European duo Close To Monday consisting of singer/songwriter Ann and producer Alexander has been amassing a dedicated following of fans drawn to their distinct sound, seamlessly blending elements comparable to CHVRCHES and Boy Harsher while forging a musical identity uniquely their own.
The band spent 2024 releasing a stunning single after the other: starting with Lie, followed by First Class, then Religion remix, Stranger, Phantom and Leaves.
“Close To Monday is reinventing electronic music and breaking the boundaries of pop with their unique approach to synths and melodies. Thus forging their own vibe and setting themselves apart by walking their own path”
Tell us about Leaves. What’s the story behind this song?
Track “Leaves” is about death. It’s about how, for reasons sometimes beyond our control, we transition from life to death, which is a cause for sadness. But if during our life we bring joy and our life is meaningful to someone, it becomes a kind of bittersweet sorrow. Evil is inevitable, goodness is inevitable, and new leaves appear on the trees every year to delight and protect us, only to become victims of cold and wind and die, so they can be reborn again.
Is there a storyline underneath your singles and the way you are releasing them?
Each of our tracks is something that impressed us and something we want to share, usually our emotions and experiences. It’s like a picture of us from the inside, with no specific storyline. Like in the life of any person, there is a storyline, but how many of us are aware of it during life? That’s called fate, right? And usually, people don’t control what is predestined for them. Many events happen around us, and even more happen within us. We write about emotions, impressions, about ourselves, about people, and about feelings.
What inspires your creative flow usually?
Absolutely everything. Any event, any person in the crowd, any glance can spark inspiration. Sometimes, it’s too many sparks. Sound also inspires us. Some tracks began with a sound, not an idea or emotion, just a sound. And this sound gained emotion, an idea, lyrics, and turned into a track. One track started with a randomly sampled phrase: “we live side by side with animals.” And it turned into a track about the cruelty of people and animals that can be an example for us (this is the track “Animals”).
How would you define your own genre?
Electronic rock. Though many people tell us we’ve opened our own genre. We like being unique and different. When we perform with our full lineup, we have dancers whose choreography reveals the content and mood of the track—who else can do that? We immerse people in our emotions and experiences. We don’t know what this genre could be called, so we call it electronic rock.
How did you guys decide to start making music together?
Alexander responds: “It happened naturally. Close to Monday initially was a project without vocals—just music. But then I thought it would be much cooler and deeper to touch people with a human voice. So I started looking for a “voice” that penetrates, evokes feelings, and sharpens emotions. And just when I thought that such a voice doesn’t exist, that I had imagined it—I found Ann. Ann is the author of most of our lyrics, so it’s a double fortune, a double strike!”
You blend in different genres of music. Which artists did you grow up with?
We grew up on new wave: Depeche Mode, A-ha, Morrissey, Tears for Fears, Ultravox, Pet Shop Boys, Erasure, Marc Almond, The Police, Blur, Sting, The Cure, Skunk Anansie, Muse, Kosheen… a lot of music. We love Italian pop music as well—they are super melodic, even their hardest rappers sing beautifully. We also adore Spanish music—flamenco can lift us out of any depression.
Who are some of the most exciting artists today?
For us, it’s Depeche Mode—but we are biased, we are their fans. These people make the soundtrack of our lives, and we never cease to be amazed by their talent and zest for life. Many will agree with us. Muse is also our heroes. We believe that rock music should be like this; for us, real rock is Muse.
What’s next for you guys?
We are just at the beginning of our creative journey—everything is ahead of us. We will continue doing what we are doing now—sharing our emotions and experiences with people, awakening feelings and emotions in them. We strive, no matter how clichéd it sounds, to make this world a little bit better, and we are certainly succeeding, and over time, we will succeed even more. Close to Monday is a feeling—the anticipation of something that will surely come because a new day always comes. We want as many people as possible to enjoy this feeling, with hope for the better.
