Life got ya down? Does it seem filled with disappointments, frustration and regret? If so, The Monastics, an alt-rock/ punk trio

from Little Rock, is the band for you.

Call it the angst of youth if you like, but we all know there are a lot of us out there. Music fans whose anger and self-loathing is surpassed only by their rage caused by the bleak outlook found in the outside world — loners and so-called “losers” alike — finally have a Little Rock band to call their own. With songwriting that’s fueled by resentment and pent-up frustration, The Monastics aren’t out to change the world. They’re simply out to make honest music about emotions and frustrations shared by all too many of us.

Fans of Nirvana, the White Stripes, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Black Flag will dig The Monastics. Fans of blatant emotional honesty and purity in art will LOVE them. While using various music and lyrical dynamics to make their sound interesting, the fact that The Monastics give 150 percent and lay themselves bare during their performances resonates with fans of all ages. Alt-rock, punk, melodic hard rock, post-hardcore — neat labels, but this band is more than genres or categories can explain.

Their debut EP, “Monasticism,” is in development and tentatively set for release in Spring 2012. The Monastics — which shines with dead-on, commanding lead vocals, sincere lyrics, smooth bass lines and hard-driving drums — is currently booking shows all across Arkansas and the surrounding region. They have recently performed shows at Revolution Music Room (Rev Room) and Stickyz Rock ‘N’ Roll Chicken Shack in Little Rock (the latter as the opener for Cleveland indie rock sensations Mr. Gnome) and

Facebook.com/themonasticsband Reverbnation.com/themonasticsband

fClick here to listen to a few of The Monastics’ original tracks via their Reverbnation page.

fClick here for high-resolution photos of The Monastics via their management firm, MoJo MusicManagement LLP.

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at Sound Stage in Conway.For more information about The Monastics or to check out

some of their tunes, visit their Facebook page or Reverbnation site. For booking or publicity inquiries, email kstar@mojo-management.com. You and your fellow music fans will not be disappointed!

ABOUT THE BAND

The Monastics is comprised of Sean P. Johnson on lead vocals and guitar, Spencer English on bass and vocals, and Marc Harris on drums.

Collectively, the guys agree that their sound harkens back to: Nirvana, Fugazi, Black Flag, early Red Hot Chili Peppers, and The Descendants. But individually, their influences vary far and wide, and the music reflects that in an interesting and lovingly fashioned manner.

Harris, for example, cites Smashing Pumpkins, Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd as bands he listened to a lot as a youth, and more current favorites have been An Endless Sporadic, Radiohead, and Minus the Bear (Rush has remained a fave his entire life, he says).

Front man Johnson throws Notorious B.I.G., Stevie Wonder, Nirvana and old gospel and R&B standards into the mix of childhood influences, along with Weezer, Sublime Jay- Z and other mainstream hip hop. In his teens he discovered the power of punk and underground alt-rock, following artists such as Rancid, Husker Du, Black Flag, Hole, the Germs, Bad Brains, Gumball and The Pixies. He continues in his perpetual love for the imagery and lyricism of hip hop through the likes of The Roots, Talib Kweli, and Mos Def.

Bassist English says Dead Kennedys, Primus and Soophie Nun Squad were pretty heavy on his playlist when he was younger, while in the last five years he’s gotten into Grizzly Bear, Akron Family, Neutral Milk Hotel and Modest Mouse.

The Monastics’ songs are written by Johnson, a lyricist and composer. He jokes that he has “no life and a lot of free time” — and that may be true, but only because he lives up to the band’s name and mantra. Solitude and introspection help him bring to light what many of us feel in our own lives. Johnson says that “while each song he writes has a lot of meaning” to him personally, no one should take for granted the power they have of “to find their own meanings” in each track.

His favorite songs that he has written? He hesitates to name just one of the hundreds of songs and drafts of songs he has written, choosing instead to leave the favorite-picking to the fans.

“Shame, Shame” is a favorite of the other two band members, who love the high energy and upbeat tempo of the song. “It’s a really fast, intense, bass-heavy song, and it’s always a challenge as far as timing and groove,” explains English, who started playing music as a drummer with a different group but switched to bass when that band needed someone to fill in on the instrument. “I’ve been playing bass in punk bands ever since and love it, though I think my style is pretty eclectic in its roots — it has the raw feel and power of punk, but I also try to integrate my funk influences quite a bit, too.”

Drummer Harris first picked up the sticks at the young age of 5, and took lessons for about a year before striking out on his own, musically speaking. He’s been banging those drumheads loud and long ever since — he says those whose style he tries to emulate includes John Bonham, Danny Carey, Neil Peart, Dave Grohl and Jimmy Chamberlin — and a few years ago Harris added vocals and guitar to his resume.

Johnson has been singing in church since at least age 7, picking it up from his musician mother, who has advised him on style, dynamics and everything in between, he says. He started teaching himself to play guitar around age 16 and joined the band Spring Gun at age 17.

Johnson says he has always had a fond love for art and is fueled to make it his life’s work. From dancing for his family to Michael

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Jackson and James Brown (even donning a wig or two), to acting, writing and singing, the foundation was laid early in the life of this stone that the builder refused. The likes of Cobain, Plath, Van Gogh, Hemingway, and others have shaped an artist seeking his voice through introspection.

Going to shows and concerts added more flames to the inferno. Seeing artists like the Foo Fighters and the Chili Peppers perform live enhanced his love for rock ‘n’ roll. And his experiences at N.E.R.D., Roots, and Talib Kweli concerts convinced him that, just maybe; he “could do this too.”

So what does it all, together, mean? The songs, the themes, the band name, even?

Simply put: In life we must question all things — love, hate, anger, pain, frustration, guilt, and regret are among the many culprits of our discontent. We must look deep inside ourselves to find the true meaning of it all. That is monasticism — and this is The Monastics.

Enjoy.

For Booking & Publicity Inquiries, Please Contact:

Kristal “K*Star” KuykendallMoJo Music Management LLP

http://MoJo-Management.comkstar@mojo-management.com

501-584-8785