known for taking special care to incorporate classical music elements into their songs — and S.O.S. And Send, the newest single from their debut LP Familiar, is true to form. “There’s a little nod to Bach in the violin solo section,” lead singer Daniel Monte reveals. “I played a G minor arpeggio figure going down the range of the violin, which was also famously used by Bach at the beginning of the Presto in G minor.”
Along with classical music, Monte has “always been fascinated with the division between good and evil,” leading to the exploration of a gangster’s mindset. Overtaken by the suspicious violence happening around his home in Woodbridge, Ont., he pounded out the lyrics for S.O.S. And Send, which he believed “was always supposed to be a song about the mob.”
S.O.S. And Send was “a long process of back-and-forth melody shaping and arrangement,” Monte shares. “I must have gone through three or four different chorus ideas before finally landing on this rhythm and melody that seemed to work. I was genuinely considering giving up on this tune at some point. It was just sitting for months — with chords and a crap melody scratched out with no words — until I finally found the inspiration to write the lyrics. From there, everything just found its place.”
Monte isn’t the only seasoned musician in this eponymous group; in fact, it’s fair to say that each of these musicians have earned their stripes. Lead guitarist Antonio Cocuzzo’s experience as a composer and session musician, coupled with his wide range of musical styles, allows him to contribute dynamic guitar parts to songs. One could argue that a composition of this sort would be incomplete without excellent percussion, and drummer Jordan “Jojo Boom Boom” Mason is fit for the task, incorporating orchestral percussion instruments into his hard-hitting style. The keyboardist is left to put a bow on the whole thing, and Flavio Silva doesn’t disappoint; ranging from ethereal soundscapes to rich orchestral elements, he uses his synthesizers and abilities to take the band’s sound to new sonic heights.
Watch S.O.S. And Send above, listen to Familiar below, and catch up with Daniel Monte at their website, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
