Bio
Over the last 10 years, the band Telemonster has produced 12 kids and 1 record. These days their music comes from this particular place in life – a place where you carry toddlers more than guitar cases; where you play hide ’n’ seek more than you play shows; where music is made from 9:00 pm to 2:00 am because everyone else has gone to bed.
Telemonster’s 15-year run is no small feat considering the band was originally formed for a one-off college talent show in 2009. Telemonster’s early output stemmed from collaborations between cousins Ben VanderHart (guitar/vocals) and Josh Barrett (drums) who had moved to Chattanooga, TN from their respective hometowns in Iowa and New Mexico. John-Michael Forman stepped in on bass to round out the band’s earliest lineup, and over time they added Dave Hess (keys) and Paul Smallman (guitar/keys). Telemonster released an eponymous EP in 2011 and quickly followed up with 2012’s self-released A Girl I Knew. After a 6-year hiatus, the band returned to the studio in 2018 and self-released their sophomore effort, Introspecter, Pt. 1 on Yellow Racket Records. Over the last few years, the band has continued writing and recording amidst the disarray of having kids, running their own businesses, founding a record label, opening a record store, and, whenever possible, enjoying a quiet life.
News
In 2021/2022, Telemonster released two new singles, “Your Life Begins Today” and “Love You (‘Til I’m Dead).” In this digital A-side/B-side, lead singer Ben VanderHart tries to find joy and renewed purpose amidst the hardest years of life.
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Press
“...a dreamy indie rock track that stuns with a crisp fusion of synths, drums and delicate vocals. Telemonster brings a brainy indie rock flair that creates an eclectic array of sounds, yet never oversteps into mainstream cliches."
“The syncopated beat and the creatively woven melody line creates something I have literally never heard before... The whole piece feels carefully crafted and delightfully ‘new.’”
“Change that dial, que up your Spotify – the band Telemonster is going to knock your socks off.”
“Telemonster mixes pop, rock, synth and all the ingredients that are so juicy about indie music… Top marks for a band that is taking a leap from the Radiohead book and making it truly their own style and sound.”
“There’s a simplicity in the sound, which belies the truth that it’s very complex indeed – layer upon layer of sound.”
“What really drives this song, as well as all the tracks on the album, are the killer vocals. VanderHart’s voice is somewhere in the clouds; he’s wandering around like a muse yet seems to be in complete control on every song.”
“Referring to most pop and rock songs as compositions is a bit of a stretch. Not this time. Even the most casual spin of Telemonster‘s second full-length leaves no doubt that this Tennessee orch-pop quartet operates at a level far above and beyond that of your typical indie band.”
“Their experimental approach resulted in a soundscape that is all too easy to melt into, whilst bands such as the Beatles seemed to get the right synergy back in the day, it would seem that it’s become a lost art form amongst contemporary artists, except for Telemonster.”
“The song possesses a polished facade of pop precision, but there’s also an ocean of restless emotions laying just beneath its surface. The band takes our expectations and turns them inside out, giving us something both familiar and unique in the process.”
“This one has been sticking with me the past few days. There’s a charm, a subtlety, a dreaminess to it that makes it all the more infectious.”
The Saturday Alternative, WTMD Baltimore 89.7 FM
