In this conversation I caught up London-based indie-artists, Monelise and Penny Eau. Monelise will be playing her first headline show in 5 years at The Old Church in Stoke Newington, London with Penny as her support act. I had the pleasure of catching up with Monelise and Penny to discuss their rehearsals ahead of the headline show and their creative approach when it comes to writing and visualising their music.
Hi Monelise and Penny, thank you so much for taking the time to do this interview! Please could you introduce yourselves to our readers.
Penny: Hey! I'm Penny Eau, I'm a singer/songwriter/producer based in London. I'm getting ready to release my second album 'AQUAREALM' with my long-time collaborator Patrick Perez.
Monelise: Hi! I'm Monelise, an art pop artist based in London. I'm getting ready to play my first headline show in 5 years at Stoke Newington Old Church, which is super exciting and has been a big focus this summer.
Monelise, you will be playing a headline show in London on the 17th August at The Old Church in Stoke Newington in partnership with Laid Bare Live. What can you tell us about the show, and what songs can fans expect to hear on the set list?
Monelise: The show will be a bit of a recap of 10 years of music releases from me (yep, this year I celebrate a decade of doing this, though you won't be hearing my 2014 EP, only my siblings have :D). I've picked my own as well as fan favourites from my first and second albums, as well as some highlight singles released between 2020-2024. There will also be a never before heard new song, and a couple of archival surprises during the Encore. As always, you can expect something mystical and immersive.
Penny, I love your album 'LIMINAL LIFETIMES', especially 'I WILL FIND YOU IN EVERY LIFETIME'. What inspired you to start pursuing a career in music and who would you say are your biggest musical influences?
Penny: Music has always been about connection- connecting with likeminded people from both sides of the stage. The opportunity to both bond over and create shared experiences. There's nothing quite as evocative as music. My biggest influences are The Beatles, Bon Iver, Lady Gaga, Queen and James Blake.
Will you be playing an acoustic set for the show or will you be accompanied by a full band?
Penny: This show will be acoustic!
Monelise, how were you introduced to Penny's music?
Monelise: Penny put herself forward as support when I posted in a musician's group. I was amazed to discover how much we had in common and knew pretty much right away I wanted to have her on board.
As artists, your music is incredibly visual and immersive, I know that you've both recently done underwater video shoots! Would you say that as artists you have a similar approach when it comes to creating music and visualising your songs?
Penny: The music always comes first, but it's all part of a holistic world-building process. The visuals are there to compliment, enhance and immerse.
Monelise: I do think we are both focused on world building. Personally, I intend for my music to be a journey beyond myself, a place where the listener can meet their own soul.
Monelise, alongside your music you also currently have a podcast called 'Monelise Oracle'. Could you tell us a bit about the podcast and what made you decide to start this series?
Monelise: You were the one who aptly suggested it, Keiko! :) So thank you. The podcast is an extension of my songs' universe and is eponymous with my musical oracle deck. Like the cards, the podcast invites listeners to commence their own journey with my songs and their key archetypes as guides along the way.
Penny, like Monelise, you also have an incredible podcast called 'Penny's Two Cents' which invites speakers within different creative industries to share their insight. What made you decide to start a podcast, and do you have any forthcoming episodes planned?
Penny: To be honest I'd not considered creating a podcast, but I was commissioned to host a radio show and was allowed to utilise the episodes in podcast format as well so that felt like a good way to immortalise these good conversations. It was a great experience, I'm luckily surrounded by a community of brilliant people and loved the opportunity to get into their world a bit. I've not been doing it lately as I've been back in uni as a full-time masters student but will likely return to it once I graduate!
Do you both have plans to potentially collaborate either on a podcast episode together or maybe a collaborative single!
Penny: Always keen to collaborate with likeminded people!
Monelise: For sure, that's a great idea! I'm excited to see how our sounds come together on stage.
How are the rehearsals going for the show, are you feeling nervous/excited?
Penny: Everything has been going really well! I've been playing across the UK this past month and feel warmed up and exhilarated to play my London home audience. Every show has a slightly different flavour and essence and London always feels lively and engaged.
Monelise: It's been wild and crazy in the best way possible! Choreography, band rehearsals and new merch and outfit creation are all underway. The last time I've been this immersed in show prep was for the Edinburgh Fringe in 2019. I'm excited to bring my fans from London, various UK cities and a few other countries together under the magical roof of the Old Church.
How can people find out more about your music?
Penny: I'm across all platforms under @pennyeau
Monelise: I'm @monelisemusic on all platforms and you can check out more about me on monelise.com. Aside from music and immersive merchandise I also create personalised soul paintings!
Monelise, how can people find out more about the show and buy tickets?
If you book before 8th August, you get entered into a draw to win a prize pack (meet and greet, signed CD and early listen of my new single)
Find tickets here: Monelise at The Old Church event tickets from TicketSource
I wish you both the best of luck with the show, I'm sure it will be an amazing night! Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions :)
Thank you!
Thank you so much Keiko!
Check out Monelise and Penny Eau's music on my Spotify Featured Artists Playlist (link in bio) and make sure to book your tickets for the headline show on the 17th August!
A huge thank you to Monelise and Penny for taking the time to answer my questions :)
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