Listen to Montero's "Passion"

Montero is launching the single “Passions” this month with shows in Sydney, Newcastle, Canberra, and their hometown Melbourne. Lead singer and semi-regular cartoonist for VICE, Ben Montero, gave us some time to talk about it.

NOISEY: Hey Ben. I noticed “Passions” features a moment from everyone in the band. Like, everyone gets their little flourishes.
Ben Montero: Everyone gets a little solo. I think that’s nice.

Is that important in a band like Montero which is so full of Alpha Dogs?
Yeah. Throw the dogs a bone.

What’s the song about?
I think it's just about a girl or a guy, like all songs are. I wrote it a few years ago.

I’m asking because your songs seem to be about stuff. I don’t know if it’s unfair to put that on you.
Nah—I get really down and think they’re not about stuff. Like they should be more heavy. It wasn’t even called “Passions” originally. It’s just that the guy I recorded it with said that it sounded like the TV show Passions and the name stuck.

That Australian show? I can’t really remember that.
It was on at three in the afternoon and it was this really full on, amazingly awful TV drama. So it became a little theme song for that. If you can steer a song away from any kind of heavy meaning, that’s a good thing. Then if anyone goes, “Hey, is that about blah-blah-blah” you can just go, “Nuh.”

Darren Sylvester told me you write ten songs a night. How true is that?
I haven’t written anything in a while… I think I’m just kind of done. I’m gonna do the Xenides musical and that’s it.

Oh right, your musical about the former Wheel of Fortune co-host. How’s that going?
Well, it’s gonna take a lot more work than I thought, maybe a year or two. I’m going to do it properly. Some of the songs are on the album coming up, and some of the song will be on part two of that album.

And then you’re gonna stage it?
Yeah, with actors and singers and props. The whole shebang. We’re gonna do it really well but it’ll take a little while. I don’t really know what I’m doing but I’m talking to people who do.

Any thoughts on casting for the lead role?
I’ve got a casting couch going for Adriana. It’s working overtime.

Has Lisa McCune come through yet?
Nah. She’s not answering my calls. She doesn’t get my jokes.

I’m not sure how funny Lisa is.
I’ve never liked her.

Neither. Before you go, I’m dying to ask: who is Gary Goodguy?
Yeah, everyone’s always going, “who is it?” or “I know who that is”. I don’t know who that is.

So is he more like a combination of artists you don’t like?
Nah, not at all. I reckon you can’t spend time on something if you don’t like it. I like all that kind of music—I just think it’s funny. Things I really hate, I wouldn’t bother drawing a parody of it. It’d be a waste of time.

That’s actually a good point.
You’d have to be fucking twisted.

MONTERO “PASSIONS” SINGLE LAUNCH TOUR DATES:

SYDNEY: THURSDAY JUNE 20 @ GOODGOD with Early Woman (first Sydney show), Drown Under + DJ Marcel Whyler (buzz kull) + Circle Pit DJs, tickets $10 at the door.

NEWCASTLE: FRIDAY JUNE 21 @ TERRACE BAR with Early Woman + Collector, tickets $10 at the door.

CANBERRA: SATURDAY JUNE 22 @ FRONT GALLERY with Raus, Spartak and Shisd, tickets $10 at the door.

MELBOURNE: FRIDAY JUNE 28 @ THE LUWOW with The Ancients + Swim Between The Shags. Tickets $12+BF from Moshtix or $15 at the door if still available (presales strongly advised!)

The "Passions" single is out through Mistletone