Today we’d like to introduce you to Joelle Brodeur.
Hi Joelle, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I founded Monarch Hill originally as a side project. My collaborator, Marisa Cole, and I were in another band for roughly 2.5 years, but were unsatisfied with the lack of progress and urgency to move forward as a group.
How Monarch Hill got started was on a lark. I went to see a duo called DDRB at a place called Prosperity Brewers in Boca back in September for their homecoming gig. This was during a hiatus in the other band, so I was bored with nothing to do. My spouse said to me, “why don’t you start your own thing?”. He was right, so I simply began working on the project name first as a brand to focus on to build from there.
As far as my background goes, I am not a formally trained musician and songwriter. Not by a long shot. I’m self taught as that’s what you do when you can’t afford lessons. I’ve been playing guitar since the age of 16 and didn’t care too much for learning covers at the time (this was when grunge exploded). I ended up writing songs here and there. I made a game of it for every batch of chords I learned.
I didn’t get into any bands until my late 30s. Life got in the way and I didn’t have time to think about bands. I kept to myself writing at home and playing to a programmed drum machine to work on timing. I got back into music slowly and worked my way up from simple meet up groups to being invited to my first project in 2023, That was the catalyst. I found out that I didn’t suck at guitar after all.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Smooth? Never. If it is, you either are very rich or very lucky or a combination of both.
Struggles are always the same: time, money and talent.
Sometimes, you have the time and the talent, but not the money to pursue anything in a meaningful way. Other times, you have the money and talent, but then nobody that you work with has the time to work with you. It’s a struggle with any creative endeavor.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am progressing to becoming more of a part time professional musician. I say that with a grain of salt as it takes time and connections to get there.
Musically, I am proud of the material that we created. Even the still unreleased EP from the prior band we were in. That experience showed that I am capable of being a musician in a studio setting. I never try to settle because I get bored easily and need to keep busy while I wait for the next creative rush to hit.
Right now, I am working on getting more known in the South Florida music community, releasing music and doing more shows to get Monarch Hill more visibility.
What sets me apart from others is that I have professional work ethic in how run the band and interact with connections in the community. Additionally, my sound alone and my gear set me apart. It’s kind of my trademark.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
Monarch Hill is still a fairly new project. however we are gaining a lot of respect from other musicians. They want to work with us which says a lot about our music and us as a group. We are also undergoing some changes to that will change the trajectory of the band’s creative direction.
What happens in the fall remains to be seen. We may take a short hiatus to regroup.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://monarchhill.noiseyard.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/monarch_hill_official/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MonarchHillOfficial
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@monarch_hill_official
