European electronic synth-pop duo Close To Monday recently stopped by well-known NYC nightlife music venue Bowery Electric during their first ever US tour. Composed of lead singer Ann and music producer Alexander, the band took to the stage fittingly on a moody Monday evening. Audiences were brought into an intimate, atmospheric embrace as uplifting beats and haunting melodies took hold of the awakened hearts in the room.
Close To Monday’s sound is both mystical and entirely human. The amalgamation of 80’s synthwave beats and Ann’s ethereal vocals create an immersive sci-fi cinematic journey that opens the floor for both introspection and an out of body experience. The lyrics reflect the journey of the human in the modern age, bringing up themes of individuality, alienation, death, hope, and exploration. Each song is an emotional snapshot targeting a human experience, diving deep into the internal world where our phantom selves live.
Your new song Different is actually quite different from your previous songs. Songs like Stranger and First Class seemed more sexy and haunting while Different is more uplifting and bouncy with a pop sound. How did you go about choosing the sound for what is now Different?
Alexander: That’s a great observation! For us, each song reflects a different emotional landscape and mood. With Different, we wanted to tackle the theme of individuality and digital conformity in a way that felt more energizing and hopeful, rather than leaning into the darker or more haunting tones of our earlier tracks. The blend of modern techno and dark wave elements in Different came naturally as we experimented with sounds that felt fresh and allowed us to convey that contrast of emotions—there’s irony and sadness in the lyrics, but also a sense of hope. The shift towards a more bouncy and pop sound was part of exploring something new while still staying true to our style.
Q: On Stranger I noticed the music video and lyrics allude to themes of duality and a sense of a struggle. Can you share more about the dynamic being illustrated there?
Anna: Stranger definitely explores themes of duality—the idea that there are often two sides to every person and every relationship. The song and the video reflect that internal struggle between who we are on the surface and who we are deep inside, especially when confronted with others’ expectations or society’s norms. The duality in Stranger mirrors the tension between wanting to stay true to oneself and the pressure to fit into predefined roles. It’s about facing those conflicting parts of ourselves and trying to reconcile them.
Your music was recently described to lyrically “explore the depths of internal experience – where hopes, anxieties, and joys reside, creating a world where our phantoms thrive.” What is the phantom and what kind of world do you believe our phantoms would best thrive in?
Alexander: The “phantom” could represent the unseen forces or emotions that shape who we are—our fears, desires, and unresolved experiences. In our music, we try to create a space where these “phantoms” can emerge freely, without judgment. It’s a world where we confront our inner complexities and allow our hidden feelings to surface. In a way, it’s a world of self-discovery, where our phantoms, both the good and the difficult, can coexist and thrive. We believe the best world for our phantoms is one where individuality is celebrated and there’s room for introspection, creativity, and emotional honesty.
Close to Monday has gone through many iterations and sounds from tribal to techno to goth and pop. What do you see next for your group?
Anna: We don’t like to lock ourselves into any one genre or style because that limits creative freedom. Right now, we’re exploring a mix of dark wave, modern techno, and pop, but who knows where we’ll go next! What we can say is that we’ll continue experimenting and following where the music and our emotions take us. Our goal is always to stay authentic to ourselves and not be confined by genre labels. We’re constantly evolving, and the future of Close to Monday will reflect that openness to change and creativity.
Close To Monday released a new single titled Only Man this past September. Only Man shifts from the uplifting beat from their previous release Different, instead voicing the internal battle of suppressed pain and the inability to express it. The underlying heavy Lo-fi beat is accompanied by Ann’s spacious vocals, creating a Sci-fi scene of intense pressure and emptiness. The listener follows her voice like a call echoing in the void, offering a melancholic throw-line in a technologically lonesome world.
With their consistent evolution showcasing their unique approach in the electronic music world, it is no wonder that Close To Monday was described as “the ones to watch”.
You can learn more about them on the Official Close To Monday website as well as following them on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.
